i5 4460 Overclocking

[SwiftCrimson]

I want to get some extra power out of my processor and was wondering: firstly, is the Intel i5 4460 @3.2Ghz unlocked and overclock-able at all and, if it is, would its stock heatsink be able to properly cool it if I overclocked it a measly .2Ghz to 3.4?

 

[jkhoward]

Generally these processors can only be overclocked by upping the FSB speed. I have had some experience in the past with CPU that were not unlocked and I was able to raise the multiplier slightly but it really depends on the motherboard and the processor. I honestly don't know with this one. Your best bet is to assume that you cannot overclock this chip. Raising the FSB speed overclocks everything on the system and can make everything unstable!

Hopefully this helps!

 

[Eximo]

No it is not unlocked, and getting 200Mhz out of it might be possible by changing the BCLK, assuming your motherboard lets you do that. You won't really notice the performance difference though.

Max turbo frequency is already 3.4Ghz, so with adequate cooling it will run up there when it can. Or you can force it to that speed all the time, but you wouldn't be gaining a lot there either.

 

[SwiftCrimson]

Can you recommend a similarly priced CPU with full OC capabilities?

 

[jkhoward]

Do you already have the processor?

If you already have the processor it is NOT worth updating to another processor just to overclock it.

The CPU would be the i5-4670K which is about thirty dollars more if I remember from the top of my head. However, if you already own the processor it is not worth upgrading unless you can magically find someone to buy it for the full price even though it is used.

 

[Eximo]

i5-4460 at $185 h97 motherboard recommended
i5-4670k at $220 z87 or z97 motherboard
i5-4690k is out as well at $230 z97 motherboard recommended

So you would pay a little more for the 'devil's canyon' release of haswell chips in both motherboard and CPU cost.

If you are building from scratch, post a budget and whether or not you need an OS, monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.

 

[SwiftCrimson]

Yes I do already own the processor so perhaps I'll wait a while and purchase an i7 later on.

 

[jkhoward]

Yes I do already own the processor so perhaps I'll wait a while and purchase an i7 later on.

That is going to be the best choice. If you were to purchase a new processor you would notice 5 - 10 FPS improvement and will be spending $230 for a new processor. (i5 is better for gaming than most i7 processors depending on the games your play)

Wait for Broadwell! (That is what I am doing if it is as good as it claims to be)