I'm having a really hard time trying to overclock my i7 4770K

[diegoberan]

Hello guys I'm having a really hard time with my i7 4770k overclock since I bought it in 2014. So I just gave up on it and i've been using it on stock ever since.

Now I want to try it again! but it seems there is something really odd with it and I cant figure out what.

my system is:
i7 4770k
corsair CS750M
asus Z87-K
16Gb kingston hyperX predator 2400MHz ddr3 memory (4x4Gb modules)
kingston hyperx sata ssd 240Gb
corsair H90 140mm watercooler
radeon HD 5750
windows 10 64bit

Used both intel XTU and HWmonitor to check the temps, power and etc.

when I load my bios on default configs and run prime 95 version 29.4 build 8 on Small FFTs My processor throttles to 3.5GHz due to the power limit of 84W on the turbo boost.
The TDP goes to a maximum of 93W and temps go as high as 72C. Max Vcore is 1.185V(set to auto on bios). Idle temp is 34C max.

The second test I did was enabling the XMP profile in the bios. My RAM was bumped from 1600 to 2400MHz and the power and current limits were both set to max as stated on the intel XMU software. The rest stayed the same.
This time I got no throttle, all cores got to 3.7Ghz but the max TDP got to 128W, Max temp was 88C. DRAM power got from 6W to 10W, no big deal here.

My cooler seems to be working fine, It gets a bit warm on the hoses but the radiator is always cool as is the air that comes out of it. The temps ramp up rather quickly when the test is started and drop to around 40C seconds after stopping the test.



After that I completely cleaned my pc and changed the position of the radiator. It was set as exhaust with radiator on the bottom. Since my case only has space for either the radiator or the fan on top I mounted the fan on top with the metal of the case going in between the radiator and the fan. that left a gape between them that compromised the airflow. So I mounted the rad on top and set the fan as exhaust. Temps dropped from 88C to 77C after both the cleanup and the position change of the radiator.

Next thin I tried was re-pasting the cooler, since I was still using the thermal paste I put on it in 2014. I just had a really cheap thermal paste at home so that was what I used. The temps got about the same as they were, around 1-2 degrees hotter.

Now What is Really annoying me is the TDP my processor is hitting, I don't think its normal. Neither is the processor being power limit throttled on stock configurations....
The best OC I got From it was 4.2GHz on all cores with 1.25Vcore, but the temperatures got to 100C and I got thermal throttled...I wasn't comfortable trying more than 1.3V and coundn't get a 4.3Ghz OC at 1.3V.

BTW my temps never got above 70C under normal use, even overclocked to 4.2GHz 1.25V. Prime 95 FFTs is really shooting my TDP high.

 

[Decends]

Your problem lies with the version of Prime95 you are using. You should be using version 26.6, NOT 29.4. Anything higher than version 26.6 uses a instruction set inside intel second gen (Sandy Bridge) and newer processors that makes them get unrealistically hot.

 

[xXxREBELOxXx]

Intel used thermal paste between the die and IHS on those chips, so they run hot even with good cooling. I'd say delidding it and replacing the old crappy Intel thermal paste with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. then remove the old silicon on the IHS and if you are careful the CPU itself too, you can then put the IHS back on and once you know it is straight and on the right way. You can add a little dab of glue on the corners of the IHS to keep it together. That should lower temps up to 30C in some cases, so that could let you OC a lot higher. Otherwise I'd say stay at 4Ghz on all cores with the lowest stable Vcore.

 

[g-unit1111]

Intel used thermal paste between the die and IHS on those chips, so they run hot even with good cooling. I'd say delidding it and replacing the old crappy Intel thermal paste with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. then remove the old silicon on the IHS and if you are careful the CPU itself too, you can then put the IHS back on and once you know it is straight and on the right way. You can add a little dab of glue on the corners of the IHS to keep it together. That should lower temps up to 30C in some cases, so that could let you OC a lot higher. Otherwise I'd say stay at 4Ghz on all cores with the lowest stable Vcore.

No. Do *NOT* delid - it's never a guarantee that you are going to reach some insane cooling number you wouldn't get otherwise. Delidding is too much risk (it will void your warranty) with very little payoff.

 

[rory-tickner]

How good is the case air flow? Also how good is the cable management as those two things can really mess up how effective your AIO would be

 

[g-unit1111]

Thread is from July. Please do not bump old posts.

 

[rubix_1011]

Delidding should only be done if you understand the consequences of doing it incorrectly - mostly a ruined CPU. It is something that should be attempted only after thorough research and understanding.

For example, I am considering it myself, but mainly because I'm OK if I screw up and I want to try it.

We just need to be very certain that before we go and 'recommend' it as a solution for every Joe User that we know what everyone is getting themselves into.