Newbie looking to OC an i5 3570K

[AbstractSpaces]

I've never overclocked anything before, but I want to try overclocking my CPU and GPU. Going to start with the CPU, it's an Intel Core i5 3570K and the motherboard is an AsRock z77 Extreme 4.

I've looked around at various guides on how to go about it but there's a fair bit of variation in what they suggest doing. Several recommend updating the BIOS first, one recommended doing a clean install of Windows first.

I've seen reports that 4.4 to 4.5GHz is a pretty achievable and safe overclock for this CPU, but before I go ahead and try can I get some advice on the process I should go through?

 

[DarkSable]

You don't need to re-install windows unless you're going for the maximum possible overclock, which you aren't. I do strongly suggest updating the bios - especially with that motherboard, your user experience will be much, much smoother.

Other than that, mostly just follow the guides. I would find one that shows you how to overclock per-core, rather than through turbo boost. I would also leave intel speedstep on, so that you aren't wasting power and creating unnecessary heat while idling.

 

[AbstractSpaces]

You don't need to re-install windows unless you're going for the maximum possible overclock, which you aren't. I do strongly suggest updating the bios - especially with that motherboard, your user experience will be much, much smoother.

Other than that, mostly just follow the guides. I would find one that shows you how to overclock per-core, rather than through turbo boost. I would also leave intel speedstep on, so that you aren't wasting power and creating unnecessary heat while idling.

What about stress testing? I've seen people say AIDA64 is a better program than Prime95, however it's not exactly cheap.

 

[DarkSable]

You can use AIDA64 on a 30 day trial for free.

That being said, while it might be a better program, unless you're going to the absolute balls-to-the-walls limit of your chip, prime 95 will do just fine for ensuring stability.

 

[AbstractSpaces]

You don't need to re-install windows unless you're going for the maximum possible overclock, which you aren't. I do strongly suggest updating the bios - especially with that motherboard, your user experience will be much, much smoother.

Can I ask why? Just that BIOS updates can be risky so I wonder if it's really necessary.

 

[DarkSable]

Can I ask why? Just that BIOS updates can be risky so I wonder if it's really necessary

The only way they're risky is if the power gets interrupted while they're writing. Any modern motherboard shouldn't have issues other than that.

As for necessary, it provides a much smoother experience in the bios, often allows for more features, and improves stability. I would argue that it's absolutely worth it.