[SOLVED] Thinking about Overclocking MY CPU - Is it safe for my set up?

[dommer_]

Good Day Wonderful people of Tom's Hardware,

I was wondering if you can give me some tips to see if I would be able to overclock my CPU with my current set up and how much I can really overclock with my setup/ cooler. PC spec's below:

MOBO - MSI Z270 PC Mate System Board
CPU - Intel Core i5 -7600K Processor
GPU- MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1070 8GB (GTX 1070 AERO 8G OC)

CPU Cooler - Master Cooler Hyper 212 EVO
PSU - 500 Watts
RAM - 8GB x2 sticks DDR4/3000 Mhz

I have the suspicion that my CPU might be bottlenecking my GPU and just for reference, my CPU heat currently sits around 50 degrees C while playing R6 Seige. Any help is appreciated and welcome. Let me know if you have any questions and I will see what I can do.

 

[thtran6]

What is the make and model of your PSU?
500w is enough but you will need a good quality PSU, preferably tier 1.
If it's a very cheap and bronze rated PSU I would definitely upgrade it to something such as the EVGA 650w G2.

Other than that, with your system, overclocking is perfectly safe.
I don't see any problem with your setup that would prevent you from overclocking.

Now, how far can you push your i5 would still depend. Some chips can overclock higher than others or attain the same clock at a lower Vcore. Just keep that in mind.

 

[akhilmathur]

My opinion would be to make sure your PSU is good quality and to watch some videos on how to overclock. Your best bet is to stay below 1.4v on the Vcore, but try to keep it as low as possible by going up in increments of 0.05v. As for stability, there will be lots of trial and error involved for higher OC's, but you should be able to hit at least 4.3ghz with a fairly low voltage although there will probably be a bit more headroom.

As for testing, I recommend using Cinebench, cpu-z, and Realtemp to make sure your overclock is stable.

 

[dommer_]

What is the make and model of your PSU?
500w is enough but you will need a good quality PSU, preferably tier 1.
If it's a very cheap and bronze rated PSU I would definitely upgrade it to something such as the EVGA 650w G2.

Other than that, with your system, overclocking is perfectly safe.
I don't see any problem with your setup that would prevent you from overclocking.

Now, how far can you push your i5 would still depend. Some chips can overclock higher than others or attain the same clock at a lower Vcore. Just keep that in mind.

My opinion would be to make sure your PSU is good quality and to watch some videos on how to overclock. Your best bet is to stay below 1.4v on the Vcore, but try to keep it as low as possible by going up in increments of 0.05v. As for stability, there will be lots of trial and error involved for higher OC's, but you should be able to hit at least 4.3ghz with a fairly low voltage although there will probably be a bit more headroom.

As for testing, I recommend using Cinebench, cpu-z, and Realtemp to make sure your overclock is stable.

Thank you guys, I checked last night and my CPU is at the stock 3.8 ghz for now. I forgot to look at the PSU but I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the lower end for EVGA PSU. I actually think it is a EVGA 500W 80 white. If so (i will make sure tonight) this probably isn't a good enough PSU is it? I wont mind buying a better one as you guys think my system warrants a better one. If so I would like to get a modular PSU, maybe a Corsair one (doesn't really matter to me) but I want to know how much wattage would be good for me. Thanks again.

 

[akhilmathur]

What is the make and model of your PSU?
500w is enough but you will need a good quality PSU, preferably tier 1.
If it's a very cheap and bronze rated PSU I would definitely upgrade it to something such as the EVGA 650w G2.

Other than that, with your system, overclocking is perfectly safe.
I don't see any problem with your setup that would prevent you from overclocking.

Now, how far can you push your i5 would still depend. Some chips can overclock higher than others or attain the same clock at a lower Vcore. Just keep that in mind.

My opinion would be to make sure your PSU is good quality and to watch some videos on how to overclock. Your best bet is to stay below 1.4v on the Vcore, but try to keep it as low as possible by going up in increments of 0.05v. As for stability, there will be lots of trial and error involved for higher OC's, but you should be able to hit at least 4.3ghz with a fairly low voltage although there will probably be a bit more headroom.

As for testing, I recommend using Cinebench, cpu-z, and Realtemp to make sure your overclock is stable.

Thank you guys, I checked last night and my CPU is at the stock 3.8 ghz for now. I forgot to look at the PSU but I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the lower end for EVGA PSU. I actually think it is a EVGA 500W 80 white. If so (i will make sure tonight) this probably isn't a good enough PSU is it? I wont mind buying a better one as you guys think my system warrants a better one. If so I would like to get a modular PSU, maybe a Corsair one (doesn't really matter to me) but I want to know how much wattage would be good for me. Thanks again.

 

[akhilmathur]

So I don't know that much about PSU's but I will say you should consider getting at least an 80 plus bronze psu and you should get at least a 650w psu. The one I have is a Corsair cx650m and it's been quite reliable for the past few years.

 

[thtran6]

What is the make and model of your PSU?
500w is enough but you will need a good quality PSU, preferably tier 1.
If it's a very cheap and bronze rated PSU I would definitely upgrade it to something such as the EVGA 650w G2.

Other than that, with your system, overclocking is perfectly safe.
I don't see any problem with your setup that would prevent you from overclocking.

Now, how far can you push your i5 would still depend. Some chips can overclock higher than others or attain the same clock at a lower Vcore. Just keep that in mind.

My opinion would be to make sure your PSU is good quality and to watch some videos on how to overclock. Your best bet is to stay below 1.4v on the Vcore, but try to keep it as low as possible by going up in increments of 0.05v. As for stability, there will be lots of trial and error involved for higher OC's, but you should be able to hit at least 4.3ghz with a fairly low voltage although there will probably be a bit more headroom.

As for testing, I recommend using Cinebench, cpu-z, and Realtemp to make sure your overclock is stable.

Thank you guys, I checked last night and my CPU is at the stock 3.8 ghz for now. I forgot to look at the PSU but I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the lower end for EVGA PSU. I actually think it is a EVGA 500W 80 white. If so (i will make sure tonight) this probably isn't a good enough PSU is it? I wont mind buying a better one as you guys think my system warrants a better one. If so I would like to get a modular PSU, maybe a Corsair one (doesn't really matter to me) but I want to know how much wattage would be good for me. Thanks again.

It is great that you're considering investing in the right PSU, one of the most important components in your PC.
As far as power goes, 500w is SURELY enough for your setup, but you should always give it some cushion right.

Good news, a TIER 1 gold rated PSU isn't that much more expensive than the one you already have. For example, check out this EVGA PSU below:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4NnQ/evga-power-supply-220g20650y1
It is tier 1, offers 650w, and is fully modular with very high quality parts and all black sleeved cables, only for $59.99. Plenty of power for your setup!

 

[dommer_]

So I don't know that much about PSU's but I will say you should consider getting at least an 80 plus bronze psu and you should get at least a 650w psu. The one I have is a Corsair cx650m and it's been quite reliable for the past few years.

What is the make and model of your PSU?
500w is enough but you will need a good quality PSU, preferably tier 1.
If it's a very cheap and bronze rated PSU I would definitely upgrade it to something such as the EVGA 650w G2.

Other than that, with your system, overclocking is perfectly safe.
I don't see any problem with your setup that would prevent you from overclocking.

Now, how far can you push your i5 would still depend. Some chips can overclock higher than others or attain the same clock at a lower Vcore. Just keep that in mind.

My opinion would be to make sure your PSU is good quality and to watch some videos on how to overclock. Your best bet is to stay below 1.4v on the Vcore, but try to keep it as low as possible by going up in increments of 0.05v. As for stability, there will be lots of trial and error involved for higher OC's, but you should be able to hit at least 4.3ghz with a fairly low voltage although there will probably be a bit more headroom.

As for testing, I recommend using Cinebench, cpu-z, and Realtemp to make sure your overclock is stable.

Thank you guys, I checked last night and my CPU is at the stock 3.8 ghz for now. I forgot to look at the PSU but I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the lower end for EVGA PSU. I actually think it is a EVGA 500W 80 white. If so (i will make sure tonight) this probably isn't a good enough PSU is it? I wont mind buying a better one as you guys think my system warrants a better one. If so I would like to get a modular PSU, maybe a Corsair one (doesn't really matter to me) but I want to know how much wattage would be good for me. Thanks again.

It is great that you're considering investing in the right PSU, one of the most important components in your PC.
As far as power goes, 500w is SURELY enough for your setup, but you should always give it some cushion right.

Good news, a TIER 1 gold rated PSU isn't that much more expensive than the one you already have. For example, check out this EVGA PSU below:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4NnQ/evga-power-supply-220g20650y1
It is tier 1, offers 650w, and is fully modular with very high quality parts and all black sleeved cables, only for $59.99. Plenty of power for your setup!

I think I have to take that deal. Its gunna suck installing but will be great in the long run. Thanks for your help, as this will make me feel better at trying to overclock my CPU.

 

[thtran6]

So I don't know that much about PSU's but I will say you should consider getting at least an 80 plus bronze psu and you should get at least a 650w psu. The one I have is a Corsair cx650m and it's been quite reliable for the past few years.

What is the make and model of your PSU?
500w is enough but you will need a good quality PSU, preferably tier 1.
If it's a very cheap and bronze rated PSU I would definitely upgrade it to something such as the EVGA 650w G2.

Other than that, with your system, overclocking is perfectly safe.
I don't see any problem with your setup that would prevent you from overclocking.

Now, how far can you push your i5 would still depend. Some chips can overclock higher than others or attain the same clock at a lower Vcore. Just keep that in mind.

My opinion would be to make sure your PSU is good quality and to watch some videos on how to overclock. Your best bet is to stay below 1.4v on the Vcore, but try to keep it as low as possible by going up in increments of 0.05v. As for stability, there will be lots of trial and error involved for higher OC's, but you should be able to hit at least 4.3ghz with a fairly low voltage although there will probably be a bit more headroom.

As for testing, I recommend using Cinebench, cpu-z, and Realtemp to make sure your overclock is stable.

Thank you guys, I checked last night and my CPU is at the stock 3.8 ghz for now. I forgot to look at the PSU but I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the lower end for EVGA PSU. I actually think it is a EVGA 500W 80 white. If so (i will make sure tonight) this probably isn't a good enough PSU is it? I wont mind buying a better one as you guys think my system warrants a better one. If so I would like to get a modular PSU, maybe a Corsair one (doesn't really matter to me) but I want to know how much wattage would be good for me. Thanks again.

It is great that you're considering investing in the right PSU, one of the most important components in your PC.
As far as power goes, 500w is SURELY enough for your setup, but you should always give it some cushion right.

Good news, a TIER 1 gold rated PSU isn't that much more expensive than the one you already have. For example, check out this EVGA PSU below:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4NnQ/evga-power-supply-220g20650y1
It is tier 1, offers 650w, and is fully modular with very high quality parts and all black sleeved cables, only for $59.99. Plenty of power for your setup!

I think I have to take that deal. Its gunna suck installing but will be great in the long run. Thanks for your help, as this will make me feel better at trying to overclock my CPU.

Yup yup. More than enough power for any overclock from your current setup.
If you have question about how to connect it to everything on your PC, feel free to ask!

 

[dommer_]

I just ordered the PSU =). I will let you know if I have any questions installing or OC'ing. Thank a bunch you guys!