My overclocking days go back to when you had to manually cut circuit traces on the board and solder in jumpers! But I am not a big fan of overclocking anymore so I don't claim to have much expertise in that area anymore either. Today, many motherboard makers include overclocking utilities with many of their boards. And your board appears to be no exception. I recommend anyone wanting to experiment with overclocking use these included utilities as they typically include one or more preset options the board maker has tested to be safe, or as safe a overclocking can be.
I urge you to read your user guide and note the many warnings in there about overclocking. I note it clearly says, "
we do not recommend general users to overclock." And remember, if anything goes wrong, damage from overclocking typically is NOT covered under warranty - for the board or the CPU.
With that said, MSI includes the overclocking utility called "OC Genie". When enabled, this feature sets several overclocking settings to [more or less] safely overclock your system. I say more or less because overclocking always comes with risks - and not just to your VRMs. You need to monitor your temps carefully. If you are not using a real-time hardware monitor to keep tabs on your CPU temps, get one. I use and recommend
Core Temp for that. And I recommend you install that now BEFORE you overclock your system to establish a normal clocks baseline.
Note it is the case's responsibility to provide a sufficient supply of cool air flowing through the case. If your normal clocks baseline temps are not well managed you need to address your cooling before even thinking of overclocking. Use
HWiNFO64 to look at your other temps too. It is important to ensure your drives, chipset/system, and graphics temps are well managed too. This program can overwhelm you with too much information so when starting, check the "System only" option. Sadly, this program does not have a real-time System Tray applet like Core Temp does.
If your temps are not well managed now, do
not overclock! Period. If necessary and your case supports it, you may need to add additional or larger case fans. You generally want good front-to-back (or bottom-to-top) "flow" through the case. It is then up to the CPU's cooler to toss the CPUs heat up into that air flow. If you use alternative cooling for your CPU, note most do NOT address the cooling requirements for the heat sensitive components surrounding the CPU socket - like the VRMs and chipset. And sadly, many inexperienced overclocking neglects those requirements and concentrate only on the CPU. So I am glad you are aware of the VRM cooling needs too.
Today's OEM coolers are much more capable than many enthusiasts want us to believe. The fact is, OEM coolers from both AMD and Intel are very capable of providing adequate cooling for their CPUs, even with mild to moderate overclocking -
in an adequately cooled case. While adequate cooling is critically essential, achieving the coolest temps possible is not. That is, a CPU running at 25°C will not be more stable, perform better, or have a longer life expectancy than a CPU running at 55°C. As long as the temps are maintained comfortably within the CPU's normal operating temperature range, you are fine. If your case cooling is maxed out and your temps are still too high, then you may need to go with an aftermarket cooler. Just remember to thoroughly clean the CPU of old TIM (thermal interface material) and properly apply a fresh new layer of TIM with the new cooler.
It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) keeping your case interior clean of heat trapping dust is essential - whether overclocking or not. And while in there, make sure your cable management is nice and tidy - and not just for aesthetics - to minimize impacting that desired front-to-back air flow.
Once you have addressed all your cooling needs, then and only then should you look at overclocking. If you encounter any stability issues, back off the clocks.
Good luck and keep an eye on those temps - at all times.
