6700k - what to do to squeeze out max performance?

[amit_talkin]

I have my i7 6700k build ( full spec in system spec menu in my profile ). Currently running at following config

i7 6700k @ 4.4 GHZ 1.3v
Corsair Vengeance 2400 Mhz @ 3000 MHz 16-16-16
MSI Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard

Now, I want to go more with OC, but crossing 4.4 giving me big headache. I cant got 4.6 unless I go for 1.4 vcore. That is too high for me.
On Memory side, 3000 Mhz is max I can squeeze out of this kit. Any suggestion for tweaking this further to efficiently overclock to atleast 4.6 Ghz?

Here is my validation link in case it is any helpful.

Intel Core i7 6700K @ 4400 MHz - CPU-Z VALIDATOR

[70gi5y] Validated Dump by HOMEPC (2019-07-20 19:27:30) - MB: MSI Z170A GAMING M5 (MS-7977) - RAM: 16384 MB

valid.x86.fr

 

[FreedomEclipse]

If you're watercooling. and thats as high as your clocks will go then id say you've already done your best.

 

[amit_talkin]

If you're watercooling. and thats as high as your clocks will go then id say you've already done your best.

umm yes, its on water, temp goes near 72c max. So, no way to go beyond 4.4 in safe range?

 

[Deleted member 178884]

umm yes, its on water, temp goes near 72c max. So, no way to go beyond 4.4 in safe range?

Best bet is to delid and use liquid metal to increase headroom.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

If you want to take a risk. consider deliding it will drop your temps about another 10'c and you might be able to squeeze more speed from your CPU

 

[amit_talkin]

Best bet is to delid and use liquid metal to increase headroom.

If you want to take a risk. consider deliding it will drop your temps about another 10'c and you might be able to squeeze more speed from your CPU

Thanks, that I will keep in mind while following advice on this thread. Anything else can be done before going for deliding? 4.4 is really end point for this CPU? I saw tons of people get 4.6 easily with 1.3 vcore....do I need to play with some other settings or increase other CPU related voltage?

 

[amit_talkin]

Meanwhile, I found a video for making liquid metal to use with delided CPU.

 

[Final_Fighter]

what are your temps at 1.4v and 4.6ghz?

 

[amit_talkin]

what are your temps at 1.4v and 4.6ghz? you should be in the 70s with your setup at those volts i would think. 1.45v at 4.8-5ghz should be in the 80s. its completely safe. the temps im talking about should be when stress testing. during gaming they should be in the mid 60s.

Cant even able to load Windows at 4.6@ 1.4 v. I didn't try further as there was no point of going above for just 200mhz increase . What my motherboard is missing LLC setting which many of OC tutorials talking about. Yes my gaming session temps stay under 65c at 4.4.

 

[Final_Fighter]

Cant even able to load Windows at 4.6@ 1.4 v. I didn't try further as there was no point of going above for just 200mhz increase . What my motherboard is missing LLC setting which many of OC tutorials talking about.

alright. it does sound like your cooler may be mounted wrong. any idea what type of thermal paste you have on it?

edit: quick question, how do you have that rad mounted in that case?

 

[Deleted member 178884]

Thanks, that I will keep in mind while following advice on this thread. Anything else can be done before going for deliding? 4.4 is really end point for this CPU? I saw tons of people get 4.6 easily with 1.3 vcore....do I need to play with some other settings or increase other CPU related voltage?

Nothing more can be done other than adding more radiator space which is not worthwhile in my opinion, by replacing the TIM with liquid metal, you should see much more headroom and overclock from there.

 

[amit_talkin]

alright. it does sound like your cooler may be mounted wrong. any idea what type of thermal paste you have on it?

Paste is Noctua NT-H1. I have been running @ 4.4 since I get my CPU in 2015. Since then I changed water and cleaned and refit all parts many times, temp. has like this since the beginning.
May be time to change CPU block? This block I am using since LGA1366 days.

 

[Wavetrex]

I would say that the solution is the one you don't want to hear:

It's time to upgrade !

Quad-core just doesn't cut it today, even if you would somehow manage to clock it at 5ghz.

 

[P4-630]

Even if you can squeeze out another 100 or 200MHz out of the CPU, I don't think the extra heat is worth the extra few fps with gaming. (if that is what you do)

 

[amit_talkin]

I would say that the solution is the one you don't want to hear:

It's time to upgrade !

Quad-core just doesn't cut it today, even if you would somehow manage to clock it at 5ghz.

Damn, I was so tempted with new Ryzen series, been looking for deals n stuff all over week..You don't know how I have hold myself back from all these . Thats why to cheer up myself I have started this thread so that I can be happy with my current setup for atleast an year!

 

[Deleted member 178884]

Damn, I was so tempted with new Ryzen series, been looking for deals n stuff all over week..You don't know how I have hold myself back from all these . Thats why to cheer up myself I have started this thread so that I can be happy with my current setup for atleast an year!

Don't bother with "upgrading" the 6700k is still a perfectly fine CPU and is a 4c8t part, ryzen is nice but it isn't the best solution to improving performance, games aren't going to benefit really and it'd be a waste of money. Just delid, aim for around 4.6ghz and call it a day.

 

[amit_talkin]

Alright, time to get this puppy delided then. Thanks for quick response guys

 

[Vayra86]

Damn, I was so tempted with new Ryzen series, been looking for deals n stuff all over week..You don't know how I have hold myself back from all these . Thats why to cheer up myself I have started this thread so that I can be happy with my current setup for atleast an year!

If it is any comfort, current gen Ryzen and your i7 are just about samey in terms of IPC. So unless you need more than 4c8t, the benefit of a Ryzen 3xxx will be limited.

 

[Mr.Scott]

I would say that the solution is the one you don't want to hear:

It's time to upgrade !

Quad-core just doesn't cut it today, even if you would somehow manage to clock it at 5ghz.

Plainly not true.
4c/8t is still a viable count for 99% of anything you do including gaming. There are only a handful of applications that use more than 4 cores.

 

[Vayra86]

Plainly not true.
4c/8t is still a viable count for 99% of anything you do including gaming. There are only a handful of applications that use more than 4 cores.

Going forward 4c/8t will also be running circles around 6c/6t for the foreseeable future, in gaming. Its usually equal to, and in rare cases 6c/6t falls apart completely, such as FC5.

HT is certainly useful now for these CPUs.

 

[amit_talkin]

Guys, any suggestion for liquid metal? which one to buy and where ?

 

[Deleted member 178884]

Guys, any suggestion for liquid metal? which one to buy and where ?

conductonaut / coollaboratory liquid metal ultra
Amazon? eBay? Any other local sites / retailers?

 

[dirtyferret]

Going forward 4c/8t will also be running circles around 6c/6t for the foreseeable future, in gaming. Its usually equal to, and in rare cases 6c/6t falls apart completely, such as FC5.

HT is certainly useful now for these CPUs.

What's this based on as I see them having relatively equal results in most gaming benchmarks if not a slight lead to high frequency six cores.

FC5 is an awful benchmark tool unless you are building a PC for FC5. GN dropped it completely on their new suite and Tom's showed ryzen was smoother without SMT then with it on the ryzen 1600.

 

[Tatty_Two]

Something not quite right here, I have a 6700k, similar volts at 4.4gig, 1.320V for 4.5 and 1.375 volts for 4.6, what is puzzling me is your temps, at 4.4 gig mine never goes above 64C gaming or benching and that's just on a middle of the road 240mm AIO, it sounds to me as you may have an issue with your cooling setup, I don't hit 70C until I am stressing the GPU at 4.6gig, why not try for middle ground and go for 4.5gig on around 1.325v and check that watercooling.

 

[Mr.Scott]

6700K @ 4.8 / 1.425v under 80c on AIO here. Delid is your friend.