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Advice about my i5 6600K & G.Skill Ripjaws V

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MoMan

New Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Hey y'all,

I've been very much a lurker with an account for a long time. (Some time in 2012). I've been reading and learning silently in that time. You've all been very helpful over the years.

I just picked up a new main setup:
  • ASRock Z170M Extreme4
  • 2x8GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200
  • i5-6600K

I've taken to overclocking it finally after about a month or so. Right now she runs stable at these specs:
  • CPU: 4.4 GHz @ 1.28 v
  • Cache/Ring/Uncore: 4.0 GHz
  • RAM: DDR4-3200 (1600 MHz) @ 1.4 v on XMP timings

I have a couple of questions that might be a bit too easy to answer for you guys, but I am very much not into breaking my equipment:
  1. Does the voltage on the CPU seem high for the clock that I'm getting? (So you don't have to look it up: stock clock is 3.5 GHz, cache is 3.9 GHz)
  2. The XMP for my RAM says that I should be able to get these timings (16-16-16-36) at only 1.35 v, but I can't. I get the BSOD when trying to run at just 1.35 v. Is it safe to run this stuff at .05 v over the XMP "tested speed," or am I playing with fire?
  3. Do you have any suggestions that might help me push the little extra bit to 4.5 GHz on my 6600K?

Thank you all in advance for any help.
 
Seems normal on the CPU, what cooler are you using?
1.4V on DDR4 is plenty safe.
Suggestions depend on what cooling you have and what your temps are while stress testing.
 
Using a fairly old cooler, but so far it's been alright: Cooler Master Hyper N520.

When stressing with Prime95 on blend, the highest I've seen it is 82 degrees.
 
You're pretty much capped out for your cooling then.
If you want to push for 4.5GHz+ get a better cooler, you have plenty of vCore left.
 
Ok. Makes sense. I've been thinking about going with an H100i or something. This might be the push that I need.

Thank you for the help.
 
That is interesting my cooling is ok with 4.5GHz at Vcore 1.32v 84c with prime95 blend with a hyper 212. What is your ambient home temperature? mine is 75F.
 
Regarding your ram, it's more a System Agent issue: add 0.2v to VCCSA and set VCCIO to 1.2/1.25v. You should boot without issue at the rated XMP.
 
The N520 is 92mm, your 212 is 120mm... yours is the better cooler...

Cooler Master's RR-920-N520-GP "Hyper N520" combines a stylish, elegant design with silent operation and a brilliant cooling solution. Designed to cool the full range of current Intel Socket LGA 1366, 775 and AMD Socket (AM3/AM2+/AM2) processors, it does so with gusto. It features a unique split fin design that puts more surface area within the space cooled by over 43 CFM of airflow from the dual 92mm fans.
He has the better Cooler much more surface area and CFM.
feature1.png 290_46a0945858601c731d8a6fb5ca9fe231_1361408993.jpg
 
Regarding your ram, it's more a System Agent issue: add 0.2v to VCCSA and set VCCIO to 1.2/1.25v. You should boot without issue at the rated XMP.

Ah, thanks! I'll give that a try.

wingman99, my ambient is usually around 73.
 
Updaaaate!

I thought I'd reply to this now that I've done a lot more reading and playing around with my numbers.

Not too long ago I was able to get a stable setup that I think I like so far. I'm still looking to crank up the RAM a bit, but I dunno that it gives me much more performance-wise. The new numbers are as follows.

  • 6600K: 4.5 GHz @ 1.295 V
  • Cache/Ring/Uncore: 3900 MHz @ stock voltage
  • RAM: DDR4-2133 @ 1.300 V with timings set to the JEDEC #3 timings (lowest timings the sticks have in UEFI): 11-11-11-28-2T

My temps freak me out (in a good way), cuz my cooler (still the same as from the original post: Hyper N520) isn't supposed to be great, I don't think. My ambient is 20*C, dead idle 25*C, steady 100% load (Prime95 26.6 Small FFT) 70*C. By these numbers, I should still have headroom even if my ambient creeps up 2-3*C. Yeah? I'm not sure why my temps now are so much different than the original post. I have done some rearranging around in my case, so maybe that opened up some better airflow.

I've still been looking at a new cooler and I think I'll still play around with my RAM timings and VCCSA a bit, which will probably bring temps up some. I guess I'm derailing my own thread to ask if something seems ****y here. Does it seem like my cooler is over-performing its "weight class?" I've gone to a few different review sites to check out 212 EVO temp differentials and they don't look any better than this.
 
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Well I have a i5 6600k Hyper 212 and Vcore 1.332v for 4.5GHz temperature 80c ambient 22c now and in the summer 86c.
 
Ok. I guess I should test with other external conditions to see how they affect my temps.
 
I did end up trying this and it was exactly what what was needed to push my RAM up to the 3200 sticker speed. Thanks very much.
 
I've used both the N520 and the Hyper 212 Evo. The latter definitely cools better. The N520 is a little thicker but is shorter and has less exposed external surface area. In heatsinks, thickness helps but external surface area is more important. Interior finnage is being cooled by air that has already been warmed. The N520 looks cool but doesn't perform as well.
 
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