Haswell: Heat & Games

I know Haswell cpu's tend to run hotter for a few reasons.The vrm on the cpu, integrated graphics, and the gap/tim issue. I was really worried about the luck of the draw and overclock ability, but that really plays a very small role in gaming. Check out this video from Linus. He's overclocking a Haswell For testing purposes. Using a 4770k, a Titan, 32g of 2400 Mhz ram, and a 400 dollar Maximus VI Extreme motherboard. He Manged to get a stable 4.8g overclock. Cherry picked from Intel for this review, I would imagine.

I'm thinking gaming is going to much better on this clock vs stock speeds, but surprisingly not so much. Look at this video starting at 23:40. Testing Metro Last Light, Bioshock Infinite, and Tomb Raider, the FPS results showed hardly any difference vs running at stock speeds.I will mention, other testing showed 20-25 % gains using 7-zip and Cinebench.

I feel much better knowing that a mild overclock at 4g, a 120hz monitor, and a 770 will net about the same frame rates, as high overclocks. I guess this isn't news for Intel fans, but It makes me feel much better keeping the heat down, while still getting max game play.

What are you using to cool your haswell. For now the clocks are not that big of a deal but later on when the next generation video cards are in our computers it might matter.

Also you have to remember that most games don't really take advantage of multiple cores including the ones that claim they do (battlefield 3) so you have to remember that at stock speeds you may be running as high as 3.9GHz while gaming. Some motherboards go a step further and automatically make it so that you are running at 3.9GHz regardless of how many cores are active. So from 3.9GHz to 4.8GHz while gaming isn't going to be as big of a leap as we are expecting.

As for the heat it is only a good thing that the heat is higher. The chip is designed this time around to go up to 105c. The higher the temperature compared to other CPUs the more efficient your cooler becomes. If it is 25c in your room and you have a CPU that can only handle running at 65C and then compare it to a CPU that can handle 105C your CPU cooler will be able to dissipate 2x the wattage.

So it is kind of a just get used to it kind of thing. Also even the temps are a luck of the draw thing. Different CPUs have different VIDs and that will effect the temp. I had a 4770K and had to end up exchanging it for a 4670K and there is a ~20C with hyper threading off on the i7.

I can't see any i5 or i7 getting too hot while gaming on any decent cooler all the way up to 1.3v so that should support 4.4GHz-4.6GHz on the majority of the chips.

I know you might not be able to do stress testing at those voltages unless you have a huge loop but you really don't need to do stress testing since it doesn't prove your stable on these chips anyways. Play games and if they crash increase the voltage.

I think haswells @ stock speeds are cooler than Ivys its just when you start adding volts that the temps go up fast.
I was able to run my 4670k @ 4.2 on the stock HSF . and like you pointed out my 4.7that im running now nets me like 1% in some games vs just running @ 4.2 and a low voltage .
But somthing in me just wont let me think like that so its @ 4.7 to play Payday Cs:go , and BC2 =) .

That's an above average chip though, mine was throttling at the stock cooler at 4GHz, and only hits about 4.3GHz with a NH-D14 at 1.256V.

I got mad at it so I just put it back to stock.

This whole haswell heat thing has had me perplexed. I got mine expecting the worst. Major heat issues. I pulled my cooler off my q9550 and stuck it on this. OC'd to a mild 4ghz. And..the heat isn't any different than what my q9550 would run at. It was all very.. uneventful. No crazy temperatures, nothing to stress about, the world is not ending. Started making me wonder what all the huffing and puffing is about.

Maybe the heat scales faster to increased voltage vs other chips? If that's the case and you're an extreme overclocker, I guess you'd have something to be frustrated with. But for most of us, non-issue.

4Ghz is about the least overclock you can get (turbo is 3.9 GHz) and can be done on stock voltage. If you do not touch your voltage the the temperature will barely increase really.

Now if you start pushing REAL overclocks, around the 4.3-4.5 area with added voltage things start heating up dramatically. With IB, 4.5GHz+ was common. With Haswell, you almost need water above 4.5Ghz.

That was kind of my point.

Yeah.. you personally can't see it because of where your overclock sits. But the problem, so to speak, is quite real.

Over 1.2 ish temps do get out of hand fast on air