Help with overclocking an I7

G

GFB->

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So i've had my rig for a couple of months now and I feel like its time to clock my i7-920 a littlebit. I am very new to this whole clocking area around pcs..
If someone could just tell me if it's simple/hard or takes a lot of time.

So basically I'm looking for the most simple way to clock An I7-920 cpu.

Suggestions? (I have no clue what so ever, do I have to take out the cpu?)
 
Overclocking the i7 will require you to increase the blck and vcore in your BIOS as well as a few other tweaks. Very simple to do, increasing the factory blck of 133 to 191 will give you an easy 4 ghz overclock, dont do this without an aftermarket CPU cooler. There is much more to it than this, so please list all your pieces of hardware , and yes do not forget the mobo.
 
Alright I'l list them in 50 mins or so.. Since I'm going to the supermarket, be back soon. Not got much time..
 
Alright specs are:

Intel I7-920
ASUS P6T SE, X58
2x 4890HD Crossfire
3GB DDR3 1600MHz Corsair
Corsair TX 850W PSU
Corsair H50 Hydro Series CPU Cooler
 
Oh. Okay. Just PM dbee about it, he'll hook you up. I haven't personally overclocked an i7 computer ( :crying: ), but I know it involves raising the blck, vtt, vcore, etc, etc. Lol
 
Overclocking a computer isn't the same experience for everyone. It is a LOT of trial and error and knowing just how far you're willing to push your expensive processor.

Adjusting core voltages is always a risk and each processor responds to it differently.

First I would try and see how much of an overclock you can get using stock voltages.

When you start bumping up voltages, you run the risk of turning your processor into a very light paperweight.

I'd read this article in it's entirety before you start touching any settings.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclocking-core-i7,2063.html

As I said before though, what works for others might not work for you. Just because they got 4.0Ghz out of theirs with the settings that they listed doesn't mean that you'll be able to do the same. You might be able to get 4.1Ghz out of it, you might end up only getting to 3.8Ghz before your system becomes unstable.

I suggest doing a LOT of research before you start touching anything.

When I overclocked my CPU it took me about four days of trial and testing before I was satisfied with my overclock. Also, just because the computer boots up doesn't mean it'll be stable when running.

Prime95 is going to be your best friend. Most people accept 8 hours of Prime95 as being completely stable.

Another good site that has lots of good information:
http://www.overclock.net/
 
Last edited:
Linx is better for testing stability. Prime95 is old, and Linx tests are more harsh, which is both good and bad. Good if you pass, because then you know for a fact it's 100% stable. Bad if you fail because it could harm your system, but that could happen regardless of running Linx or Prime95.
 
I was thinking of going from 2.66 to something like 3.2-3.4? Since I don't want to take that "Big" of a risk what you guys are talking about.
 
Oh, these new processors are generally good until over 4GHz. So 3.2-3.4 is virtually safe (99.99%).
 
Alright but another thing.. What is the temperature limit of the I7.. By limit I mean before it starts to become really hot & wont last very long..
And 2.. Do you guys know any good program for checking the temperature? I'm talking celsius here.
 
GFB-> said:
Alright but another thing.. What is the temperature limit of the I7.. By limit I mean before it starts to become really hot & wont last very long..
And 2.. Do you guys know any good program for checking the temperature? I'm talking Celsius here.
Click to expand...

RealTemp will monitor every core in your i7, in celsius. You should not exceed 80 degrees Celsius, 90 degrees is dangerous, and 100 or over is going to cause permanent damage. Sort of a general rule for the i7s, as per Intel.

in RealTemp, ignore TJMax but look at distance to TJMax and keep that <20-30
 
ronpaul said:
RealTemp will monitor every core in your i7, in celsius. You should not exceed 80 degrees Celsius, 90 degrees is dangerous, and 100 or over is going to cause permanent damage. Sort of a general rule for the i7s, as per Intel.

in RealTemp, ignore TJMax but look at distance to TJMax and keep that <20-30
Click to expand...

Alright I'l download Realtemp and check it out right away..
 
And set up a failsafe so if your processor does hit the thermal threshold, it powers down.
You do that in BIOS. I'm not sure where it is in your BIOS, but just look around the options.
 
I have checked the temperatures with Real Temp 3.4 and I get an avarage 40c idle temp on the cores and an avarage of 60c to "Distance to Tj Max" Is this good considering it's idle?

Pc has been on for about 20 hours tho.

EDIT: I will check the temperatures in Load now..

2nd EDIT: I got a temperature of avarage 50c in load. (counter-strike source)

Is this normal?
 
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GFB-> said:
I have checked the temperatures with Real Temp 3.4 and I get an avarage 40c idle temp on the cores and an avarage of 60c to "Distance to Tj Max" Is this good considering it's idle?

Pc has been on for about 20 hours tho.

EDIT: I will check the temperatures in Load now..
Click to expand...

40 is great, are you using aftermarket cooling systems? That's right around what you'd expect for stock speed on the intel cooler. My guess is with load you'll hit around 55C which is just golden for that chip.

Also, hitting 3.2Ghz with that thing is easy as pie, and it only requires a few tenths increase in voltage which might bump your load temp to over 70, still not that big of a deal. You could max out bclk and every other setting, the system wouldn't start but it wont' destroy the CPU. Only voltage can do that, and modern BIOS makes that hard to do almost to a fault.
 
GFB-> said:
I was thinking of going from 2.66 to something like 3.2-3.4? Since I don't want to take that "Big" of a risk what you guys are talking about.
Click to expand...

You wont even need to fidget with anything else for an overclock like that.

Just change the base clock till the result is a 3.3ghz overclock.

I doubt you will need to up the Vcore or anything but it depends on which 920 you got......D0 is generally the best and you shouldn't need to change your Vcore.

To check for stability.........Prime95 is still a favorite and best. Realtemps is good for reading your temps. For load on Prime 95.....try not to go over 70C
 
PewPewBangBang said:
You wont even need to fidget with anything else for an overclock like that.

Just change the base clock till the result is a 3.3ghz overclock.

I doubt you will need to up the Vcore or anything but it depends on which 920 you got......D0 is generally the best and you shouldn't need to change your Vcore.
Click to expand...

I raised mine a small amount just to ensure stability (I don't run prime for hours and hours), but he's right it will probably be fine at default volts
 
PewPewBangBang said:
You wont even need to fidget with anything else for an overclock like that.

Just change the base clock till the result is a 3.3ghz overclock.

I doubt you will need to up the Vcore or anything but it depends on which 920 you got......D0 is generally the best and you shouldn't need to change your Vcore.

To check for stability.........Prime95 is still a favorite and best. Realtemps is good for reading your temps. For load on Prime 95.....try not to go over 70C
Click to expand...

Not a clue what you're talking about, but I'l pretend to understand :P.

No but how exactly do you overclock it.. Everyone are just saying do that higher the vcore etc etc... But i'm thinking... How :)? In the Bios ye?
 
And another thing.. Are there any program or such that can test my core in 100% load? Since I'm pretty sure games don't go that far mostly..
 
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