i5 2500K @ 4GHz with stock cooler?

[moezb]

I don't know anything about overclocking, so I wanted to come here and ask to make sure I didn't do anything stupid I tried to read up on this, and it's an extremely common topic but I'm always getting mixed opinions. I want to see what you guys think. I want to OC it to 4.0GHz, with the stock intel cooling. The only other cooling is from the case, which is a Corsair 600T. Also, would anybody be able to tell me how to, or point me to any tutorials on how I would OC it safely? I know that you need to use BIOS, but when I was looking at the settings there, there's a lot more stuff than just changing the frequency, like voltage and all that other fancy stuff. My motherboard is a GIGABYTE Z68AP-D3, if you need to know that.

Thanks,
moezb

 

[Roark]

It really depends on your CPU, not all 2500Ks are created equal.
If you get a cooler running chip then it may be possible to hit 4.0GHz on stock cooling, I would expect at least 3.7GHz though.

Two easy ways to overclock:
Either use the Gigabyte overclocking utility in BIOS (think its quickboost)
Or, just change your CPU multiplier up to the # you want (40 = 4.0GHz), I would start at 37 and check temps each increase up to 40.

Must have programs:
Stats - CPU-Z
Temps - HWMonitor
Stress Test- Prime95

Set multiplier, load windows, open CPU-Z to make sure it took, open HWMonitor to start temperature check, run Prime95 to stress the CPU and max temps.

 

[Chaos Residue]

Honestly, I don't use the stock cooler at all. I just got an i5-2500k for a build that I just put together this morning, and I wouldn't trust that tiny thing at stock speeds, let alone OC'ing. You can get coolers that are fantastic for less than $50, some Arctic Silver 5 for around $6, and then be worry free with your OC'ing. Better safe than sorry when it comes to that.

 

[moezb]

Yeah thanks, I decided I'm going to get a CM 212+ before I do anything like this

 

[moezb]

I decided I'll get a CM 212+ before I OC. When I install that, should I go right to 4GHz? And then test for temperatures and stuff, and if I'm good maybe move to 4.5? I definitely wouldn't go higher than that. Around how hot should I expect it to get? What's the safe zone for a 2500k? And if I'm going to 4, would I need to adjust the voltage or anything else?

 

[Roark]

Yeah you can go right to 4, although I would certainly run those programs beforehand to make sure temps are right.
If you don't seat the cooler right, or don't get the thermal grease right, you will get higher temps.

Temps vary from chip to chip, but Intel suggests not letting it go over 72.6°c, so aim for mid 60s.

Stock voltage should be around 1.2v, CPU-Z and/or HWMonitor will tell you for sure.
Here is a chart someone made for their voltages: chart
I have seen threads of people getting close to 5GHz under 1.3v though, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[moezb]

So I ran those programs.. and I got some really weird results. The clock speed is 1600MHz, with a voltage of 0.96. All temps are also below 30°C. Screenshot

 

[tj_extreme]

That's turbo boost/eco whatever Intel calls it. When there isn't much of a demand on your processor, like when you're just sitting on the desktop like that, it shuts off 3 of the cores, and drops the speed significantly to save power. It's an on demand system though, and as soon as you open up a program or run a benchmark, that speed will shoot up pretty darn fast.

Also, I'd go for TX-2 over Arctic Silver 5, IMHO.

 

[moezb]

Would you recommend that over the 212+?

 

[Chaos Residue]

I believe tj_extreme is just suggesting a different thermal paste than what I had suggested in my previous post.