Best overclocking guide for i7-3970X?

[earwicker7]

I really liked Slaymate's overclocking guide when I overclocked my i7-980X, but since I now have a new generation of CPU, I'm going to guess that it would be outdated. Does anyone know of a similar, thorough guide for overclocking Socket 2011 Sandy Bridge Extreme CPUs? I've checked around the internet, and most of them are pretty scattershot... for example, I couldn't find one that recommended how to interpret stress test crashes (Slaymate's guide would tell you exactly what variable to change for the different types of crash).

 

[PP Mguire]

It's rather simple and the same basic technique.

Raise the multiplier until you are unstable, raise voltage until you are stable. I would not go over 1.35v. Do not change ratio gear. His guide if it explains OCing the 980x via the multiplier then it will be the same in this case.

Don't worry about exactly what the "variable" is. If it crashes, the clock is unstable if you are stress testing the CPU only. There is only 2 options. The clock is too high, or it doesn't have enough volts. When you do stress testing be sure to constantly check your temps. Do not let it go above 75c.