Overclocking ASRock z68 Extreme4 for complete dummies?

[oceanclub]

Right, have put together my new system:

• ASRock z68 Extreme4
• Intel i5 2500K
• Be quiet! Dark Rock Advanced C1 CPU Cooler
• 8GB-Kit (2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws-X PC3-12800U CL9
• OCZ SSD 60GB SATA 2,5' Vertex 2 Extended solid state drive (used as cache)
• Edition Palit GTX 560Ti 1GB PCI-E graphics card

Have never overclocked a system before - what reading should I start with? Would be grateful for any pointers to FAQs/how-to guides. And should I overclock through the BIOS or use the ASRock Extreme Tuning utility?

Thanks in advance,

P.

[kick]

Its working ok on default settings?
Some people on z68 seem to be having problems with insufficient cpu voltage,but since you are going straight for an overclock that may not be a problem

My advice for now would be .
1.Do any adjustments in uefi/bios: dont use the axtu tuner for now except for speed/temp monitoring.
2.use the default settings for everything even if it doesnt read your memoryv / speeds correctly for now.
3.Disable/dont use all other tuning.such as msi afterburner for your gx card or whatever gx card clocking utility came with it.

With everything standard.. use the auto overclock utility in the uefi,start off with the lowest setting 4.0ghz . the base clock may be set at 99.8 so 40x 99.8 will be less than 4.0ghz max but leave the base clock alone for now.
Assuming a x 40 multiplier posts amd boots ok,you now have 2 choices:
a.test out 4.0 using utilities such as prime 95,memtest,unengine etc to see if its stable or
b.If u are human.. the normal reaction would be to go on and see what is the highest auto overclock the system will post and boot at.
For me that is 4.8ghz.. the last auto overclock setting(but it isnt stable at that speed under tests with all auto settings).

If you get 4.8 post ok, chances are you will be fine on 4.6ghz to run stability tests etc.

Anyway thats what I would do initially. try it out see what u get and maybe post back here.
btw your vertex 2 ..60gb isnt going to get u very far what is your main hdd storage?.
Also your other fans,aside from cpu one.. what are they+ leave them all running full speed for now until you find out what speed the cpu will do at or below 80C.

[gkline]

kick nailed it. Personally I was able to boot into Windows at 4.8 and 4.6Ghz but opted for 4.4 for stability. I have run test after test at 4400 and my temps are cool and solid. I simply went into the OC section of the BIOS and chose 4400 from the standard selections. I disabled spread spectrum, left all of the cpu voltage settings and memory settings on auto and rebooted. If you want to tweak more I'm sure you can get more out of the chip. It runs native at 3.3GHZ with Turbo at 3,7. With a few adjustments in the BIOS I'm running at 4.4GHZ. That's fabulous and rock solid. I have played games continuously, Prime 95, every diagnostic test know without a hiccup.

[oceanclub]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I tried being lazy and simply turning on "Turbo 50", but after a while got a blue screen. Since I haven't received a blue screen during normally clocked operation, I presume that was probably the cause.

I won't be overclocking the card - indeed, I've had to underclock it slightly (it's a factory overclocked Palit, so using the VTune utility) else I get driver crashes (no system crashes fortunately).

btw your vertex 2 ..60gb isnt going to get u very far what is your main hdd storage?.

Oh yeah, just to note that's SSD's only used as a Intel SRT cache. I also have two normal drives - 1 with OS + programs (cached), 1 with media.

I disabled spread spectrum

Can you tell me why you think that's the only manual setting you really need to change? To do with system stabillity?

Cheers,

P.

[gkline]

Disable Turbo 50 and the use the preset overclock for 4400. Give it a try.

[oceanclub]

Cheers - I tried 4400 but found the system froze after a short while. 4200 seems to be fine so far.

P.

[RRabbi]

kick nailed it. Personally I was able to boot into Windows at 4.8 and 4.6Ghz but opted for 4.4 for stability. I have run test after test at 4400 and my temps are cool and solid. I simply went into the OC section of the BIOS and chose 4400 from the standard selections. I disabled spread spectrum, left all of the cpu voltage settings and memory settings on auto and rebooted. If you want to tweak more I'm sure you can get more out of the chip. It runs native at 3.3GHZ with Turbo at 3,7. With a few adjustments in the BIOS I'm running at 4.4GHZ. That's fabulous and rock solid. I have played games continuously, Prime 95, every diagnostic test know without a hiccup.

Are you using Core i5 2500k? stock fan and heatsink?

That's what I have but assumed I'd need to get a different fan/HS to overclock like that... I have 6 120mm fans and one 140mm fan in the case (140mm sucks air up from bottom, two 120mm intakes in front, one 120mm intake on side aimed at motherboard; two 120mm exhaust on top, and one 120mm exhaust on back). Right now, at the default speed (no overclock) it idles at less than 30 degrees C. For gaming, might get up to 60 or 65 degrees

[gkline]

I am using a CoolerMaster Hyper212+ with 2 fans as my heatsink. MUCH better than stock HS.

[uszkanni]

Are you using Core i5 2500k? stock fan and heatsink?

That's what I have but assumed I'd need to get a different fan/HS to overclock like that... I have 6 120mm fans and one 140mm fan in the case (140mm sucks air up from bottom, two 120mm intakes in front, one 120mm intake on side aimed at motherboard; two 120mm exhaust on top, and one 120mm exhaust on back). Right now, at the default speed (no overclock) it idles at less than 30 degrees C. For gaming, might get up to 60 or 65 degrees

Have an i7-2600K, currently not overclocked, with 16GB @1600, 2xWD Caviar Black 500g drives, in a HAF-X case (huge!) with 2 200mm fans (one top, one side), a 140 front fan and a Corsair H60 cooler (which has its own 120mm rear fan). Currently using onboard graphics but have tested with EVGA 560ti with same temps.

Idle temps are around 28C (about 2 degrees above ambient). With Prime95 running all cores at 100% util (small FFT or whatever is the most stressing) temps get up to around 50C. I'm very happy with the H60.

[RRabbi]

I hope that I'll be able to put something in (heatsink/fan) that won't be fighting for space with the Corsair Vengeance RAM I bought... great big heat fins on those...