Intel Core i7-6950X Broadwell-E Processor Review

Overclocking

Overclocking

When it comes to overclocking, I like to employ a similar strategy to the i7-5960X to provide a more direct comparison. As a result, the overclocking mainly revolves around a multiplier increase as altering other elements such as the BCLK and CPU strap didn’t extend the maximum stable overclock even further. As previously mentioned, you can prioritise the frequency for the highest performing core and dynamically set different multipliers. However, I decided to resort to a more general overclock setting and ensure the frequency on all cores was perfectly usable. By default, the best core can turbo up to 4.0GHz and after taking the 10-core configuration into consideration, I aired on the side of caution. Initially, the multiplier was set to 42 with a voltage of 1.276V which caused the test system to freeze. After performing further testing, the sweet spot for 4.2GHz was 1.289V and then worked towards a higher frequency.

Idealistically, I hoped to reach 4.4-4.5GHz given the hefty water cooling hardware and thought this equipment would be able to cope with the extra thermal demands at higher voltages. To my complete dismay, 4.4GHz just wasn’t achievable due to the CPU reaching its TJ Max and throttling under stress. When you surpass 1.3V, the temperatures skyrocket which means obtaining a stable frequency beyond 4.4GHz is down to the silicon lottery. Eventually, I settled on a 4.3GHz figure and applied 1.305V. Please note, even with 1.305V, the CPU was on the bleeding edge of stability and I wouldn’t recommend it for 24/7 usage. Of course, overclocking so many cores is going to be a challenge and this is reflected in my own personal experience.