The processor in your rig is like a caged beast, and overclocking the CPU will set it free.
Intels i5-4690K is a mid-range processor, and overclocking will push it further to achieve more clock speed.
But you cant overclock it blindly.
For this, you need the exact guideline to achieve higher clock speed.
And in this article, youll get that with proper safety measurements.
So, sit tight and start reading till the end.
Lets overclock the i5-4690K!
Plus, ensure that you have a decent cooling system because K-series CPUs dont come with a stock cooler.
Remember that, overclocking a processor varies for every chip.
So, get an aftermarket air or liquid cooler, to cool down the overclocked CPU.
The processor will overheat because you are pushing it further by passing more voltage into its cores.
For this, the clock speed bumps up and the CPU began to heat up.
So, keep in mind these factors before beginning the overclocking process.
However, there are additional factors to consider before overclocking the i5-4690K.
Here are the procedures to safely overclock an i5-4690K:
1.
Get to the BIOS
If you want to overclock any processor, confirm to overclock it from the BIOS.
Dont fall for any third-party overclocking apps, if youre a beginner.
For an IntelK-series processor, go for aZ-series motherboardbecause only this series supports overclocking.
It doesnt matter which brand it is because all motherboard brands release Z-series boards in the market.
So, after going to the BIOS, look for the OC section and choose it.
By default, these are set to Auto.
So, you better tweak those a bit.
Before making the changes to the CPU Ratio, you should know how it works.
For example, if you have set the Core Ratio to 40, youd be at 4000MHz or 4.0GHz.
So, set the CPU Core Ratio to44for all cores.
So, scroll down a bit, and look for the CPU Core Voltage field.
Once you find it, set the CPU Core Voltage to1.2 volts.
VCCIN is the input voltage, and it directly affects the VRM of the 4th gen Intel Haswell chips.
For overclocking safely, you should knowhow much voltage is enough for a CPU.
For stability testing, you may use thePrime95orAIDA64.
So, download those tools and start the stress test for the CPU.
Then, save & exit from the BIOS, and initiate the stress test again.
If everything is good and the CPU is stable under load, youve safely overclocked i5-4690K to 4.5GHz.
Why not push it further?
So, lets go for the 4.6GHz.
So, change the core ratio to 46 and repeat the steps.
However, pushing the CPU to achieve 4.7GHz needs more voltage in its cores.
But as I stated before, more voltage means more heat for the CPU.
it’s possible for you to go for 4.7GHz in case you own a beefy cooling system.
Thats all now you have successfully overclocked your core i5-4690K.
Now, play any games or run benchmarks to see the boosted performance for yourself.
And the results are pretty good, i5-4690K nailed it with a decent margin.
Let me show the result in a graph for you.
The overall gaming FPS increased by a great margin.
Why Overclocking Intel Core i5-4690K?
This quad-core processor is a wicked one, which is powerful but doesnt have any hyper-threading.
GHz or clock speed is a factwhen youre talking about the ultimate performance of a CPU.
Speaking of that, high CPU-intensive tasks are facilitated by the higher clock speed.
Thats why overclocked CPUs are the elephants in the room.
Plus, it has a base clock frequency of 3.5 GHz & max turbo frequency of 3.9 GHz.
Though the CPU performs decently at max clock speed, it lacks virtual cores.
Not all processors support overclocking, but how toknow whether your CPU is overclockable or not?
TheK-seriesforIntel&Ryzenseries forAMDsupport overclocking.
As for Intel, bothK&KFseries are powerful CPU lineups that combined with overclocking advantages.
So, these unlocked K-series CPUs, like i5-4690K, will deliver better performance after overclocking properly.
Thats why you must unlock the clock speed of i5-4690K, to gain the beast-like performance.
Speaking of clock speed, you might face CPU clock speed spiking frequently when the CPU is idle.
But dont panic,know the reasons behind jumping clock speedand fix it.
What is the Maximum Limit of i5-4690K Overclocking?
There is a safety limit for overclocking a CPU, and for i5-4690K, its between4.4 to 4.6 GHz.
In fact, you’ve got the option to overclock i5-4690K easily, but look for the aftermath.
After overclocking a processor, you wont gain anything if the CPU isnt stable.
So, after overclocking it, check the CPUs stability.
Thats why performance consistency becomes a matter of concern for overclocking.
What you might do is test the stability frequently before tuning up the multiplier.
When the system becomes unstable, decrease the multiplier or push more voltage to the CPU.
And at the same time, you should look for the temperature too.
If its too hot, you should lower the voltage.
So, the maximum stable overclocking limit for the i5-4690K is between 4.4 to 4.6 GHz.
Some might have managed to ramp it up to 4.7 GHz, but its not that stable.
FAQs
How high can I overclock i5-4690K?
Whats the safety limit for overclocking an i5-4690K?
you could overclock an i5-4690K to 4.4 to 4.6 GHz without any stability issues.
Because more than 1.2v into the core voltage will overheat the CPU and makes it crazy.
Is i5-4690K a good gaming processor?
With this CPU, you could play at least 826 of the top 1000 games.
So, this processor earned an 82% gaming rating, which makes it a decent gaming processor.
But, it becomes a beast when you overclock it by pushing extra voltage to its Vcore.
In this, article, I have shown how to overclock it safely.
I have also tested several games with the overclocked CPU and benchmarked it.
So, follow the overclocking guide carefully and comment below if you require further help.
