Overclocking the Processor (CPU)

[old_geekster]

 Overclocking the processor (CPU) can increase system performance considerably.  However, the processor requires a "K" in the model to be overclocked, such as, i7-8700K.  The "K" denotes that the multiplier has been unlocked.  When overclocking you should be extremely careful not to exceed the processor's limits; especially the Voltage.  This can quickly damage it and the motherboard.  Also, it is recommended that only the HP Omen Control Center is used.  There are many other apps available that work, but OCC is the safest as it has built-in safe-guards and only allows certain settings to be changed.

[REO51ST]

@old_geekster

Would the " X " series be included???

Like the Intel® Core™ i9-7900X???

REO

[old_geekster]

@REO51ST, good question.  The only concern that I have with the X series processors is the fact that they require a lot of cooling when overclocking.  At least, this is what I have read.  I know it is inevitable that the subject will come front and center, but thought I would stick to the tried an true at this point.

[El_Heisenberg]

A few notes to consider before overclocking.

1) If you are going to use liquid cooling systems that are not closed, make sure you have a dry cloth in case of any spills

2) Make sure you have a reliable way of measuring temperatures

3) Always make sure you push processor to reasonable limits, as too much overclocking will fry it

4) Get inspiration from other gamers as to howthey have built their rigs (pity they killed GooglePlus)

[Akhil13]

What about u series like i7-8550u

[old_geekster]

@Akhil13, according to the information that I have read, the multiplier is locked.  Therefore, you can't overclock it.

[DavidGeller123]

I'm also thinking of overclocking my CPU. Let's how the performance boost

[old_geekster]

@DavidGeller123 

What is the Product Number of the computer? I need this information to review the specifications of it. Please don't furnish the Serial # or other personal information. You can find the Product Number at the bottom of the page when you open HP Support Assistant.  I will be able to tell you if you can overclock your processor with this information.

[NonSequitur777]

Dear Old_geekster, I've been trying to overclock my i7-3770K installed in an HP Compaq Pro 6300 SFF (product number: C7S54UC#ABA), but so far no luck.  Any suggestions?

[old_geekster]

@NonSequitur777 

The only app that I would use is XTU.  You can find guides on the Internet how to use it.  It has been very successful for me.  However, one caveat!! -- be extremely CAUTIOUS if you decide to up the voltage.  This can be very detrimental to your motherboard.  I fried a HP motherboard without upping the voltage.  We were never able to find out what caused it.

[NonSequitur777]

Thank you for your response.  Yes, I tried XTU (v7.4.1.3), but the only actionable option available under the advanced tuning tab is to change the "Turbo Boost Power Max" and the "Turbo Boost Short Power Max".  Even when I change both settings to the highest settings ("Unlimited"), I did not see any performance improvement.

Please advise.

[old_geekster]

You are welcome, @NonSequitur777!

You can overclock your processor by changing the "Ratio Multiplier".  I suggest that you find a guide to help you understand how to use XTU.  As I said, use it with CAUTION!!

[NonSequitur777]

The "Ratio Multiplier" is greyed out, too... -Am I perhaps missing something that will allow me to activate this function?

[old_geekster]

I don't believe that you are missing anything.  It is a possibility that XTU is not compatible with your system.  I downloaded V. 7.5.3.3 of XTU and all of the functions are available to me.  Check the version that you are using.

[NonSequitur777]

After trying out approach after approach, I am inclined to accept that my system has only very limited XTU compatibility.  Tried out as many tricks I could find suggested online such as un- and reinstalling all c++ redistributables, disabling anti virus program, trying out the most recent as well as previous XTU versions (v. 6.2.0.24), etc., nothing worked to unlock full XTU functionality.

Under the XTU "Help" section, I found this comment: "You may see grayed out controls in the advanced tuning area. These controls are locked by their manufacturer. More advanced versions of these components may unlock these controls and allow you to change these settings. If you would like to change the value of a locked control, please contact the manufacturer and inquire about unlocked parts, especially targeted for overclocking and tuning."

It is my personal conviction that if HP chose to "change these settings", they would know exactly how to do it.  Too bad they don't, especially since the "K" processor I installed is supposed to be unlocked.

[EDIT]: Intel XTU removed all doubt: an HP 339A motherboard does not allow a CPU to be overclocked. Not that my i7-3770K performed poorly, but no OC-ing is on the table, or so it appears.

[old_geekster]

@NonSequitur777, thank you for the great update!!

One thing that I didn't mention in my previous posts is, your computer is considered a Business version.  Therefore, this may be why HP has limited the capability of the BIOS.  Also, it is a SFF which means that the smaller case can't dissipate as much heat.  This could cause your system to overheat.  HEAT is your enemy.

[NonSequitur777]

Yes indeed, installing heavy power-consuming PC components in smaller cases creates lots of additional heat. As a matter of fact, one of the first modifications I implement whenever I create a gaming pc from an HP OEM desk PC, is to upgrade and install additional cooling fans.  And in the case of my HP Elite 8300 USDT, I also added two copper heat pipes, copper cooling strips and a 3025 cooling fan to the 8300 USDT's CPU heatsink (see picture and my HP community link).  To this day, my HP Elite 8300 USDT is the most powerful PC of its kind (1st, 2nd, 3rd place), at least according to UserBenchmark dot com: UserBenchmark: HP Compaq Elite 8300 USDT Compatible Components

As you can see (I know I am digressing here but what the hell), my USDT runs on a Xeon E3-1280 v2 CPU, AMD RX 6600 XT 8GB GPU, Samsung 870 QVO 1TB SSD, and 16GB of Kingston HyperX Impact PC3-14200 DDR3L RAM.  Something I was told by veteran HP gurus couldn't be done.  And yet, I proved it could.

See link: Solved: Upgrading HP Compaq Elite 8300 USDT - HP Support Community - 8118827

[NonSequitur777]

And with regards to my HP Pro 6300 SFF, I replaced the stock Foxconn 9025 0.40 amp fan first with a Bgears 9025 0.62 amp fan, and since today with a Delta 9025 1.00 amp high performance fan. Moves a lot more air, and interestingly, the brushless dual-ball design actually creates less noise.

Now with the high-powered 1.00 amp front chassis/heatsink fan added, I noticed that the i7-3770K is cooling well enough -even when seriously stressed: ≤76°C. So, no delicate benchtop heatsink drilling for additional copper heat pipes needed.

[EDIT:] -I did determine though, that the overall motherboard airflow would benefit from installing a dedicated rear chassis fan -not counting the internal PSU fan.  To that end, I ordered a ½ amp 4025 fan (see picture).  The intent is to fit this "4-wire speed 4cm violent fan" (as per Seller's product description) square in the middle of the rear chassis, after removing a 4 by 4 cm piece of the rear panel.

(Disclaimer: The fan brand is irrelevant -any high quality 4025 fan will do.)

[old_geekster]

@NonSequitur777, you have taken a lot of precautions to assure that it doesn't overheat!!

[NonSequitur777]

One tries, Sir/Madam.

[jhon12345]

While you can still overclock using this method, Intel has streamlined the process by offering a software solution that can be used within Windows. Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility offers a user-friendly interface and works with most modern motherboard brands and models, making it an ideal all-in-one overclocking option...

[old_geekster]

@jhon12345, thank you for the information.  However, I highly recommend being extremely CAUTIOUS when using XTU.  I have been overclocking for many years and fried a HP motherboard using XTU.  I wasn't even using extreme settings.  We, HP staff and I, were never able to identify the cause of the failure.

[AKZPC]

can a amd ryzen 4600g overclock?

[Vasya2]

Dear Non Sequitur 777, I have a question. How did you install the I7-3770K there in the HP COMPAQ 6300 Pro SFF? I have this computer too, but I have read the product specifications and there is only an I7-3770 MAX processor there, not an I7-3770K. Is it possible to install a non-standard version there (I7-3770K) or do I not understand something? Please let me know.

At the moment I have an I5-3470 and I have enabled turbo mode in the BIOS, but CPU-Z still says that my CPU is running at a standard frequency (3.20GHz (sometimes 3.40GHz), but not at 3.60GHz, as stated on the ark.intel website: https://ark.intel.com/content/www/ru/ru/ark/products/68316/intel-core-i53470-processor-6m-cache-up-t... ) and it also seems to me that there is no way I can overclock it to 3.60 GHz, am I right? Please let me know too. Thank you in advance

[NonSequitur777]

@Vasya2,

No, you are not necessarily missing anything. The short answer is that HP's "approved" lists of processors for their various PCs are incomplete.  Sometimes for good reasons: faster though compatible processors usually have higher TDPs (thermal design power) and produce more heat, and the stock CPU heatsink/cooling fan combos would struggle to cool these "hot" running processors down.

Prior to upgrading a (legacy) HP desktop, I would do my research, and see if I can push the envelope a bit further.  If it appears that a particular processor -though not listed by HP, should be compatible, I look deeper, and sometimes it is a trial-by-error process.  I have returned quite a few processors back to eBay Sellers because they were not compatible.  That doesn't happen to me much anymore, since I have learned quite a bit what theoretically would work, and what doesn't.

In case of the i7-3770 vs. i7-3770K that doesn't make any sense though, since both processors have the same TDP (77 watt), and the i7-3770K performs better: UserBenchmark: Intel Core i7-3770 vs i7-3770K.

And as a matter of fact, then there are the Xeon E3-12xx v2 processors -which incidentally also make awesome gaming processors, even though these processors are also not listed by HP as being compatible for the HP Compaq Pro 6300 SFF.  If you look at the top benchmarks for the 6300 SFF here: UserBenchmark: HP Compaq Pro 6300 SFF Compatible Components, the top four scores are occupied by my rigs.  The Xeon E3-1290 v2's TDP is 87 watt, but I had beefed up the airflow through the heatsink to provide extra cooling and it has been running like a charm.  Same story for my HP Compaq Elite 8300 USDT upgrade project: UserBenchmark: HP Compaq Elite 8300 USDT Compatible Components, where the top seven scores are occupied by my rigs: including a Xeon E3-1280 v2 and the i7-3770K.

You are correct, even though the "K" processors could be overclocked, HP made sure you cannot overclock them on their 'regular' (office) PCs.  They have some good reasons for that, but that is another story.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Antonimorali]

@jhon12345, thank you for sharing your experience with XTU. It's essential for users to exercise caution when overclocking, as it can potentially lead to hardware damage, as you experienced. Your cautionary tale serves as a reminder of the risks involved, even with seemingly moderate settings. It's crucial for users to understand these risks and proceed with overclocking responsibly.

[old_geekster]

You are welcome, @Antonimorali!  I always try to give examples of any situations that can cause harm.  Computer components are very expensive today.  I don't like spending my money to replace a component that I have paid for previously.

[Antonimorali]

That's nice of you.