Requisite hardware

To the initiated, you’re well aware that you need specific hardware to make any overclocking ambitions a reality. You can’t get away with a stock cooler and mediocre power supply in this day and age. In fact, there’s more to it than that. From the outset, you need to plan your build ahead of time for overclocking, if it’s something you want to pursue. There are degrees of preparation, of course. You can either opt to go the whole hog and purchase an AIO or a fully custom loop, or just purchase a K series processor and wait until a little later on in your rig’s life cycle before taking the plunge into overclocking.

MOTHERBOARD

Next on the list is your motherboard. Overclocking is more often than not locked to the higher-end chipsets — for Skylake that’s Z170, and for HEDT, well, everything is overclockable. It’s worth noting that the more expensive overclocking motherboards do help, because they generally tend to have better power phase designs, ensuring a more consistent voltage is provided to your processor.

CPU

As an aside, you need a processor that’s capable of overclocking, too, of course. Any of Intel’s 2011 Extreme Edition processors are capable of overclocking, but for the more mainstream of us, you’re looking for anything with a K after the name, indicating that the multiplier is unlocked.

This boils down to an Intel Core i5 or a Core i7, depending on your budget. Generally, Intel’s i7 series tends to be clocked far higher than the i5 by default, but both often overclock to the same maximum.

PSU

PSU choice is the easiest to mess up and the worst to get wrong. The general rule of thumb is that you want around 20% leeway over what your system actually draws from the wall at peak load while overclocked. So if an overclocked system draws 450W, you want a PSU that’s rated for around 550–600W. On top of that, you want to spend at least $150 on it, and get a Gold rating or higher, purely from an efficiency standpoint. You can do it with a lower rating, but you will be drawing more power from the wall when overclocking, and the greater efficiency will save you money in the long run. Never skimp on this, because it can take most of the system down with it if it goes wrong.

CPU COOLER

Another essential item you need is a sufficient CPU cooler. The latest generation of overclockable Skylake and Broadwell-E processors come without a retail cooler. The theory being that if you’re going down the overclocking route, you’re going to be looking for something capable of expelling all that excess heat.

As you add more volts to the core, the processor generates more heat. And in doing so, the processor is far more likely to hit its TJMax — or junction temperature maximum.

You can either choose a proper-sized full tower cooler from the likes of Noctua, Be Quiet! or CoolerMaster, or go for an AIO closed-loop cooler from Corsair, NZXT, EKWB or any number of others.

WHAT WE’RE USING

In this feature, we’re going with an Intel Core i7-6950X, an ASUS X99 Strix Gaming motherboard, 32GB of Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 @ 2,666, a NZXT Kraken X61 AIO cooler, coupled with two Noctua NF-A14 iPPC fans on an open-air test bench.

If you plan on doing this at home, you need to ensure you have a suitable chassis with decent internal airflow. A positive air pressure system is advised, but balanced is just fine, and preferably do your overclocking somewhere cool, because ambient temperatures have a substantial impact on your overall overclock potential. Ideally, you ought to be practicing your overclocks at an ambient temperature of around 21°C or lower.

“If you plan on doing this at home, you need to ensure you have a suitable chassis with decent internal airflow.”