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i5 12600k won't overclock

Data129
Beginner
8,406 Views

My i5 12600k won't overclock and is locked at 4.5ghz except for when idling, it drops.

I can't overclock it in the intel extreme tuning utility. Almost everything is greyed out. Overclocking in the bios is disabled also.

How exactly does the turbo boost work?

does it boost the frequency for a second or two at 4885mhz then drop down to 4554mhz? Under load. It doesn’t stay at 4885mhz under load.

 

Motherboard: Asus B660M Plus WiFi

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13 Replies
AlHill
Super User
8,376 Views

Update your bios.

Check your bios.

 

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Waiting for Windows 12]

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Data129
Beginner
8,354 Views

I did do that same results.

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Data129
Beginner
8,359 Views

when i go to change the clock multiplier in the bios, it just goes back to 45 

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Data129
Beginner
8,329 Views
Is it the mother board or the cpu that’s locking the speed?
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megan3000
Valued Contributor I
8,174 Views

Most likely this is a BIOS issue.

Those types of settings and controls rely on the BIOS and manufacturers may decide to limit overclocking capabilities. My understanding is that windows-based tools for overclocking or other BIOS settings also rely/depend upon the interface or API that is offered by the BIOS to access those settings/controls.

Yes, you need to check this first with the motherboard vendor...

 

Also, note that there are some concept misunderstandings here...

P-core base frequency is 3.70GHz and e-core is 2.80GHz...

Going higher than 3.70 is actually a sign that turbo boost is working since it is going beyond the base frequency. This would also apply to overclocking... Remember that boot frequency depends on different factors like thermal and power headroom.

You can learn more here:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/turbo-boost/turbo-boost-technology.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/turbo-boost.html

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000007359/processors/intel-core-processors.html

The last link reads "The amount of time the system spends in turbo boost mode depends on workload, environment, and platform design."

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Data129
Beginner
8,160 Views
When the cpu is idle the frequency will be 4.9ghz when under load it will drop to 4.5ghz. Is that backwards? It doesn’t make sense to me.
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TerryG3535
Beginner
8,062 Views

Is the processor getting too hot and throttling?

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Data129
Beginner
8,024 Views
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megan3000
Valued Contributor I
7,935 Views

Maybe it doesn't make sense... still, you're getting a higher frequency than the base frequency...

In the case that there was a real issue here, it would have been a BIOS issue (as the first suspect)

The strange thing is that OC settings are also disabled in BIOS... from what I've seen, it is most likely to be a BIOS issue than a CPU issue... also, I would check/tweak power plans on Windows and BIOS...

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Data129
Beginner
7,925 Views

The power plan in windows is on high performance. In the bios, the power saving is off. The motherboard is with Asus being diagnosed I suspect you’re right it being a bios issue. Either they will replace the bios and tweak to accommodate the newly released i5 12600k. I have tried beta and older versions of the bios with no luck.

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megan3000
Valued Contributor I
7,915 Views

hope the diagnostic and what they doing or a new BIOS may lead to a solution... fingers crossed!!

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Kandis
Beginner
251 Views

there is still this problem even in 2025, I have an MSI motherboard, PRO B760-P WIFI DDR4 and I suffer the same way. When I'm not playing I have 4.9 and when I enter a game I have 4.5 and it doesn't increase any more, the temperatures are below 80 degrees so there are no limitations. I informed myself as much as I could and I understood that the fault would be that I have a B motherboard and to be able to get rid of this limitation I should have a Z one.

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Kandis
Beginner
251 Views

if you've bothered to tell me, I've actually tried everything

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