Overclocking

Overclocking is really a mixed bag when it comes to memory and IvyBridge. When you combine an IvyBridge CPU with a high-end overclocking motherboard, the flexibility offered in clockspeeds, for both the CPU and memory, is quite a bit better than what was offered with P67/Z68 and SandyBridge. That flexibility, based on what I have seen since its launch, often comes at a price. It seems that IvyBridge CPUs are far more flexible when it comes to BCLK adjustments, but I have found that performance suffers with any motherboard when doing so. I can't honestly tell you why, but the very best performance possible, quite specifically when it comes to memory, is achieved when you stay locked to a 100.0 MHz BCLK. This has affected memory overclocking and memory purchases in a big way. I'll always test and report the maximum raw speed I can reach with any kit, but those increases won't always translate into better benchmark numbers, leading to a lack of results. One magic module may change this situation. The only way to find out, of course, is to test and see.


I managed to reach a fully stable 2500 MHz with the G.SKILL F3-2400C10D-8GTX through daily use, but I was able to benchmark up to 2512 MHz. I was only able to reach 2450 MHz with the default timings.

Overclocked Performance Summary

As you can see, Copy performance has dropped considerably here; by about 5000 MB/s. Everything else, including SuperPi time, is basically slower than default speeds. Still, 2500 MHz were also possible on the X79.