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First time overclocking, is my plan solid? (14700KF / Z790 Edge DDR4 / air cooled / Linux)
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First time overclocking, is my plan solid? (14700KF / Z790 Edge DDR4 / air cooled / Linux)

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edit: removed unnecessary asterisks

AI disclosure: I used Claude to help me write this post from a voice note, however I’ve checked all the content and I am confident in its accuracy.

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Hey [r/overclocking](r/overclocking),

First time doing any of this, but I’m fairly comfortable with hardware and BIOS. Running Linux (CachyOS), which limits some of my tooling options. Looking for feedback on my overall approach and a few specific questions.

My setup

CPU Intel Core i7-14700KF

Motherboard MSI MPG Z790 EDGE WIFI DDR4 (latest BIOS, updated today)

CPU Cooler Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE (Kryosheet graphite pad)

RAM 2×32GB Samsung M378A4G43AB2-CWE DDR4-3200 (OEM, no XMP, dual-rank, likely Samsung 16Gbit A-die but not 100% sure)

RAM fan Noctua NF-A4x20 blowing across RAM

OS CachyOS Linux

My current plan

Step 1: CPU undervolt

I’ve read that on MSI boards, the simplest and recommended approach is to just use CPU Lite Load (the numeric modes, 1–19). Default is Mode 9. I plan to:

  1. Start from the lowest mode
  2. and work upward
  3. Once I’ve found the lowest semi-stable mode, run the full battery:

– 8 hours y-cruncher

– 8 hours OCCT CPU stress

– 8 hours Linpack

Questions: Is that full battery sufficient? Overkill? Underkill? I’d rather err on the side of caution since this is daily driver + work machine.

Step 2: CPU overclock (maybe?)

After the undervolt is locked in, I’d like to see if there’s a modest frequency bump available — even just 100–200 MHz. I understand the 14700KF runs hot and I’m on air, so I’m not expecting miracles. I’d just rather not leave free performance on the table.

Question 2: Is this a dumb idea given air cooling on a 14700KF? Or is a small bump realistic? Is there a recommended guide for frequency tuning after an undervolt on this platform?

I’d test any OC with the same shortlist → full battery process as above.

Step 3: RAM overclocking

Once the CPU is stable, I’d move on to RAM. I plan to follow the (integralfx Memory Overclocking Guide).

Some context: I attempted RAM tuning once before but went too fast, hit instability, and couldn’t tell what was causing it. So this time I want to be methodical and verify stability at each stage before moving to the next.

Questions: Is the integralfx guide still the go-to for DDR4, or is there something more current?

How do people typically verify stability at each tuning stage (e.g., after adjusting primaries, after tightening secondaries, etc.)? On Linux I don’t have access to TestMem5. I do have the OCCT beta, which includes a memory stress test with an “Extreme TM5” preset. Is that considered adequate, or should I be supplementing with something else?

TL;DR

– Air-cooled 14700KF on Z790 Edge DDR4, CachyOS Linux

– Plan: undervolt (Lite Load) → small OC attempt → RAM OC (integralfx guide)

– Stability testing: y-cruncher / OCCT / Linpack / Prime95

– Looking for feedback on whether the plan is solid, the testing is adequate, and how to handle per-stage RAM stability on Linux

Thanks in advance — happy to provide more detail on anything.