My question is about CPU overclocks becoming unstable over time. I am running a Gigabyte Z68 motherboard and a 2500K. I have somewhere between 1.25 and 1.3 volts on the VCore. I have the multiplier at 40 for a 4Ghz overclock. It ran Prime95 fine for 24 hours, but when starting the PC from a cold start, it would start to stall for long periods of time during post, stuck at the CPU clock speed before showing the memory onboard. Eventually it said that there weree too many failed boot attempts due to unstable CPU settings. Can a stable overclock become unstable over time? I eventually gave the CPU more voltage and it hasnt been as much of an issue. Thanks all.
It was probably on the order of a few weeks to a few months. I ask because upping the voltage seemed to fix the problem, but I'm curious what others have used because I dont want to use an unnecessarily high voltage.
If it's only between a few weeks to a few months, then your hardware probably hasn't degraded yet. The CPU was probably always just a little unstable after your overclock. If more voltage fixed the problem, then you have nothing to worry about.