Overclocking Results:

stock max. oc motherboard bclk speed: 133 mhz 210 mhz if you're new to Overclocking and not sure what to do, check out these two excellent Guides for some pointers: Overclocking the CPU and Memory Overclocking the Videocard

Intel Core i5 processors slip into a new class of motherboards with 1156-pin CPU sockets, contain an integrated memory controller and take on much of the responsibilities previously relegated to the motherboard's northbridge chipset.

In other words, a LOT has changed. Overclocking methodologies change along with CPU architectures, and this time around the good old Front Side Bus is nowhere to be seen.

Instead there is a new timing speed called the motherboard base clock (BCLK), set by default at 133MHz. Architectural CPU changes bring about new challenges, new possibilities and of course, new overclocking potential!

The Intel Core i5 750 is ripe with overclocking potential if we are to believe the rumors on enthusiast forums. In this section PCSTATS is going to overclock the Intel P55 Express based Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 motherboard, but keep in mind that we're still finding its feet with Core i5 overclocking so you might be able to push things further.

Before the overclocking session started, PCSTATS first set the memory to run in DDR3-800 MHz mode so as not to hold the CPU back.

The Intel Core i5 750 processor was adjusted from a clock multiplier of 20x to 12x, since we are only interested in finding out how high the Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6's base clock (BCLK) will go. The default is 133MHz, and from there the speed was increased to 150MHz, 175MHz, then 200MHz.

Beyond 200MHz BCLK the going was tough... a 215MHz BLCK speed would POST, but Vista refused to load. In the end the maximum we got from Gigabyte's GA-P55-UD3R was a BCLK overclock of 210MHz. Not bad, but not astounding either.

Inside the Motherboard BIOS

Gigabyte's M.I.T BIOS page controls access to most of the performance related options of the GA-P55-UD6.

Gigabyte has a status monitor that keeps track of most the GA-P55-UD6's vital statistics, which is handy for troubleshooting at the BIOS level.

The GA-P55-UD6's BIOS has everything you'd expect in the way of CPU overclocking features. Most of these will be familiar to veteran overclockers, although there are a few new features specific to Intel's socket 1156 processors:

Since the GA-P55-UD6 is designed for socket 1156 processors like the Core i5 750, it's got options to adjust processor features like HyperThreading and Intel's Turbo Boost overclocking.

Memory settings can be adjusted down to the cycle, which makes it easy to push your memory performance to the absolute limit.

With the BIOS covered, let's set the Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 motherboard up on the test bench and look at its power draw figures... then benchmarks!