ASUS x79 Sabertooth and 4930k overclocking?

cyclone3d

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Just switched from my ASRock board to this x79 Sabertooth and am having trouble getting it to overclock.

I have read the ASUS ROG guide for the 4930k and it seems like this board is just being really finicky.

With the ASRock board it was super easy to overclock - 4.73Ghz @ 1.35v

With this ASUS board, I am having trouble even getting it to load Windows at 4.0Ghz.

Any tips for actual settings in the BIOS on this board.

Bios version is 4801 - should I be using a different version?
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Edit: Getting somewhere.... This board/CPU seem to be acting funny.

I was able to boot into Windows with the 125Mhz strap/bclk.

Problem I have been having:
Any multiplier over 38 at the 100Mhz strap/bclk or any multiplier on the 125 bclk/strap would just act like I pulled the plug when trying to boot.

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Edit2: Definitely something with the board. Just let it run OCCT overnight and it passed just fine. at 126x32 (4032).
Everything I can find about this board doesn't mention having to adjust anything at all but the multiplier to get to 4.3Ghz, but this thing just cuts the power if I do that.

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Edit3: Looks like it may have been the CPU PLL voltage setting. Default it seems to be set at 1.8125. At the default setting, it will not even let me get to 4.1Ghz.

Lowered it to 1.65v and it let me into Windows once at 4.3Ghz (100x43), and then crashed when I ran OCCT. It would not boot into Windows again. Lowered it to 1.60v and it seems to have fixed it.

Makes no sense, but at least I am getting there. On my ASROCK board, the default PLL setting worked just fine.

I have already reseated the CPU and RAM, checked for any bent CPU socket pins, and also tried disconnecting everything but the SSDs and one video card. None of which made a difference.

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Edit4: Either this board is trash or my power supply is dying. Since the power supply works just fine with my ASROCK board, I am leaning towards the board.

I have tried every single BIOS version that supports the IB-E CPUs.
I took it all apart and verified nothing was shorting.
I replaced the CMOS battery because the original one seemed kinda low.

At this point I am not sure what else to try besides a new power supply. Everything else besides that and the board has been ruled out.

I can get it to run at 100x43 IF I have the BIOS settings set to a very specific combination of settings.

It will not run at 125bclk/strap at anything over a 32 multipler. Max I can get it to run at the 125 strap is 127x32.

Any higher bclk or multiplier and the board just shuts off when Windows goes to load. Same for anything over 100x43.

This was an RMA replacement board that ASUS sent my brother after his first Sabertooth x79 died.

GRRRRRR.....

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Edit5:
Booted up at stock speed and loaded up TuboV EVO, overlcocked to 4.2 from there, and then ran OCCT.

After about 30 seconds, it just hard powered itself off.

Going to get a new power supply and see if that helps. The BFG I am running is pretty old. Either it is going bad or this board just doesn't like it... or the board itself is faulty.

Will update in a few days once I get the new power supply.

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Edit6: 6/18/2015
This is a pre new power supply update. My current power supply has a 4+4 and an 8 pin plug for the CPU power. I decided to try the 8 pin instead of the 4+4 and it made it even worse then before.

I am not sure how this is even possible as it is a single rail power supply. Maybe bad solder connections in the power supply? I will be disassembling it to see if I can find out what is going on once the new one is here tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
This will be my final post in this thread.

So it turns out it is the ASUS motherboard that is the problem after all.

Installed the new power supply and it did the same exact thing.

Swapped my old ASROCK board back in and it is working fine again.

Trying to get an RMA going for this ASUS board. Wish me luck.
 
Sorry to bump this old thread, but did you ever get a replacement board? Did it work better?

I've got similar problems with CPU straps, but multipliers seem to work up to 43x100. I think the strap function might be bugged..

I can hit 43x100 overclock with 1.35Vcore, but 44x100 isn't stable with any voltage..
 
Yep, ASUS ended up sending me a new X79 Deluxe after sending a physically damaged board (maybe from shipping) and then sending me a brand new board that didn't have a BIOS that supported IB-E.

And BIOS flashback doesn't work on this board or from what I could gather any ASUS boards to go from the ROM to CAP formatted BIOS, so short of replacing the BIOS chip there was nothing I could do with it.

The ASUS tech said it should work though, so they declared the board faulty.
 
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