E8400 VID check before buy?

I might be picking up an E8400 locally today. Is there any way I can check the VID before buying? Is it displayed anywhere on the packaging?

If I do buy one I'll post OC screens later... I'm mostly just not looking forward to taking the damn heatsink off and putting it back on again.

chaloux said:

Is it displayed anywhere on the packaging?

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Not unless you have a FPO/batch # vs VID cross reference.

About the only guarantee you get is the "1.xxV max" rating on the box.

Right. Well thanks anyway. I checked my e4400 box and didn't see anything about the VID (or the same #) so I assumed that it was not there for the Wolfdales, but who knows, Intel could have changed their stickers since people seem to be paying more attention to VID now.

it should be on the right side of the box

A processor's individual VID can only be checked by CoreTemp with the processor installed. No way to check on the box, sorry.

From what people are posting on the net, it seems that 1.1v is a common VID, but it's also on the high side. So far I've seen as low as 1.03v. I haven't opened mine yet, as I'm not sure I'm going to use it. (May just return it or sell it.)

Note that there are a lot of issues with OCing the E8400 at the moment. Temps are wacky on many computers, and people are starting to realize that no one program is reporting accurate E8400 temperatures on any rig. Also considering how new the chip is, it's very difficult at the moment to gauge a pattern for predicting high OCs. VID information will become more useful once more people get the chip and post their OC results, and once programs more accurately read temps.

So far, people are concluding that most if not all should be able to reach a stable 24/7 OC of 4.0ghz, but that Prime95 stability is very hard to achieve at a higher speed. Lots of people can do SuperPi suicide shots at 4.5ghz, and it's already been up to 5ghz on phase change, but there does seem to be a hard wall forming around 4ghz for stable 24/7.

Thanks Mark. I've been doing a lot of poking around, checking what other people's OCs have been, and would be completely satisfied with 4ghz . Heck, even if I couldn't overclock at all, it'd be a bit quicker than my E4400 which happens to be a juice hungry heat monster. My intent with this build back in September was to buy cheap now, upgrade later, which is exactly where the E8400 comes in.

I'd probably play it safe for now (ha, yeah right) and keep it around 3.5ghz until coretemp/other software starts reporting temps correctly. No sense in going balls out and messing up a brand new $230 dollar chip.

Don't worry, you should easily get 4.0-4.1Ghz OC out of it, no matter what the VID is..

Can someone clue me on on the issue with the VID? Is there a wild range of VIDs from the E8400? CPUZ reads mine at 1.088, IIRC.

Luder[PAK9];1032004705 said:

Can someone clue me on on the issue with the VID?

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Intel went to multi-VID (mVID) a long time ago. It allows them to package CPUs with a wider range of default voltages. I guess that makes it easier for Intel to fulfill SKUs after testing.

pxc said:

Intel went to multi-VID (mVID) a long time ago. It allows them to package CPUs with a wider range of default voltages. I guess that makes it easier for Intel to fulfill SKUs after testing.

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Intel doesn't list the different voltages on the box though, right?

Don't all E8400 CPUs have 1.225V specified on the box?

The voltage on the box is the maximum VID a chip can have in order for it to be classified as an E8400. Considering that VID is the voltage registered for the processor to run at stock speed, if a chip can't do 3.0ghz at 1.255, then it'll be binned as a lower part (like an E8200.)

Now each chip will do stock at a different voltage, which is why each chip has its own unique individual VID. Note, however, that the VID value of the processor happens to be the voltage tested and binned by Intel. Most chips can be undervolted and remain completely stable.

I got an E8400, looked at the box and saw 1.225 and said bummer, must have a not so good one. Plugged it into the motherboard and the VID is 1.1.

So I'm not sure how Intel is rating these CPUs. I can say that my CPU needs 1.47V to do 4.1GHz and loads under Orthos after an hour at 62 Celsius with the case closed on air.

a low vid just means it will run at stock speeds at the low end of the range of vcores that a particular chip has available. in no way does it mean that its a bad or good overclocker. in fact, chips with low vid generally run much hotter than a chip with higher vid, at any given raised vcore. if anything, this usually means it will not overclock as good as chips with higher vid.

There are so many variables at play here that I don't think anyone will ever be able to definatively say that a given VID is better or worse than any other for overclocking - it stands to reason that a lower VID one would be able to overclock better, but it would be almost impossible to make a blanket statememnt like that. Maybe Intel could, but I doubt anyone else could.

VID 1.0375 from TankGuys.com (Q746A377 pack date 1/04/08)\

It's cold in this room, so I think I've hit my ceiling on this one: Yet I'm happy knowing I will exceed the 4.2ghz I anticipated.