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First overclock - is this looking how it should?

X

Xonim

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
1,035
This is my first time overclocking. Wasn't really sure where to start, so I let Google lead the way. I used the settings shown here, except only set the multiplier to 42x.

4200MHz.jpg


Are these temps okay, or should I drop the multiplier a little bit? I don't want to get to into it with manually figuring out vcore and what not. Any suggestions?

Using a Corsair A70 cooler with MX-4 in a Corsair 600T case.
2500K w/ Asus P8Z68-V/Gen 3

Thanks!
 
Those temps are fine. They seem a little high for that cooler at that overclock, but certainly nothing to be worried about.
 
I think I may have an airflow problem in the case. Without the side panel on, it seems to run about 5C cooler. Currently have intake through the front, exhaust out the top/back.

Finished 10 runs of IBT, high temp was 74C on core #2. I'm assuming that's probably okay.

Prime doesn't seem to want to exceed 60C....it's kinda weird that there's that much variation between the two programs. Voltage seems to stay at 1.32v, even though it's still basically set on auto.
 
IBT, at least the new versions, uses AVX, which increases the load/speed and really heats up the processor.
 
Yeah, just gonna echo that IBT with AVX really is much better than Prime for exposing thermal issues. I see around the same 10-12 degree difference between the two.

As for temps with the side panel off, that's pretty normal in my experience as well. A big gaping hole lets the warm air just sorta "float out" wherever and each fan can be sucking on fresh air rather than it all being fed through an intake fan or two.

Probably why it's not uncommon to see a few rigs here and there that never have the side panel in place. Granted, some very well designed setups will still flow and exhaust enough air to every component to make for little difference with or without the panel on. But in a smallish or cramped case like mine there can be a substantial difference. Same if your intakes or exhaust aren't really that great.

Not really related or always practical, but I can lower another 4-5 degrees just laying the case on it's side as well, due to heat pipe orientation. Another degree or two lower if I'm running it naked on the bench, but again not always practical.
 
Disabled load line calibration and set offset to +.005. Doing okay in IBT.

4500MHz.jpg


EDIT: Prime 95 failed after 10 mins. So much for that...
 
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Looks like I've got it stable now...passed roughly 1.5 hrs each of small FFTs and large FFTs on prime 95 and 20+ runs of IBT max. Good enough for me, though I wish the temps were 5-7C lower. vcore fluctuates between 1.328v and 1.336v.

AI Overclock Tuner: Manual
BCLK/PCIE Frequency: 100.0
Turbo Ratio: By Per Core
Multiplier: 45x
Internal PLL Overvoltage: Auto
Memory Frequency: DDR3-1333MHz
EPU Power Saving Mode: Disabled
DRAM Timing Control: 9-9-9-24
CPU Ratio: Auto
Enhanced Intel Speedstep: Enabled
Turbo Mode: Enabled
Load-line Calibration: Regular (0%)
VRM Frequency: Auto
VRM Spread Spectrum: Disabled
Phase Control: Optimized
Duty Control: T.Probe
CPU Current Capability: 100%
CPU Voltage: 1.192V (Offset Mode)
Offset Mode Sign: +
CPU Offset Voltage: .030
DRM Voltage: Auto
Everything else: Auto

IDLE:
idle.jpg


LOAD:
load.jpg
 
Got a second system up and running (first one was my wife's) - same components, except currently no video card as my 7970 hasn't shipped yet. That one seems stable at 4.5 GHz as well, vcore between 1.328 and 1.44, and the temps are 3-5C lower....woohoo!
 
Pretty sweet voltages. These are mine just for reference. I am at 1.355 volts with an offset of +0.090 The 1.2 is during the donwthrottle process

IntelBurnx45.png
 
Reseated my cooler 3 times last night to try and get my load temps down. Under load, cores 1 and 2 were running about 8-10C higher than cores 0 and 3. Doesn't seem to make a difference how I apply MX-4. (First try was the pea-sized dot method, then thin lines between each pipe = way too much paste, most recent was just spreading as thin as possible with a plastic bag). I undid the OC for now, reset everything to optomized defaults in bios (CPU-Z shows 3.4Ghz for some reason), and now get 55-57C in cores 1 and 2, 46-48C in cores 0 and 3 during IBT.

Ambient is only 19C since it's winter, so I'd like to get current load temps on those cores to ~65C with an overclock so it'll be fine in the summer. I'm not quite sure where to start again, I tried lowering the multiplier and the offset voltage a bit, but with IBT it's still ending up at 72-74C with 42X, 74-76C with 45X. Prime95 gets it to about 70C either way.

Do you see anything in the settings above at 45X that I could change to maybe bring down the temps a little?
 
What's the fan speed on the cooler? Is it running off a motherboard header that might be temperature or speed controlling it?

If you want to get fancy you can try reducing the voltage for PCH PLL and PCH Voltage - normally you can drop them one notch without affecting stability, and it can reduce temps a few degrees. Also VCCSA, but I'd try the other two first.
 
The fans are running off motherboard headers, the P8Z68-V has two CPU headers. A70 is in a push/pull config. I didn't pay attention to the speeds / percentages at which they're running...I want to think they're around 1800rpm. Definitely audible over everything else in the case.

EDIT: How does the LLC setting work with voltage offset? If I'm understanding correctly, enabling LLC with the medium/high setting should theoretically allow me to reduce the voltage offset to, say .020 instead of .030?
 
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Each additional level of LLC seems to raise my load Vcore approx 40 mV (with offset mode also enabled, more on this in a bit). i.e. I can use regular with +.105 offset or medium with +.065 offset and get fairly similar Vcore and temp results; I need 1.328 after droop either way to remain stable. Although I seem to be a tad cooler and just as stable actually using less LLC (regular setting), that gives me 1.36 light load drooping to 1.328 with max load and blends for days.

There does seem to be an LLC behavior difference though based on whether I use offset or manual Vcore. For example, in manual Vcore mode it acts just like most of the guides say - Ultra high gives roughly the Vcore I set, and extreme gives a slight rise under load. But, when using offset Vcore mode I actually see slight rise under load with only the high setting and ultra rises even more.

I can watch it go up and down running IBT passes. Normally with offset and regular/medium LLC I see it droop a bit during the pass and bounce back up in between passes, but with high LLC setting it goes UP during the pass, and back down in between (just like extreme/manual gives). I saw someone else mention this too some time ago, don't remember what forum/guide it was though. Also bear in mind that mine is not gen3, maybe makes a difference.
 
The risk with using high levels of LLC and offset mode is that at high LLC settings it often actually adds voltage (instead of just countering Vdroop). This is a problem because when lightly loaded, and LLC isn't kicked in all the way, the voltage (default+offset+LLC) isn't enough to keep the system stable. This often happens under single core load situations, like games.

Example:

Vcore needed is 1.4V. Under a heavy load the default is 1.25, offset is 0.10, and LLC (high) adds 0.05. That totals 1.4V so everything is fine. But in a lightly loaded situation, defualt is 1.25, offset is 0.10, and LLC (high) adds 0.00 because there isn't much of a load. That only totals 1.35V and the system crashes.
 
Thanks Forceman, that explains my experience a lot better than I originally understood it. I never realized that LLC isn't always kicked in all the way during lighter loads (even though I was watching it happen lol). Makes much more sense now. Explains why regular/offset always seemed easier for me to dial in too. Guess I need to find some better voltage observation tools than just staring at CPU-Z:p
 
Thanks for all the help, at least I understand it a little better now.

I think I'm going to just set the offset voltage to 0, which should leave it at stock, then try a multi of 40x and see if I can stabilize it there at stock voltage. My plans have since changed from a 7970 to a 560ti-448, so a 2500k even at stock will no longer be the bottleneck in BF3....
 
Auto voltage shoud work fine up to 4.4~4.5 or so. It may be higher than needed, but stable.
 
I don't know. Mine was at 1.38 at 4.6 when I was fooling with it. I'd guess that in theory it could go as high as 1.52V, since that is what the CPU's requested VID can go up to.

You the same treble318 that plays BF3 at =TRR= a lot?
 
Dialed it back a bit once I put my video card in as temps went up a couple degrees. Reseated the heatsink a total of 3 times trying different methods of applying the MX-4, got the same temps every time, and the same variance between the cores. I think 4.2 Ghz is about all I'm gonna be able to safely squeeze out of this chip without breaking 80C in summer and/or spending more money on some closed loop water cooling. Using offset voltage of -.030 with LLC on regular (0%). vcore stays between 1.272 and 1.288v.

try2.jpg


p95.jpg


Ran Prime 95 Small/Large FFTs for about 45 minutes each. Going to let a blend run overnight tonight.

Got the MSI TwinFrozr III 560ti core 448.....factory OC'd to 750/1500/1950. Brought that up to 825/1650/2048 in Afterburner on stock voltage. Tried 850/1700/2048, but Heaven kept crashing about midway through. Passed OCCT 15 mins, temps topped out at 69C fan at ~65%. Played about 45 minutes of BF3 this morning without any crashes.

My only concern at this point is 3DMark11 is giving me a super low score. It seems like I should be getting 5800+ with this setup, and after 3 runs I've only gotten a high of 5300. Not really sure what's up with that. BF3 runs with all settings on Ultra, HBAO, 2x MSAA average of 60fps with dips into the 43-45 range with lots happening...

EDIT: Figured it out. Closed Steam & Origin, came back at 5926 =)

3dmark.jpg
 
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Hi
I'm a noobie to OC and I have the following:
i5-2500K
Asus P8Z68-V/Gen3
GSkill Ripjaws 8Gb DDR3 1600 CL9D
MSI GTX 560Ti Twin Frozr II
XFX Black 850W
Hyper 212+

My first challenge is to get to 4.2GHz. I simply turned the multiplier to 42 and left everything else Auto. See below (after running for 15 mins). How long should I leave Prime95 running to be really sure of stability? Thanks

x43rzk.jpg
 
Depends who you ask. Some people say 12 hours, some people say 24. Personally, I let it run for about an hour each on small/large FFTs, then 4 hours on blend. The best test of stability IMO is to just use it for stuff. I put in ~10 hours in BF3 and SWTOR and another ~4-5 hours of general usage this weekend without a crash, so I'm considering my 4.2 stable.
 
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