Tutorials for Beginners in BIOS settings?

fatryan

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
1,402
Can anyone direct me to a good source of some tutorials or videos on BIOS settings and what they do? Specifically, anything related to msi z390 gaming edge ac and click bios 5 would be great. And if you have any specific insight or advice on my build, I would welcome that for sure too. I provided details of the build and my issues below.

I've watched MSI's long YouTube tutorial on the z370 and read through my manual, but both for the most part just kind of barely touch on what each function is. As a beginner who's never built a computer before, i don't know a lot of these features and acronyms. And some things as simple as that get overlooked in the msi video and certainly in my manual.

I'm having a bit of an issue currently with my cpu kicking up to a constant 16-25% usage and memory running around 30-40% when i use Google chrome browser. This makes no sense, given the hardware im running. Not to mention, it wasn't doing this when i first setup the computer over Easter weekend. It only started last weekend when I got the computer setup in my basement with my new monitor, PoE switch, installed Norton, and installed Malwarebytes. For the record, I've already tried uninstalling both Norton and Malwarebytes and switched from running pc off of the poe switch to using the board's WiFi card.

One particularly odd thing is that the issue only occurs with chrome. So i also tried deactivating all chrome extensions, then eventually tried completely reinstalling chrome, to no avail. Of course Microsoft edge works perfectly fine and doesn't spike resources...

So i figured this must be bios related. I had tweaked a couple settings in the BIOS. such as switching to IGD, as it was initially set to PEG but I don't have a dedicated GPU. I also turned on fast-boot (non-msi), but after discovering it wouldn't boot windows without first going into BIOS, i turned that back off. Ram is currently OC'd to 3k, as they're 3k sticks. CPU cannot be OC'd. Most of the existing settings in the bios were configured by my brother in law who helped me build the rig over Easter weekend. I have virtually no software installed on windows at this point. I have Samsung magician installed and have the performance boost or whatever they call it turned on for the OS ssd. Benchmarks seem to have no idea what to do with that, but I've been using Samsung magician with that performance boost on my laptop's SSDs for years and its been great.

FYI, this is a surveillance/smart home rig, not a gaming rig - hence the lack of dedicated GPU

Components:
[ ] Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass PH-ES614PTG_BK
[ ] i7-8700
[ ] Msi mpg z390 gaming edge
[ ] Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15
[ ] 1x Samsung Evo 860 ssd (OS, mbr)
[ ] 1x Samsung Evo 860 ssd (main storage, mbr)
[ ] 1x WD Purple 10tb HDD 7200rpm (surveillance storage, gpd)
[ ] EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G+ 80 Plus Gold 850W PSU
[ ] Asus BW-16D1HT Burner (w/custom 4k firmware)
[ ] Logitech k800 wireless keyboard
[ ] Noctua NA-SYC1 4-pin Y-cables
[ ] 1x Noctua NF-A12x25 fan
[ ] 2x Noctua NF-A14 fans
[ ] 1x Cooler Master 120mm fan
[ ] Windows Pro 64bit

Software installed:
[ ] Norton security deluxe (currently uninstalled)
[ ] Malwarebytes (currently uninstalled)
[ ] Samsung Magician
[ ] Blue Iris (surveillance software)
 
leave norton and MB off, you only need defender. you might need to run the norton clean up tools to get rid of it all. if chrome didnt do it before, its probably a plugin(mb or norton maybe) or a glitch in the new version.
 
leave norton and MB off, you only need defender. you might need to run the norton clean up tools to get rid of it all. if chrome didnt do it before, its probably a plugin(mb or norton maybe) or a glitch in the new version.
Really? Anti-virus and malware software aren't needed anymore? Microsoft has figured it out!? :jawdrop: Man, I wish I didn't waste the $$$

Well as it stands now, Norton and MB are uninstalled, though I used the Norton option to save settings to a folder for reinstall later (does that leave lingering issues?). And I also uninstalled then reinstalled Chrome and have all extensions uninstalled from it. You definitely don't think it could be BIOS settings? Or perhaps even just Windows settings I guess? I am very new to Windows 10, so its pretty foreign to me. I'm coming from 7.

I forgot to mention I ran a Powershell script from Github to debloat Windows, but it didn't really work all that well cause it's supposed to be run during OS install but I didn't "discover" it until last weekend. I don't remember exactly who it was off hand, but I think I found it via a fairly popular YouTuber. He linked to the Github scripts, which have been maintained and updated since the YouTube video was posted. I used a GUI version. Hmm come to think of it, there was an option in the GUI to add Chrome black mode I think, which caused Windows to freeze when I tried to run it lol. Sooo maybe that was the issue? Ugh. Damnit, I forgot about that. How the heck do I undo that if uninstalling Chrome didn't do the trick!?
 
nope, i have never seen a bios setting cause chrome to use resources. i would download and run both the norton and chrome cleanup tools. then try installing chrome again. no idea how to undo the github stuff...
 
nope, i have never seen a bios setting cause chrome to use resources. i would download and run both the norton and chrome cleanup tools. then try installing chrome again. no idea how to undo the github stuff...
OK will do. Just to be clear, these tools are independent software, correct? It's not something built into Norton's main suite or CHrome browser?

I guess if this fails, I'll just rebuild Windows. I don't have that much to lose at this point anyway.
 
Can anyone direct me to a good source of some tutorials or videos on BIOS settings and what they do? Specifically, anything related to msi z390 gaming edge ac and click bios 5 would be great. And if you have any specific insight or advice on my build, I would welcome that for sure too. I provided details of the build and my issues below.

I've watched MSI's long YouTube tutorial on the z370 and read through my manual, but both for the most part just kind of barely touch on what each function is. As a beginner who's never built a computer before, i don't know a lot of these features and acronyms. And some things as simple as that get overlooked in the msi video and certainly in my manual.

I'm having a bit of an issue currently with my cpu kicking up to a constant 16-25% usage and memory running around 30-40% when i use Google chrome browser. This makes no sense, given the hardware im running. Not to mention, it wasn't doing this when i first setup the computer over Easter weekend. It only started last weekend when I got the computer setup in my basement with my new monitor, PoE switch, installed Norton, and installed Malwarebytes. For the record, I've already tried uninstalling both Norton and Malwarebytes and switched from running pc off of the poe switch to using the board's WiFi card.

One particularly odd thing is that the issue only occurs with chrome. So i also tried deactivating all chrome extensions, then eventually tried completely reinstalling chrome, to no avail. Of course Microsoft edge works perfectly fine and doesn't spike resources...

So i figured this must be bios related. I had tweaked a couple settings in the BIOS. such as switching to IGD, as it was initially set to PEG but I don't have a dedicated GPU. I also turned on fast-boot (non-msi), but after discovering it wouldn't boot windows without first going into BIOS, i turned that back off. Ram is currently OC'd to 3k, as they're 3k sticks. CPU cannot be OC'd. Most of the existing settings in the bios were configured by my brother in law who helped me build the rig over Easter weekend. I have virtually no software installed on windows at this point. I have Samsung magician installed and have the performance boost or whatever they call it turned on for the OS ssd. Benchmarks seem to have no idea what to do with that, but I've been using Samsung magician with that performance boost on my laptop's SSDs for years and its been great.

FYI, this is a surveillance/smart home rig, not a gaming rig - hence the lack of dedicated GPU

Components:
[ ] Phanteks Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass PH-ES614PTG_BK
[ ] i7-8700
[ ] Msi mpg z390 gaming edge
[ ] Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15
[ ] 1x Samsung Evo 860 ssd (OS, mbr)
[ ] 1x Samsung Evo 860 ssd (main storage, mbr)
[ ] 1x WD Purple 10tb HDD 7200rpm (surveillance storage, gpd)
[ ] EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G+ 80 Plus Gold 850W PSU
[ ] Asus BW-16D1HT Burner (w/custom 4k firmware)
[ ] Logitech k800 wireless keyboard
[ ] Noctua NA-SYC1 4-pin Y-cables
[ ] 1x Noctua NF-A12x25 fan
[ ] 2x Noctua NF-A14 fans
[ ] 1x Cooler Master 120mm fan
[ ] Windows Pro 64bit

Software installed:
[ ] Norton security deluxe (currently uninstalled)
[ ] Malwarebytes (currently uninstalled)
[ ] Samsung Magician
[ ] Blue Iris (surveillance software)

Long story short, this isn't a BIOS settings issue. Unless you've physically turned off most of your CPU's cores, there isn't a way to increase CPU utilization through any setting in the BIOS.

Really? Anti-virus and malware software aren't needed anymore? Microsoft has figured it out!? :jawdrop: Man, I wish I didn't waste the $$$

Well as it stands now, Norton and MB are uninstalled, though I used the Norton option to save settings to a folder for reinstall later (does that leave lingering issues?). And I also uninstalled then reinstalled Chrome and have all extensions uninstalled from it. You definitely don't think it could be BIOS settings? Or perhaps even just Windows settings I guess? I am very new to Windows 10, so its pretty foreign to me. I'm coming from 7.

I forgot to mention I ran a Powershell script from Github to debloat Windows, but it didn't really work all that well cause it's supposed to be run during OS install but I didn't "discover" it until last weekend. I don't remember exactly who it was off hand, but I think I found it via a fairly popular YouTuber. He linked to the Github scripts, which have been maintained and updated since the YouTube video was posted. I used a GUI version. Hmm come to think of it, there was an option in the GUI to add Chrome black mode I think, which caused Windows to freeze when I tried to run it lol. Sooo maybe that was the issue? Ugh. Damnit, I forgot about that. How the heck do I undo that if uninstalling Chrome didn't do the trick!?

It isn't that anti-virus and anti-malware software isn't necessary anymore as much as anything from Symantec being a massive resource hog. Symantec software products have been a blight on people for over a decade. The software is extremely invasive. It makes hundreds if not thousands of registry entries. These are NOT undone by simply uninstalling the software. Low reliability, system problems and high resource utilization are its hallmarks. Microsoft's Defender, does a pretty good job. I won't say its the best, but its certainly among the least intrusive and resource intensive packages out there.
 
OK will do. Just to be clear, these tools are independent software, correct? It's not something built into Norton's main suite or CHrome browser?

I guess if this fails, I'll just rebuild Windows. I don't have that much to lose at this point anyway.
google "norton cleanup/removal tool" and "chrome cleanup/removal tool" theyre official tools to clean up all the leftovers. might help, might not and you might want to run each a couple of times.
 
Long story short, this isn't a BIOS settings issue. Unless you've physically turned off most of your CPU's cores, there isn't a way to increase CPU utilization through any setting in the BIOS.



It isn't that anti-virus and anti-malware software isn't necessary anymore as much as anything from Symantec being a massive resource hog. Symantec software products have been a blight on people for over a decade. The software is extremely invasive. It makes hundreds if not thousands of registry entries. These are NOT undone by simply uninstalling the software. Low reliability, system problems and high resource utilization are its hallmarks. Microsoft's Defender, does a pretty good job. I won't say its the best, but its certainly among the least intrusive and resource intensive packages out there.
OK. I'm fairly certain I haven't shut off any cores lol

And I was sort of aware of the resource hogfullness, if you will, of Norton...but I wasn't really seeing a better alternative for AV. I was comparing reviews for AV between Amazon and Newegg, and Norton was one of the higher reviewed ones. Webroot came out higher, but there were many complaints about false alarms on software. And I was already particularly concerned about compatibility with the AV and Blue Iris surveillance software. Since this machine will be running 24/7 and largely be unmanned, it needs to be stable and not have compatibility issues. So that was my logic behind using the better known Norton name.

Should I just avoid all the potential headache and reinstall Windows? That has to take care of all this, right? So long as I don't install Norton or MB again.
 
OK. I'm fairly certain I haven't shut off any cores lol

And I was sort of aware of the resource hogfullness, if you will, of Norton...but I wasn't really seeing a better alternative for AV. I was comparing reviews for AV between Amazon and Newegg, and Norton was one of the higher reviewed ones. Webroot came out higher, but there were many complaints about false alarms on software. And I was already particularly concerned about compatibility with the AV and Blue Iris surveillance software. Since this machine will be running 24/7 and largely be unmanned, it needs to be stable and not have compatibility issues. So that was my logic behind using the better known Norton name.

Should I just avoid all the potential headache and reinstall Windows? That has to take care of all this, right? So long as I don't install Norton or MB again.

You have to take reviews on sites like Newegg and Amazon with a grain of salt. These companies pay money to influence those results in one way or another. Not only that, but the average person is suspect when it comes to making reviews. They will have a limited sample size, varying technical ability and aptitude to understand what's going on. I've dealt with Symantec products in the IT and consumer markets since the mid-1990's. They haven't been good products for most of that time frame. I still see it used in business environments but the corporate versions of the software are considerably more reliable than the home versions. Not only that but much of the resource consumption and problems with those software packages are still present in both commercial and consumer versions of the product. For a corporate environment, you can use Symantec IDS or End Point Protection and software packages like that for the tasks at hand.

Just be aware that CPU utilization will be at times, somewhat excessive. Also keep in mind that the CPU usage will be higher at first while it does scanning and other baseline tasks. It will also go up as system use increases, as it scans the system when traffic and file use increases. This is normal. Some sites will consume more CPU usage than others depending on what's happening in the background. 16-25% may not be too bad depending on the site visited and depending on what Norton is doing in the background. A CPU showing some signs of usage with surveillance software and A/V running in the background isn't necessarily an indicator of a problem. I don't know that there is an actual problem here. Norton is a bit of a pig, Malwarebytes isn't really all that bad, and Chrome uses more resources than Edge does.

People seem to think that every computer should be at less than 5% CPU usage all the time if you aren't playing a game or running some resource hog of a program, and that's just not true in all cases. Take some screenshots of your task manager and post them here. I'd like to see what's actually going on.
 
You have to take reviews on sites like Newegg and Amazon with a grain of salt. These companies pay money to influence those results in one way or another. Not only that, but the average person is suspect when it comes to making reviews. They will have a limited sample size, varying technical ability and aptitude to understand what's going on. I've dealt with Symantec products in the IT and consumer markets since the mid-1990's. They haven't been good products for most of that time frame. I still see it used in business environments but the corporate versions of the software are considerably more reliable than the home versions. Not only that but much of the resource consumption and problems with those software packages are still present in both commercial and consumer versions of the product. For a corporate environment, you can use Symantec IDS or End Point Protection and software packages like that for the tasks at hand.

Just be aware that CPU utilization will be at times, somewhat excessive. Also keep in mind that the CPU usage will be higher at first while it does scanning and other baseline tasks. It will also go up as system use increases, as it scans the system when traffic and file use increases. This is normal. Some sites will consume more CPU usage than others depending on what's happening in the background. 16-25% may not be too bad depending on the site visited and depending on what Norton is doing in the background. A CPU showing some signs of usage with surveillance software and A/V running in the background isn't necessarily an indicator of a problem. I don't know that there is an actual problem here. Norton is a bit of a pig, Malwarebytes isn't really all that bad, and Chrome uses more resources than Edge does.

People seem to think that every computer should be at less than 5% CPU usage all the time if you aren't playing a game or running some resource hog of a program, and that's just not true in all cases. Take some screenshots of your task manager and post them here. I'd like to see what's actually going on.
Yeah,. I'm aware that reviews are largely BS. I check Amazon reviews with fakespot.com, though even that site I question at times. I figured newegg would be now reliable.

I can't emphasize enough how little is installed on the machine, how little is setup. I know chrome is a resource hog, but I'm talking about having only ONE tab open. Having my gmail tab open, or any other tab...doesnt matter what it is. With one tab open, the task manager shows like 12 items for chrome in the running list... Though that's not abnormal for chrome. I get the same behavior on my laptop and my computer at work.

I also don't even have my surveillance software setup yet or any cameras installed. I have the software installed, but that's as far as I've gotten with it cause of this headache im dealing with.

This machine should be 1% utilization for sure in it's current state. There's virtually no load on the cpu, but something is screwed up. It was running at 1% when we set it up initially
 
Well, check task manager and see what's consuming the resources.
I've done this, but i largely don't recognize most of the things in the list. So it's not particularly useful to me. I don't know enough about this stuff.
 
I've done this, but i largely don't recognize most of the things in the list. So it's not particularly useful to me. I don't know enough about this stuff.

Post a screen shot here. We can see what, if anything is abnormal.
 
Do you run a graphics card by any chance? there is an issue with the latest Nvidia drivers and CPU usage, there is a hotfix driver for that issue but since you did not mention a GPU in your system.
 
Do you run a graphics card by any chance? there is an issue with the latest Nvidia drivers and CPU usage, there is a hotfix driver for that issue but since you did not mention a GPU in your system.
Actually, it's buried in the last paragraph of the OP, but I did mention not having a dedicated GPU. I'm just running on-board, because big graphics is not really something I need for this build.

However if you're implying that the on-board graphics on the i7-8700 are NVIDIA and have an issue with drivers, maybe i should be investigating this. One of the BIOS settings i changed when my problems began was switching from PEG to IGD, because according to the manual those are settings for dedicated GPU and on-board GPU, respectively. And since I do not have a dedicated GPU, I shouldn't be using PEG. Furthermore, one of the nuances of this build is that the Blue Iris surveillance software's efficiency relies heavily on the ability to utilize Intel QuickSync. Its not impossible to run without QS by any means, but the processor savings are huge with QS. I don't know if the ability to use QS is tied to the GPU and the IGD setting on the board, but if so then I guess I need to keep that setting on IGD and figure out a solution.

So when you say there's a hotfix driver, what exactly does that mean? Is that like an unofficial release? Something tweaked by a third party that will probably void warranties? Or is it like a beta from the manufacturer? Or something else entirely? Lol Sorry I really don't know a lot of the terminology yet.
 
Actually, it's buried in the last paragraph of the OP, but I did mention not having a dedicated GPU. I'm just running on-board, because big graphics is not really something I need for this build.

However if you're implying that the on-board graphics on the i7-8700 are NVIDIA and have an issue with drivers, maybe i should be investigating this. One of the BIOS settings i changed when my problems began was switching from PEG to IGD, because according to the manual those are settings for dedicated GPU and on-board GPU, respectively. And since I do not have a dedicated GPU, I shouldn't be using PEG. Furthermore, one of the nuances of this build is that the Blue Iris surveillance software's efficiency relies heavily on the ability to utilize Intel QuickSync. Its not impossible to run without QS by any means, but the processor savings are huge with QS. I don't know if the ability to use QS is tied to the GPU and the IGD setting on the board, but if so then I guess I need to keep that setting on IGD and figure out a solution.

So when you say there's a hotfix driver, what exactly does that mean? Is that like an unofficial release? Something tweaked by a third party that will probably void warranties? Or is it like a beta from the manufacturer? Or something else entirely? Lol Sorry I really don't know a lot of the terminology yet.
a hot fix its a quickly pushed out update to address a major issue. he is just adding confusion by bringing it up when youre using an intel igpu.
 
OK here are two screenshots of the task manager with running programs and services - one with Chrome running (forum failed to load in browser, websites commonly fail to load), the other running Edge.

About to run those repairs, then ill report those results too.

Taskmanager Screenshot - Chrome.png Taskmanager Screenshot - Edge.png
 
Appears to have done nothing.

Here's what I did:
1. Booted in Safe Mode w/Networking (wouldn't run uninstall software w/o networking)
2. Ran Norton uninstall (advanced option to "Remove only") & rebooted to Safe Mode
3. Ran CCleaner on all Chrome, Win Explorer, and registry files
4. Ran Norton Uninstall 2x more w/ reboots to Safe Mode
5. Ran CCleaner 1 more time
6. Deleted Norton Uninstaller & uninstalled CCleaner
7. Booted normally

CPU usage looks identical :(

Taskmanager Screenshot - Chrome (after clean).png
 
Also to note, I saw my CPU clock speeds looked erratic in CPUID CPU-Z, so I turned off XMP. But now I'm thinking it was just CPUID CPU-Z, because the speeds still look erratic in that program, but they look fine in the task manager, Dragon Center, and BIOS.
 
Pretty sure this isn't BIOS related, but the OP does have a point. Feels like most BIOS guides are either really, really old or specific to only a few settings. The fact that most manufacturers name the same things differently doesn't help.
 
Pretty sure this isn't BIOS related, but the OP does have a point. Feels like most BIOS guides are either really, really old or specific to only a few settings. The fact that most manufacturers name the same things differently doesn't help.
yes that is a very valid point.
OP, for the time it will take you might as well try a clean install on another hdd/ssd if you have one.
 
Pretty sure this isn't BIOS related, but the OP does have a point. Feels like most BIOS guides are either really, really old or specific to only a few settings. The fact that most manufacturers name the same things differently doesn't help.
I finally watched the full MSI YouTube video on Click BIOS 5 using a Z370 board, and it's like 1.5 hours long or something ridiculous like that. About 80% of it was spent on OCing :sleep: The rest of it was largely just like a reading of the MSI user manual. I gained very little additional knowledge from it since I didn't even know what the base functions were to begin with and many were not explained in the video, and honestly I imagine there wasn't much in there that an an expert couldn't get from a spec sheet anyway. YouTube seriously lacks videos covering the BIOS setting too; it's all board hardware reviews. I still need to check out that link posted above, but my priority now is getting this machine up and running.
 
Most of my BIOS adjustments (I'm also on an MSI Z370) are pretty minor. I disable the built-in audio, make sure my disks are set to AHCI, adjust the fan settings a little, and then make my 4 OC edits (clock speed, ring, RAM speed, voltage).
The fan settings are probably the most time consuming and I discovered those mostly by trial and error.
 
yes that is a very valid point.
OP, for the time it will take you might as well try a clean install on another hdd/ssd if you have one.
So I have two identical Samsung Evo SSDs (and a WD HHD, but nevermind that drive). The SSDs are currently setup with 1 for OS and the other dedicated for storage. But since I haven't even gotten this thing up and running yet, I basically have nothing on it yet. I've just installed Windows and a maybe a dozen programs. Shouldn't have any files to backup I don't think. Though I'm thinking maybe I should download a Win10 image for a fresh install, cause the backup disc I bought from Fry's (used for this install with ebay key) had some bloat on it that supposedly shouldn't be there.

Is there an ideal/efficient way of going about this given my available drives? Or should I just unplug the SATA on all but the OS drive like I did originally to start fresh? Also, I originally initialized the SSDs as MBR, so should I do that this time around or do GPT? I apparently get more BIOS options if all drives are GPT, and my HDD must be GPT anyway due to it being 10TB.
 
Also to note, I saw my CPU clock speeds looked erratic in CPUID CPU-Z, so I turned off XMP. But now I'm thinking it was just CPUID CPU-Z, because the speeds still look erratic in that program, but they look fine in the task manager, Dragon Center, and BIOS.

Keep in mind that your CPU clocks will change depending on the system's workload. That's what they are designed to do and its their default behavior. XMP will have no effect on this.
 
Most of my BIOS adjustments (I'm also on an MSI Z370) are pretty minor. I disable the built-in audio, make sure my disks are set to AHCI, adjust the fan settings a little, and then make my 4 OC edits (clock speed, ring, RAM speed, voltage).
The fan settings are probably the most time consuming and I discovered those mostly by trial and error.
Yeah, I gotta figure out the fan thing, cause I thought I would have more control over all my fans. My brother-in-law who helped me build this rig kinda threw it all together pretty quickly, so I'm not entirely sure its the best way to go about things. This is what I got on my board. The CoolerMaster is on the Pump port, because we ran out of System fan ports. But there's no readings or setting in the BIOS for it (is that normal)? Also for some reason System 5 has no adjustment, even though it's identical to System 4 (both fans came with case).

System 1 = Noctua PWM 120mm top
System 2 = Noctua PWM 140mm rear
System 3 = Noctua PWM 140mm front (lower)
System 4 = Phanteks 140mm bottom
System 5 = Phanteks 140mm front (upper) - no adjustment in BIOS
Pump 1 = CoolerMaster 120mm top - no reading or adjustment in BIOS

It's also worth noting that my case came with some kind of fan module on what appears to be a chip, but since we didn't know how it worked or what it was going to do with the fans, we bypassed it. Again, this was mostly my brother-in-law flying through the build. It was Easter weekend, and we were at his house, so I wasn't going to say anything. Maybe it would be better to investigate the use of that fan chip inside the case? I do want as much "smart" fan control as possible by the board, given that this is mostly an unmanned machine.

I also have 3 more CoolerMaster 120mm fans that I haven't used (it was a 4-pack).
 
Keep in mind that your CPU clocks will change depending on the system's workload. That's what they are designed to do and its their default behavior. XMP will have no effect on this.
Yes, I understand that. But if I'm not doing anything besides staring at the screen watching it jump around erratically while no other applications run in the foreground, something seems off to me ha ha. Plus, it was showing clock speeds that seems way too high. It was getting up around 5GHz, then dipping down to 3.xGHz. It was just all over the place, with no end.

I was under the impression that unstable memory could affect the processor. I thought I saw that on a YouTube video about OCing memory.
 
Yes, I understand that. But if I'm not doing anything besides staring at the screen watching it jump around erratically while no other applications run in the foreground, something seems off to me ha ha. Plus, it was showing clock speeds that seems way too high. It was getting up around 5GHz, then dipping down to 3.xGHz. It was just all over the place, with no end.

I was under the impression that unstable memory could affect the processor. I thought I saw that on a YouTube video about OCing memory.
the higher than normal clocks is probably just turbo boost on a couple cores. the jumping Hz isnt really what you should look at either, it the usage, which i think you were already doing. i'd look at the fan controller in the case.
 
Yeah, I gotta figure out the fan thing, cause I thought I would have more control over all my fans. My brother-in-law who helped me build this rig kinda threw it all together pretty quickly, so I'm not entirely sure its the best way to go about things. This is what I got on my board. The CoolerMaster is on the Pump port, because we ran out of System fan ports. But there's no readings or setting in the BIOS for it (is that normal)? Also for some reason System 5 has no adjustment, even though it's identical to System 4 (both fans came with case).

System 1 = Noctua PWM 120mm top
System 2 = Noctua PWM 140mm rear
System 3 = Noctua PWM 140mm front (lower)
System 4 = Phanteks 140mm bottom
System 5 = Phanteks 140mm front (upper) - no adjustment in BIOS
Pump 1 = CoolerMaster 120mm top - no reading or adjustment in BIOS

It's also worth noting that my case came with some kind of fan module on what appears to be a chip, but since we didn't know how it worked or what it was going to do with the fans, we bypassed it. Again, this was mostly my brother-in-law flying through the build. It was Easter weekend, and we were at his house, so I wasn't going to say anything. Maybe it would be better to investigate the use of that fan chip inside the case? I do want as much "smart" fan control as possible by the board, given that this is mostly an unmanned machine.

I also have 3 more CoolerMaster 120mm fans that I haven't used (it was a 4-pack).

I'm not in front of my system, but based upon memory here's my setup with a Corsair liquid loop and 3 case fans. Well, actually 6, but I have them grouped in 2's with a connector to make sure they all fit correctly.
I leave my pump and loop cooler on the "auto" option. For my other fans I set them to "Smart Fan" DC and 35/25 50/50 70/70 and 85/100. That keeps things running pretty quiet most of the time, but with a slightly quicker ramp-up than the default settings.
 
I'm not in front of my system, but based upon memory here's my setup with a Corsair liquid loop and 3 case fans. Well, actually 6, but I have them grouped in 2's with a connector to make sure they all fit correctly.
I leave my pump and loop cooler on the "auto" option. For my other fans I set them to "Smart Fan" DC and 35/25 50/50 70/70 and 85/100. That keeps things running pretty quiet most of the time, but with a slightly quicker ramp-up than the default settings.
I did buy some Noctua Y-adapters, in case we needed them. But then it didn't seem like they would work for any of the additional fans. I assume this is what you meant by "grouped in 2's", right? They're simply wired together (in series? err parallel? I dont know which). I imagine I need to have only variables paired up with variables and the same for constant RPM/Voltage fans, right? You couldn't mix and match those fans on a splitter and get any sort of fan control. What about mixing and matching 2 different types of constant RPM fans? Like say the CoolerMaster 120mm and Phanteks 140mm on the same Y-adapter? Or should it always be identical models for spec reasons?

I actually originally had no plans to use the Phanteks, but my brother-in-law thought it would be better since they're bigger. I originally planned to replace both of them with 120mm CoolerMasters for a total of 3 Noctuas and 3 CoolerMasters. The CoolerMasters get great ratings online, but I realize that's in large part because they're $10 for 4 fans. I don't know what the Phanteks are rated or if they can even be purchased apart from the case.

I do also have room in my case for at least 2 more fans, but 1 would be partially blocked by the optical drive and the other would be mostly blocked by the HDD cage/tray. I don't honestly know if I need more anyway. It's a full-size case. I don't have a cover over the PSU. I don't have a dedicated GPU, and I'm using a stock CPU cooler/fan. So it's pretty open in there.
 
As it relates to the CPU? Or was this in reply to my other post about the fans?
oh sorry, yeah the other post.
re the above post, the splitters will have one missing pin so only one fan is providing rpm signal. the 140mm fans will probably push as much air as the 120mm just quieter will doing so.
 
Back
Top