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Help Needed Overclocking FX8350 on Asus Sabretooth 990FX R2.0

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Zorton_Maverick

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Location
Ireland
Hey All,
Well, some time back I was fortunate enough to get help from some of the good folks here (Johan45, RGone, Ajay57, etc).
Anyhow, they helped me pick out some new parts with the intention of attempting to overclock my CPU in the future.
Long story short, got busy and never got around to trying to OC my CPU.

Well, I am back and looking for help.
I have updated my signature with my latest build.

Where do I start ??
Help and thanks in advance.
Z
 
Establish a stock speed 'baseline' for reference...

...This is what we need to see for sure and a real good starting point.

Normally during setup and testing we disable C1/E, C6, Cool N Quiet, APM, TurboCore and in windows performance manager itself we set to "performance" mode. ALSO if you have HPC in bios you would ENABLE it. That way there are not "other" settings messing with the overclocking process. Some of those settings are not available on all models of cpu but where in evidence we disable for setup of overclock process.

CPU Tab in CPUz from CPUID com
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Memory Tab in CPUz from CPUID com
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SPD Tab in CPUz from CPUID com
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And this is screen capture of HWMonitor (free version) from CPUID com
HWMonitor has been scrolled enough and large enough to show Min/Max of Voltages and includes the CPU CORE TEMPS / "package" temps fully visible. Latest versions of HWMonitor show the CPU Core Temp as " a Package Temp" and is only shown as a single temp since there were never multple, individual core temp sensors anyway.

This capture is made of HWMonitor after it has been open and running on the desktop logging Min/Max temps and voltages while Prime 95 was running Blend Mode test on all cores for at least 20 mins and then the capture of HWMonitor was made and it shows the Min/Max temps and voltages before P95 Blend was started and while running P95 Blend mode and gives much greater insight into how the system is performing without guessing.

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In order to attach screenshots of INDIVIDUAL images as suggested, first crop and capture the images with Snipping Tool found in Windows Accessories or equivalent. Then click on Go Advanced, a button at the bottom of every new post window. Then click on the little paperclip tool at the top of the Advanced post window when it opens. Clicking on the paperclip tool brings up the file browser/upload tool and the rest is fairly obvious.
 
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Hi Bob4933,
Thanks for the link.
I watched the following tutorial --
Have followed his instructions and is OC'd at 4.5 at the moment.
On rebooting, first thing I noticed is the sound from my Noctua NH-D15...it's now audible.

These are my 1st images at idle of Temps
 

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Please tell me thats not 1.5volts! You should be around 1.35-1.4v @ 4.5ghz. If it needs 1.5 volts theres probably some other stuff going on.
 
You're supposed to start low, not jump high haha.

1.5 is pretty extreme if you're not clocking with high water cooling.

Start at your stock clock and work your way up, reset your bios and start over imo. You may be able to get close to 4.5 on your STOCK voltage!

edit: clear your schedule, this process can take HOURS, gotta be patient with it.

edit 2: that guy is an idiot... you don't start at 1.5 and work your way down. He was using Heaven (?!?!) to test his CPU... this vid you posted is pretty bad. NOT your fault! (he's pretty convincing xD) Use the vid I posted. No reason to go "down" thats ridiculous.
 
Ok mate.
Will watch your video but reduced the Voltage to 1.4 and seems to be ok..
Anyhow, will reset, watch the link you provided and start over.

The reason I liked that video I linked is due to the fact that it has my exact mobo so was super easy to follow... lol
 
Food for thought here. At the same frequency, check out my voltages

volttemp45_zps531cc5f5.png


Ok mate.
Will watch your video but reduced the Voltage to 1.4 and seems to be ok..
Anyhow, will reset, watch the link you provided and start over.

The reason I liked that video I linked is due to the fact that it has my exact mobo so was super easy to follow... lol



No worries! Its confusing. Its only good if the guy knows what he's doing... I run a similar setup to you (need to update my sig haha), and that first video is entirely relevant.
 
Ok - reset everything and the silence is deafening.
My baseline default settings are as follows (Stock)
 

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good. start with rgone's post and use that vid for reference.

Make sure you are using prime95 to test the cpu, not uningine (a gpu stress tester).

Lot of debate for the exact process, but what works for ME is the following->

- start with baseline
- disable c&q, and those other cpu limiting functions
- start clocking up from your stock clock. Pretty safe to go to say, 4.2ghz and test.
- to test I run intel burn test at ultra high for 1 test. If system doesnt freeze, I run p95 for 10 minutes
- if it fails, I add a bit of cpu voltage and repeat the process.


With an nh-d15, and a gtx 660 ti I would personally shoot for 4.7ghz. If you get to 4.7 and you have tons of room to breath, I would still think about what you need vs what you can do. 4.7 is PLENTY for anything.

Once you get to your target, then run p95 for 1-2 hours. I run for 3 cycles (takes a bit over an hour) and that has worked for me, never had a crash from that. If temps stay around 65c, youre golden.


Our chips dont play well with kingston ram for some reason, so try to keep your ram at the stock timings and frequency.
 
Ok, watched the vid twice.
Followed his instructions to the letter, bar the "Extreme Tweaking" option as don't seem to have that on my Mobo.
Started by changing 200 to 220 for 1st test and ran Prime95 for 20+ minutes.
Here are the results...

Going to save that OC profile and then hit the sack. Will play around with it again tomorrow.
Thanks for all your help mate.
 

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Morning All,
It's 1.05am here so no plans on staying up late.
Just wanted to apologies for approaching this all wrong.
Spent time reading through Batica's thread from last year where RGone and Johan45 helped him through the process - http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=734249
Also read through RGone's post at http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7430465&postcount=28

There is way more to all this then I imagined so will leave it till the weekend and start over. Just downloaded and installed Core Temp as welll as Speed Fan - thus have another 2 small tools to familiarise myself with.
Once I get started this weekend, I will post information and look for help. The more I read the documentation, the more familiar the terms become but the more complicated it seems.
Many Thanks for your patience..
Z
 
good, take your time, go slow and read a lot, lots of buttons to push and knobs to twist with amd, that's what make it more fun than intel!!!
 
Ok, watched the vid twice.
Followed his instructions to the letter, bar the "Extreme Tweaking" option as don't seem to have that on my Mobo.
Started by changing 200 to 220 for 1st test and ran Prime95 for 20+ minutes.
Here are the results...

Going to save that OC profile and then hit the sack. Will play around with it again tomorrow.
Thanks for all your help mate.



Can you open cpu-z twice so we can see the Memory tab on there as well.
 
@Z_M...personally and for forum use since we need to remain on the same page of the nearly 3 year old FX-book, Core Temp and SpeedFan are unknowns and un-necessary for posting. In general we have helped probably 1,000s of users with FX processors and keeping to the 'knowns' of HWMonitor and three (3) tabs of CPUz.

That keeps it to where we all are using a 'known given' for reading temps and voltages. We have watched HWMonitor and CPUz as they have gone thru updates for almost 3 years now with the discrete AMD FX processors. We are more readily able to correllate the various CPU/Socket temps as they change from some mobo's to others.

Now if in your own personal use of programs you want to calibrate and understand which voltage of which "other" application corresponds to the HWMonitor temps and voltages that we say are good to go as time goes on...then go for it. Not a problem since we don't have to see it and do any correllation work. CoreTemp if not mistaken gives only the "core temp" as its' name implies and does not give the CPU/Socket temp which is also necessary to know when FX cpu is in use and especially as loaded and overclocked.

So why is the CPU/Socket temp of such importance as well? Good question. Because those of us doing the 'thing' for a while can just about tell how warm our VRM is getting by the temp value of the CPU/Socket temp. The cheaper boards in order to protect themselves will also take a look at CPU/Socket temp and throttle back to avoid burning up the VRM circuit.

Yes oh yes, there seems a lot to learn and know, and it is for that reason that we most often suggest staying with the 'knowns' like HWMonitor and CPUz in the three tabs. Once where you can go and where you can remain with stability...well then you can blaze your own trail. An effort to stay within the known criteria is why you see most any post I put up is done the same way over and over and over. And I seldom ever show my desktop since I want all coming in later times, to see only what we have found valuable over the extended time.

Yes this was long but every so often we need to just spell out what it is that we have done that has worked over time for the many and kept it where any one of us can come in and look at a post and know the more valuable information. Luck man.
RGone...ster.
 
Hey all,
Thanks for the posts. Like I said, I did a boo-boo and so will follow a logical, slow and correct procedure.
In work at the moment (working 1pm till 10pm each day this week) and won't be home till going on 23.30 - thus it's a little late to start attempting overclocking.
However, as I have now reset my BIOS back to default settings, I will take screenshots off everything at Stock Base level (HwMonitor, CPU-Z (all necessary tabs)) and will post tonight.
That will be my main post going forward in attempting to overclock my system.
The hope then will be that I will have plenty of free time this weekend to change the settings as is needed and to test and re-test.

@caddi daddi - yep, that's certainly the approach I an going to take going forward.

@ShrimpBrime - I certainly will mate. But as stated, going to post the tabs based on stock to get a base to work from. Want to make sure I am methodical and don't jump the gun again.

@RGone - cheers for the post mate. The reason I installed Core Temp was based on a request from you in the Battica O/C thread looking for the Core VID figure?? I will read through it again today at some stage but that is my recollection.
I installed Speed Fan based on the Youtube vid I was directed to but have no real use for it. I had one small issue which I resolved last night. My Noctua Industrialppc 140mm 2000rpm (PWM) fan was running at 100% speed (1980rpm) and sounded like a hoover. I just installed it replacing the back exhaust fan in my HAF 932 case.
Anyhow, I couldn't find how to control it's speed and assumed due to it being PWM, my motherboard would adjust the speed as needed based on temps. That was not the case.
Long story short - I changed the connection to CHA_FAN4, then went into the BIOS and enabled QC Fan Control. Then I installed the Asus Suite II and changed the setting to manual and reduced the speed to 55% (1200rpm) and now the system is silent again.
I will adhere to using the HWMonitor and CPU-Z tools as instructed and as stated will post those base figures tonight.
BTW, thank you for the informative posts and help even at this early stage.

@Johan45 - good to hear from you again. Think it must be nearly a year since I was last here looking to upgrade and then getting into the idea of Overclocking (which I never did in the end). Since we last spoke, I have changed cases, RAM, Cooler, Drives, etc. Happy with my current setup and only thing I have left to upgrade is my GPU - which will be a GTX880 later this year.
Anyhow, I will read through that link you posted - I think it may be the guide you pointed me to initially when we spoke last year?
I intend on reading thorough Oldie_1965 thread as well as there seems to be a lot of good information there as well.

Ok, best be off as I am in work. Many thanks.
Z
 
I didn't realize it had been that long but I recognized the handle right off. Welcome back.
Reading never hurts when it comes to this Zorton. It's best to be prepared, makes for less surprises.
 
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