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cpu-z not showing proper clock speed

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rommie

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
I've done some reading on this, and have found that people either:

1) have their processor set to save power in power management
2) have c-states enabled
3) have speedstep/turboboost enabled

I've fixed all those, but still I'm getting this:
I had the exact same problem on my i7-870. If I try to overclock on this i5-4690k, it will show the correct cpu speed up to about 3.9ghz, if I go over that it insists that it's 3.5. I've had it set to 5ghz, thinking it was running at that speed, but cpu-z said otherwise. Running prime95 doesn't change what cpu z reports, I can't get it to show the "proper" clock speed at all.
 
You need Speedstep and Turbo enabled.

I was fiddling with individual core clocks (above 4ghz) and got cpu-z to display them properly - then read your message... with turbo boost and speedstep enabled, it drops it back to 3.9.
 
What does it show without load?

It actually doesn't increase at all during load.

I've found a way to get it to show 4.5 ghz:

I went into the bios and set speeds for each number of cores being used:

1 core: 4.8
2: 4.7
3: 4.6
4: 4.5

I have no idea if it's actually running at 4.5 or 4.8, but cpu z is saying 4.5. I don't intend to leave it like that until I can find some more info though.
 
I'd boot up my Extreme6 and get some screenshots for you, but there's a different review system on my stand right now.

You can take a look at my review of the Extreme6 on the front page to get an idea of what I was using though.
 
you can download most recent beta for HWM....just click on sensor only after running, and should show mhz for each core and can see what your mobo is doing.
www.hwinfo.com/beta/hw64_445_2325.zip

Also I would turn off or to max any overcurrent protection in bios.

Here we go - which one is telling the truth about the cpu speed? Prime95 isn't running in this screenshot, I did run it to see if hwmonitor would display an increased clock speed, and it didn't.

truth.png
 
when you first start hwinfo, click sensor only, so it will give you speed of each of 4 cores, like below. btw, you do have most recent bios for your mobo correct?
HWMSO.jpg
 
You are definitely running at 4.5 GHz in that screenshot. Turn off CPU-Z and HWiNFO64 and try running the XS Bench test in RealTemp. Take a screenshot of RealTemp while the benchmark is running. If your CPU turbo ratios are set to 48, 47, 46, 45 then during this test, you should see RealTemp reporting a multiplier higher than 45.

Adjusting your turbo ratios is how you overclock a 4690K. Some bios versions are a little misleading. The bios needs to set these ratios correctly within the CPU. Upload a CPU-Z report to www.pastebin.com if you have any problems with that test. I will check it to make sure your Turbo ratios are being setup correctly.
 
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You are definitely running at 4.5 GHz in that screenshot. Turn off CPU-Z and HWiNFO64 and try running the XS Bench test in RealTemp. Take a screenshot of RealTemp while the benchmark is running. If your CPU turbo ratios are set to 48, 47, 46, 45 then during this test, you should see RealTemp reporting a multiplier higher than 45.

Adjusting your turbo ratios is how you overclock a 4690K. Some bios versions are a little misleading. The bios needs to set these ratios correctly within the CPU. Upload a CPU-Z report to www.pastebin.com if you have any problems with that test. I will check it to make sure your Turbo ratios are being setup correctly.

The multiplier doesn't go above 45 when running XS bench test.

I don't mean to sound dense but what exactly are you referring to in the bios when you say turbo ratios? It almost sounds like you're referring to something other than the "per core" multiplier settings. Is the setting in one of the bios screenshots I posted?
 
I went into the bios and set speeds for each number of cores being used:

1 core: 4.8
2: 4.7
3: 4.6
4: 4.5

You said you had your CPU setup like that but I don't see that in the screen shot you posted.

It sounds like you are using the All Core option so it sets the same 45 multiplier whether 1, 2, 3 or all 4 cores are active. Most users seem to prefer this and set their Turbo multipliers up equally. If you used your original settings and your bios was working correctly then you would be seeing more than a 45 multiplier during the single thread XS Bench test.

Post some more bios screenshots of exactly how you have the OC Tweaker tab setup. Your screenshot shows you have this set to 42 but obviously now it is set to 45. Have you done any Prime 95 stability testing at this speed?
 
when you first start hwinfo, click sensor only, so it will give you speed of each of 4 cores, like below. btw, you do have most recent bios for your mobo correct?
View attachment 154706

Done - all running at 4.5. I do have the most recent bios.

hwinfo.png

You said you had your CPU setup like that but I don't see that in the screen shot you posted.

It sounds like you are using the All Core option so it sets the same 45 multiplier whether 1, 2, 3 or all 4 cores are active. Most users seem to prefer this and set their Turbo multipliers up equally. If you used your original settings and your bios was working correctly then you would be seeing more than a 45 multiplier during the single thread XS Bench test.

Post some more bios screenshots of exactly how you have the OC Tweaker tab setup. Your screenshot shows you have this set to 42 but obviously now it is set to 45. Have you done any Prime 95 stability testing at this speed?

Here we go. I know the core setup seems strange, and 48 is not a good multiplier to be running at but it's the only way I can get to 4.5 - if I use the all core option at all, then cpu-z reports that it's running at 3.5.

 
Your current setting, you are running all cores at 45, regardless of bios. Either the bios sucks (isnt straightforward) or it isnt working properly or some setting being missed (though didnt see one). I tried to look at some of reviewers settings, they had a multicore enhancement button, though that may have been taken out via bios update.

I know how gigabyte bios works and could tell you issue if GB, but never had an asrock, but your are running bios 1.3 which is the most recent non-beta. Probably need someone with same mobo to compare settings, and if it is just yours acting that way then I would redownload most recent bios and flash it again.
 
Try setting your 1, 2, 3 and 4 core Ratio Limits to 45, 45, 45, 45. The correct name for these are your Turbo Ratio Limits.

Boot up, run RealTemp and have a look in the Settings window. Make sure Disable Turbo is NOT checked. Intel CPUs need Turbo Boost enabled within the processor to go beyond the default multiplier which is 35 for a 4690K. It looks like Turbo Boost is disabled when it needs to be enabled. Make sure Turbo Boost is enabled in the bios. It might be a bug in the bios or something just not set up correctly.
 
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