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What is the difference between adaptive and offset voltage modes?

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SPL Tech

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
I've Googled it, but no one seems to actually know, they just make BS up. I've read 10 different answers. I know what offset mode is because that's how I've always overclocked in the past with my 3570k. However, what is adaptive vcore mode on the 7600k and how does it differ from offset mode?
 
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First google hit on "difference between adaptive and offset voltage"

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?52719-Offset-Mode-and-Adaptive-Mode

Yes and that exact statement contradicts itself. First it says adaptive only affects Turbo Boost mode, then it follows with saying you should use adaptive after you find your overclock. If adaptive only affects Turbo Boost, it serves absolutely no purpose to use on an overclocked rigs because Turbo Boost is disabled when you're manually overclocking, especially since a manual overclock will far exceed a Turbo Boost.
 
It doesnt contradict itself at all. Its saying, find yoyr stable voltage by using manual first. Once yoy know what the voltage is, then use the offset to get there. You can leave turbo on and overclock. ;)
 
Yes, but I think his point is that once you exceed Turbo frequency with the overclock all the cores are running at the full speed of the overclock and the Turbo effect is lost.

I would add that on some motherboards, especially some Asus boards, adaptive seems to use a lot more voltage than necessary for stability.
 
So it sounds like the way to overclock is with offset and not adaptive. Adaptive doesent sound like it serves any function for our purpose.
 
So it sounds like the way to overclock is with offset and not adaptive. Adaptive doesent sound like it serves any function for our purpose.

I think it really depends on the particular board and how it's setup and how these different technologies are implemented.

On my current ASRock motherboard, offset seems to be the smartest way to go. To get the system to boot at 4.8 ghz on manual I have to have the vcore set to higher than I'm comfortable with so I set it to stock frequency in bios and use offset mode. The actual overclock frequency and offset voltage is applied by the A Tune software once in Windows. I don't normally use overclocking software and I don't normally recommend it to others but his motherboard seems to have a quirky bios and using the A Tune utility this way works out the best.

So like I say, every motherboard model is different and it takes some experimenting to find what is best.
 
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Adaptive uses the VID of the CPU to control voltage like running stock, only with a changing the voltage to ramp to a higher level or stock if you want. All the motherboards have the same option just different names, Asus adaptive, Asrock offset, Gigabyte dynamic DVID. It is a power saving option that allows the processor to only demand Vcore according to load, multiplier, temperature. Example when running DVID +0.070 or Adaptive +1.335v then prime95 1.332v then running RealBench 1.272v.

It is real easy to set adaptive, I don't bother with manual setting of voltage first, I just go strait to adaptive/dynamic and use HWmontor to capture peak load Vcore that I like when stress testing and I'm done.
 
But how is that any different from offset? That's exactly what offset does.

I don't know all the options for EVGA. Do you have adaptive like Asus or only offset? Asus has adaptive and offset option and with those two separate options, adaptive works off the VID and multiplier then offset works off the scaling of the multiplier only on Asus.

Gigabyte has Dynamic DVID that works off the VID and multiplier.
 
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I dont have an Evga mobo, I have an MSI one. I have adaptive, offset, manual, auto, and then a few others like manual + adaptive and manual + offset, whatever the heck those two are.
 
Since different manufactures may implement these technologies differently on different boards you may just have to experiment to see what gives you the best combination of low voltage/low temps and stability. Or, you could contact MSI and ask your question to get a more specific answer.
 
I dont have an Evga mobo, I have an MSI one. I have adaptive, offset, manual, auto, and then a few others like manual + adaptive and manual + offset, whatever the heck those two are.
Adaptive + offset works off of the VID with a offset voltage specified by you. Override + offset allows you to set the voltage and offset voltage.
MSI Z270 SLI PLUS
MSI Z270 Voltage Mode.JPG
 
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