Under-Volting FX 8320

I have had my FX-8320 for a little over a month now with only a higher multiplier to run a 4.00 Ghz and
I just noticed that these 8xxx chips ran a little on the hotside in general so i though why not undervolt it ?
I only use my CPU for games that only uses 4 cores atm so my goal is to temporary reach the same specs & cores as the FX-6300 because if I go lower I'll maybe create a bottleneck with my GPU

Can someone guide me to a safe FX-6300 transformation ? or refer me to a good tutorial ?

thanks,

I expect there are more than one mis-conception in your posted request.
1. This is OverClockers forum and not UnderClockers.

2. That board has actually been available only a few months. Interest in newer AMD products has wained considerably in this forum section. So newness and lessened interest has only brought maybe two other of that model board into the forum that have had actual postings with that board as the player.

3. Why mention safe undervoltage? It is going to be more like maintaining "stable" operation not anything concerned with safety.

4. So we have next to no representation of that board to date in this forum section and thus little visual aspects of how that bios looks and functions.

5. Go find the bios area that allows for Core Disabling. Disable one module "of" two cores. Then set multiplier to equal 200 times X (multiplier) of the FX-6300. The theory is that with two of eight cores disabled you have 6 cores in use and with the multiplier set to give the speed of the FX-6300 >> well there you have the FX-6300.

Well it does not work quite that way. It sounds awesome in theory but the less expensive motherboards do not allow for manual setting of multiplier and STILL have turbocore work. If TurboCore does not work then you have all 6 cores on at all times and that is hotter than an FX-8320 left to run as AMD designed it to run.

As for what voltage to use in an underclocked condittion, that is the same trial and error procedure as if we were trying to 'overspeed' the processor. Each cpu is different. No one is ever sure what cpu voltage will be actually needed until they begin an overclock and the same is true if you are trying to undervolt. You will have to try and apply a lower votlage and test for stability the same as if adding voltage to compensate for increased cpu speed.

In the end because of how various brands and models of board operate, slowing the standard default speeds of FX-8320 to match an FX-6300 by multiplier manipulation, may make TurboCore un-workable. That will add heat since the cores will all be on all the time. YOU will have to test that on your own board. How much Vcore, 'less' than standard voltage can allow for stable operation is a variable that each system will have to have checked at the local level by each user.

If you want FX-6300 cpu characteristics, you might actually do better to sell the FX-8320 and buy an FX-6300 and try to undervolt it. The real situation with AMD cpus is that any FX processor built or manufactured in the PileDriver series likely has been made with a default cpu voltage requirement of from 1.25V at stock speed to as high as 1.525V for some of the newer FX-9xxx cpus. That default cpu voltage is programmed into the cpu and the cpu hands off that "required" voltage number to the board at booting time. That wide variation in voltages is on a per cpu basis. What the default cpu voltage is for a cpu is not known by us. Each cpu bullt over time may have a widely varying default cpu voltage and that is where the trial and eror begins for each user. Whether he is going to overclock and need to increase cpu voltage or in the reverse methodology of trying to undervolt the cpu; only testing will tell the end outcome.

I don't doubt your project idea cannot be accomplished to some extent, but there is certainly no do A and do B and C will be the result.
RGone...

RGone said:

I expect there are more than one mis-conception in your posted request.
1. This is OverClockers forum and not UnderClockers.

Click to expand...

Sorry but that made me laugh

RGone said:

2. That board has actually been available only a few months. Interest in newer AMD products has wained considerably in this forum section. So newness and lessened interest has only brought maybe two other of that model board into the forum that have had actual postings with that board as the player.

Click to expand...

Okay

RGone said:

3. Why mention safe undervoltage? It is going to be more like maintaining "stable" operation not anything concerned with safety.

Click to expand...

With safe i mean I am stupid enough to fry my own motherboard.

RGone said:

4. So we have next to no representation of that board to date in this forum section and thus little visual aspects of how that bios looks and functions.

Click to expand...

I never knew that motherboards were that different...

RGone said:

5. Go find the bios area that allows for Core Disabling. Disable one module "of" two cores. Then set multiplier to equal 200 times X (multiplier) of the FX-6300. The theory is that with two of eight cores disabled you have 6 cores in use and with the multiplier set to give the speed of the FX-6300 >> well there you have the FX-6300.

Well it does not work quite that way. It sounds awesome in theory but the less expensive motherboards do not allow for manual setting of multiplier and STILL have turbocore work. If TurboCore does not work then you have all 6 cores on at all times and that is hotter than an FX-8320 left to run as AMD designed it to run.

As for what voltage to use in an underclocked condittion, that is the same trial and error procedure as if we were trying to 'overspeed' the processor. Each cpu is different. No one is ever sure what cpu voltage will be actually needed until they begin an overclock and the same is true if you are trying to undervolt. You will have to try and apply a lower votlage and test for stability the same as if adding voltage to compensate for increased cpu speed.

In the end because of how various brands and models of board operate, slowing the standard default speeds of FX-8320 to match an FX-6300 by multiplier manipulation, may make TurboCore un-workable. That will add heat since the cores will all be on all the time. YOU will have to test that on your own board. How much Vcore, 'less' than standard voltage can allow for stable operation is a variable that each system will have to have checked at the local level by each user.

If you want FX-6300 cpu characteristics, you might actually do better to sell the FX-8320 and buy an FX-6300 and try to undervolt it. The real situation with AMD cpus is that of any FX processor built or manufactured in the PileDriver series likely has been made with a default cpu voltage requirement of from 1.25V at stock speed to as high as 1.525V for some of the newer FX-9xxx cpus. That default cpu voltage is programmed into the cpu and the cpu hands off that "required" voltage number to the board at booting time. That wide variation in voltages is on a per cpu basis. What the default cpu voltage is for a cpu is not known by us. Each cpu bullt over time may have a widely varying default cpu voltage and that is where the trial and eror begins for each user. Whether he is going to overclock and need to increase cpu voltage or in the reverse methodology of trying to undervolt the cpu.

I don't doubt your project idea cannot be accomplished to some extent, but there is certainly no do A and do B and C will be the result.
RGone...

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, I will give it a shot.

I have waded thru about 10 "hits" on search engine and found this one link that is not so crowded with BS.

A fairly good read. They say about the same as what was said earlier in that it will be on
a by the board and cpu basis and have to be tested in each situation. They did not try to disable any cores.
The FX 8320....my journey into under-volting an 8 core.
https://secure.dslreports.com/forum/r28538906-The-FX-8320.my-journey-into-under-volting-an-8-core.

The real problem/issue is that each motherboard maker has given varying degrees of overall control of the cpu to us the user.
Some boards like my top tier CHV will allow the max cpu multiplier to be set and "still" use TurboCore. That is not the situation
in most motherboards. However following along with just cpu voltage reduction as in the link above...you will see lowered temps
at stock speeds, but they had to disable TurboCore to make the votlage adjustment and that seems less than perfect even though
they did see reduced temps.

Good luck man.
RGone...

I run my 8350 as 2,4,6, and 8 core all the time, with the clocks and voltages all over the place, it's no issue at all.
one of the games i really like was released back in 1999, one core is all it needs at 3.8.
one game, fs 10 uses 6 with a clock of 5.4, why game with 6 cores at 5.4 when 1 at 3.8 is plenty.

I've found a relatively huge difference between 3.5 and 4.2. From there the gains are negligible. We have almost the same setup, 4.2 is our "sweet spot" balancing cpu and gpu power.

I've noticed that FX or APU series don't really like undervoltage. I was able to overclock them high at standard voltage but couldn't run stable not much below stock VID which was usually ~1.35V.