I would like to start this thread so that everyone is aware what kind of a little evil hyper threading is. Here is the hardware I am using:
3930k @ 5.0 Ghz
Asus RIVE
Corsair Dominator Platinum 2400 Mhz 16 GB (4 x 4 GB)
Samsung 840 Pro 512 GB
Evga GTX 680 4 GB
Corsair AX1200i
Case-labs
3 x 480 Black Ice SR1
EK-D5 Dual top
EK Supremacy
Heatkiller GTX 680
Monsoon fittings all around
Noiseblocker eloop fans
First things first, I don't have the best OC chip in the world. It's certainly not bad, and I'd say its above average, but not the best. I can do stock 3.8 Ghz with 1.095 vcore if that tells you anything. My main goal for building this rig was to have a 24/7 "quiet" PC that would be pushed to its limits. I wanted to hit 5.0 Ghz at any cost and keep it that way for as long as it goes.
As I put everything together and started OCing, I suddenly realized that to get to 5.0 Ghz, I would have to hit some crazy vcore numbers. No matter what I did, the heat would build up and the voltages I had to use were very high. Fast forward a few weeks, I suddenly realized that I never bothered to turn hyper threading off. It's something no games I play benefit from in fact, it hurts them (FSX and BF3).
To my surprise, turning hyper threading off made a massive difference. Not only my temps went down (13-14C difference!), my voltages went down as well. And strangely enough, my FPS in BF3 increased! The data below will speak for itself:
Hyper threading on (these numbers are Prime95 stable)
4.8 Ghz :
vcore : 1.495 (load 1.516)
vtt : 1.375
vccsa : 1.375
llc : high
power phase : 150%
dram : 1.67
bclk : 100
multi : 48
RAM : 2400
Timings : 10-12-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 : 78C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 66C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 62C (Average)
5.0 Ghz :
vcore : 1.585 (load 1.607)
vtt : 1.4
vccsa : 1.4
llc : high
power phase : 180%
dram : 1.68
bclk : 100
multi : 50
RAM : 2400
Timings : 10-12-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 : 86C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 72C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 66C (Average)
FPS in BF3 : Mostly in 50s, with sudden dips to 30s.
Hyper threading off (these numbers are Prime95 stable)
4.8 Ghz :
vcore : 1.450 (load 1.464)
vtt : 1.0
vccsa : 1.0
llc : high
power phase : 150%
dram : 1.65
bclk : 100
multi : 48
RAM : 2400
Timings : 9-11-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 : 64C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 55C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 50C (Average)
5.0 Ghz :
vcore : 1.515 (load 1.536)
vtt : 1.2
vccsa : 1.2
llc : high
power phase : 150%
dram : 1.65
bclk : 100
multi : 50
RAM : 2400
Timings : 9-11-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 :70C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 59C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 52C (Average)
FPS in BF3 : Mostly in 60s, sometimes in 50s, but the dip is not sudden and the numbers are smooth.
Conclusion:
* Voltages were dropped by a huge difference.
* Temperatures were down by 13-14C
* VTT/VCSSA and other motherboard settings are a lot lower (I could do 1.0 VTT in 4.8 Ghz!!!!)
* Ram timings were a lot tighter (I can do 9 tCAS at 5.0 Ghz! with 2400 Mhz ram)
* BF3 FPS increased
3930k @ 5.0 Ghz
Asus RIVE
Corsair Dominator Platinum 2400 Mhz 16 GB (4 x 4 GB)
Samsung 840 Pro 512 GB
Evga GTX 680 4 GB
Corsair AX1200i
Case-labs
3 x 480 Black Ice SR1
EK-D5 Dual top
EK Supremacy
Heatkiller GTX 680
Monsoon fittings all around
Noiseblocker eloop fans
First things first, I don't have the best OC chip in the world. It's certainly not bad, and I'd say its above average, but not the best. I can do stock 3.8 Ghz with 1.095 vcore if that tells you anything. My main goal for building this rig was to have a 24/7 "quiet" PC that would be pushed to its limits. I wanted to hit 5.0 Ghz at any cost and keep it that way for as long as it goes.
As I put everything together and started OCing, I suddenly realized that to get to 5.0 Ghz, I would have to hit some crazy vcore numbers. No matter what I did, the heat would build up and the voltages I had to use were very high. Fast forward a few weeks, I suddenly realized that I never bothered to turn hyper threading off. It's something no games I play benefit from in fact, it hurts them (FSX and BF3).
To my surprise, turning hyper threading off made a massive difference. Not only my temps went down (13-14C difference!), my voltages went down as well. And strangely enough, my FPS in BF3 increased! The data below will speak for itself:
Hyper threading on (these numbers are Prime95 stable)
4.8 Ghz :
vcore : 1.495 (load 1.516)
vtt : 1.375
vccsa : 1.375
llc : high
power phase : 150%
dram : 1.67
bclk : 100
multi : 48
RAM : 2400
Timings : 10-12-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 : 78C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 66C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 62C (Average)
5.0 Ghz :
vcore : 1.585 (load 1.607)
vtt : 1.4
vccsa : 1.4
llc : high
power phase : 180%
dram : 1.68
bclk : 100
multi : 50
RAM : 2400
Timings : 10-12-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 : 86C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 72C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 66C (Average)
FPS in BF3 : Mostly in 50s, with sudden dips to 30s.
Hyper threading off (these numbers are Prime95 stable)
4.8 Ghz :
vcore : 1.450 (load 1.464)
vtt : 1.0
vccsa : 1.0
llc : high
power phase : 150%
dram : 1.65
bclk : 100
multi : 48
RAM : 2400
Timings : 9-11-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 : 64C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 55C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 50C (Average)
5.0 Ghz :
vcore : 1.515 (load 1.536)
vtt : 1.2
vccsa : 1.2
llc : high
power phase : 150%
dram : 1.65
bclk : 100
multi : 50
RAM : 2400
Timings : 9-11-11-31-2
Temperature Prime95 :70C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (FSX) : 59C (Average)
Temperature Gaming (BF3) : 52C (Average)
FPS in BF3 : Mostly in 60s, sometimes in 50s, but the dip is not sudden and the numbers are smooth.
Conclusion:
* Voltages were dropped by a huge difference.
* Temperatures were down by 13-14C
* VTT/VCSSA and other motherboard settings are a lot lower (I could do 1.0 VTT in 4.8 Ghz!!!!)
* Ram timings were a lot tighter (I can do 9 tCAS at 5.0 Ghz! with 2400 Mhz ram)
* BF3 FPS increased