Intel Core i5-2500k OC - Help a Newb (LGA1155, P8Z68-V LX v4105)

[Tech Tweaker]

Hi People,

I hope someone can give me some easy directions. I have been poking at the BIOS settings on my ASUS LGA1155 with BIOS P8Z68-V LX version 4105 but so far the 'BCLK' set to 100 and 'BY ALL CORES' set to 45 won't stick. Video's I have seen on youtube don't help as the bios version in the vids are a little different. BCLK always reverts to 103 and BY ALL CORES drops to 42. Not sure how to get them to stick. Please be gentle to this old newb. Let me know what info and screen shots that I can provide if it will help sort this out.

Thanks,
LarmanW

I recently (two weeks ago) had this same problem on my Asus P8Z68-V Pro when I pulled it out to test and it would select (on its own) 103MHz BCLK and run at what I think was 42x on all cores. In my case I discovered that the TPU (Turbo Progress Unit) switch was enabled and was automatically overclocking my CPU. Once I disabled that, my board's BIOS functions returned to normal and it wasn't auto-overclocking itself anymore.

On your board this TPU switch is at the bottom of the board to the left of the USB 2.0 headers, and should have a green light on next to the switch if TPU is enabled.

 

[LarmanW]

I recently (two weeks ago) had this same problem on my Asus P8Z68-V Pro when I pulled it out to test and it would select (on its own) 103MHz BCLK and run at what I think was 42x on all cores. In my case I discovered that the TPU (Turbo Progress Unit) switch was enabled and was automatically overclocking my CPU. Once I disabled that, my board's BIOS functions returned to normal and it wasn't auto-overclocking itself anymore.

On your board this TPU switch is at the bottom of the board to the left of the USB 2.0 headers, and should have a green light on next to the switch if TPU is enabled.

I found the TPU switch but the light was off. Switch position was to the left on the switch.

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First, you have to know what temp is actually being reported. "CPU" often refers to a sensor in the socket area that is heavily influenced by VRM temp, which is often higher than actual processor core temps. The two temp terms that are more indicative of what is actually happening with the processor are "package temp" ( a measure of the temp somewhere under the lid of the processor" and "core temp" which refers to the processor cores. Another important temp is the "VRMOS" or just MOS which reports the temps of the "mosfets", one of the three components which make up the Voltate Regulation Module, and the one that really is the only one of the three components of the VRM you have to worry about as they can blow if they get too hot.

If I were you, I would download and install the free program "HWInfo64" which gives you much more information than the ones you are currently using.

I finally got the HWINFO64 installed and have a couple of questions. First, it is showing my memory speed as 800MHz but I think it should be 1600MHz. What would cause that? Second, to improve airflow a bit, would it be OK to move the two UDIMMs from slots closest to the CPU to the two furthest slots? Would it be helpful to post the HWInfo summary or any other details?

If I can move the memory out of the way, I think I could optionally move the fan on the Cooler Master to the other side of the heat sink. Would that possibly help? I can also redo the thermal paste, even though it was new - maybe it is not covering things correctly.

 

[trents]

All reporting utilities that I know of will report the memory frequency at half of what you expect because it is reporting the base frequency, not the DDR (Double Data Rate) frequency. Just do the math: 2x.

As far as moving the memory to the furthest slots, you can try it but it may cause the system to be more unstable. Many motherboards require certain slots to be populated first when not all are used. Check the manual for the board. With some coolers you can just slide the an up a little in order to clear memory modules. Depends on how the fans are attached to the cooler.

As far as case air flow goes, air should be moving from front to back/top. That means the front panel fans should be pushing fresh, cool air toward the back and the fans at the rear and top rear should be expelling it to the outside.

 

[LarmanW]

All reporting utilities that I know of will report the memory frequency at half of what you expect because it is reporting the base frequency, not the DDR (Double Data Rate) frequency. Just do the math: 2x.

As far as moving the memory to the furthest slots, you can try it but it may cause the system to be more unstable. Many motherboards require certain slots to be populated first when not all are used. Check the manual for the board. With some coolers you can just slide the an up a little in order to clear memory modules. Depends on how the fans are attached to the cooler.

As far as case air flow goes, air should be moving from front to back/top. That means the front panel fans should be pushing fresh, cool air toward the back and the fans at the rear and top rear should be expelling it to the outside.

That might be my problem! I don't have a fan on the front panel. I took the front panel off and all the device covers have a foam filter on them. Should those be left on? I will look into getting a fan for the front. Any suggestions regarding a good fan to get?

 

[trents]

Dust filters always reduce air flow. If you only have one fan then likely it would be best to have it in the back close to the CPU cooler and the VRM. If you add another fan then it's a good idea to get one that pushes more air than the one in the rear. That will help to keep dust down as it has the effect of creating positive internal air pressure. That tends to make the dust settle out before it gets deep into the interior of the case since it encounters resistance. So when choosing another fan for the front, look up the CFM specs of the existing one and then get a fan that exceeds that to some extent. The cheapest fans have sleeve bearings but the bearings tend to wear out rather quickly. Better is double ball bearing and better still is some kind of hydro bearing as far as longevity goes. Another consideration is noise. Generally speaking, the more air a fan moves, the louder it will be. But "noisy" varies greatly from person to person and what the background noise caused by other components in the system is or even background noise in the room such as air conditioners. A noisy fan suddenly becomes inaudible when the furnace or the AC turns on.

Another variable is 3 pin vs. 4 pin fans. Three pin fans are going to run at a constant speed whereas 4 pin fans will ramp up and down according to temps if they are connected to a 4 pin motherboard header. This is called PWM (pulse widith modulation) technology. But 3 pin fans are cheaper. So PWM fans give you the best of both worlds: quiet most of the time but move a lot of air when you need it. Does your motherboard have any four pin fan headers?

I find the Arctic hydro bearing fans to give a lot of bang for the buck. This is a great price on a pack of 5 120mm PWM hydro bearing fans: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-ACFAN...c+Cooling+120mm+PWM+fan&qid=1586290789&sr=8-3

 

[LarmanW]

Dust filters always reduce air flow. If you only have one fan then likely it would be best to have it in the back close to the CPU cooler and the VRM. If you add another fan then it's a good idea to get one that pushes more air than the one in the rear. That will help to keep dust down as it has the effect of creating positive internal air pressure. That tends to make the dust settle out before it gets deep into the interior of the case since it encounters resistance. So when choosing another fan for the front, look up the CFM specs of the existing one and then get a fan that exceeds that to some extent. The cheapest fans have sleeve bearings but the bearings tend to wear out rather quickly. Better is double ball bearing and better still is some kind of hydro bearing as far as longevity goes. Another consideration is noise. Generally speaking, the more air a fan moves, the louder it will be. But "noisy" varies greatly from person to person and what the background noise caused by other components in the system is or even background noise in the room such as air conditioners. A noisy fan suddenly becomes inaudible when the furnace or the AC turns on.

Another variable is 3 pin vs. 4 pin fans. Three pin fans are going to run at a constant speed whereas 4 pin fans will ramp up and down according to temps if they are connected to a 4 pin motherboard header. This is called PWM (pulse widith modulation) technology. But 3 pin fans are cheaper. So PWM fans give you the best of both worlds: quiet most of the time but move a lot of air when you need it. Does your motherboard have any four pin fan headers?

I find the Arctic hydro bearing fans to give a lot of bang for the buck. This is a great price on a pack of 5 120mm PWM hydro bearing fans: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-ACFAN...c+Cooling+120mm+PWM+fan&qid=1586290789&sr=8-3

You are a wealth of knowledge. Thanks trents! I ordered those fans and expected to come on Friday. I have room for 4 fans per the case doc. Two on the bottom, one on side and another on the front - assuming that there is clearance. In any case, I should be able to at least add the front and side ones which should be a massive help.

 

[trents]

You are certainly welcome. Your motherboard has two four pin fan headers so you should be able to go into bios and set curves for those two new fans when they come. Setting fan curves involves establishing fan ramp up temp points so that when the system is not working hard the fans run slower and quieter. It can be a little bit of a tedious process because the speed % values usually don't jive with reality. By that I mean if you set the fan curve at say 50% at a given temp it's not likely the fan will actually be rotating at half of full speed. It's a lot of trial and error.

 

[Zerileous]

I can second those fans, they are great case fans. Looking at your case you'll want to balance having intake fans on the front and exhaust on the back and top. I wouldn't worry much about the bottom. You can also leave the GPU fan in place. Right now the only air getting to the CPU cooler has already been warmed by the GPU. Additionally you could experiment with using a bottom exhaust to help pull air away from the GPU (only since you have a side panel fan), but it could also end up just exhausting cool air from the front panel.

 

[Zuzzz]

I found the TPU switch but the light was off. Switch position was to the left on the switch.

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I finally got the HWINFO64 installed and have a couple of questions. First, it is showing my memory speed as 800MHz but I think it should be 1600MHz. What would cause that? Second, to improve airflow a bit, would it be OK to move the two UDIMMs from slots closest to the CPU to the two furthest slots? Would it be helpful to post the HWInfo summary or any other details?

If I can move the memory out of the way, I think I could optionally move the fan on the Cooler Master to the other side of the heat sink. Would that possibly help? I can also redo the thermal paste, even though it was new - maybe it is not covering things correctly.

Im not sure how you mean the memory slots but those memory sticks should be placed in either slots 1-3 or 2-4. That board is not fussy about which slots get filled. I have one. If you place both memory sticks next to each other on an Intel board you will loose Dual-Channel functionality and thus the system will be slow.

Z

 

[EarthDog]

Im not sure how you mean the memory slots but those memory sticks should be placed in either slots 1-3 or 2-4. That board is not fussy about which slots get filled. I have one. If you place both memory sticks next to each other on an Intel board you will loose Dual-Channel functionality and thus the system will be slow.

Z

Follow what the manual says as to which slots... 1/3 or 2/4. It should be 2/4 first (though both will likely work... it doesn't always so it is best to follow the manual). Zuzzz is correct if you install 1/2 or 3/4, you lose dual channel capabilities.

 

[LarmanW]

Im not sure how you mean the memory slots but those memory sticks should be placed in either slots 1-3 or 2-4. That board is not fussy about which slots get filled. I have one. If you place both memory sticks next to each other on an Intel board you will loose Dual-Channel functionality and thus the system will be slow.

Z

got it. Thanks.

 

[LarmanW]

Update ... Got the fans next day shipping - that was a surprise. I installed one in front, one on floor, one side and one top. I also redid the thermal paste, though it did look ok before I replaced it. I switched the fan on the Cooler Master to blow towards the memory which I moved to 2-4. Also removed a couple of unused cables and moved the rest out of the main air space. Still seems warm at current settings. Wondering if I need to blow the fans in or out. Might that make a difference?

It is still running at 42MHz - shouldn't it be a bit cooler than ~52c?

I will attempt to post my images.

 

[Zuzzz]

I would definitely pick a direction for the fans. Perhaps the front and bottom fans blow cooler air into the case and the back and top fans push warm air out. That does seeem a bit warm for 4.2gHz, but yes you need a good air flow into and out of the case.

Z

 

[Zerileous]

You'll want the fan on the CPU cooler blowing out, towards the back of the case. Don't think of it as blowing air on specific components, but rather overall flow of air through the case. What are you using to load the CPU? Did we decrease from 70c to 53c under load just by adding case fans? If so that's quite a success! Or are those idle temps that dropped by 5c? That doesn't tell us a whole lot. But switch the fan back and see.

Your motherboard manual suggests placing the memory in the blue slots for 2 DIMMs.

Just going off the guide and reading the manual, here are my suggestions. First have you tried internal PLL overvoltage enabled?

First step I would suggest is to start fresh by clearing the CMOS. You already mentioned that TPU was switched to off, but you could go ahead and cycle the switch once before clearing the CMOS to make sure it's off. (left is off). To clear the CMOS reference section 1.9 page 1-26 in the copy of the manual that I downloaded from the ASUS support page (PDF page 38).

After clearing the CMOS to into advanced and set AI Overclock Tuner to Manual, make sure the BCLK is set to 100. Go ahead and try setting the turbo ratio to 45. Internal PLL Overvoltage enabled. Set CPU voltage to 1.35v. If it only allows you to set an offset voltage, than you can try +0.05 (since your vcore is reading 1.31v in speedfan. You can also go ahead and program your memory speed/timing/voltage per the guide. As was suggested earlier, HWiNFO64 will help us tell how the VRM is doing and probably give a more reliable indication of vcore.

Under CPU Power Management you should be able to disable speed step. You might have to try adjusting both of them. Also enable Load-Line Calibration here.

Over to the advanced tab, CPU Config has a C1, C3 and C6 that you can disable. Another option to disable speed step here, make sure its disabled in both menus.

If that doesn't work, then try disabling turbo mode (in all 3 menus) and setting a manual core ratio either in the CPU config tab or CPU power Management tab or both.

If you get to a point where the PC will not post or will not boot, clear the CMOS and start over with a lower clock. You might have to play around with it a bit.

You can also witch this video,

, but ignore everything he says about BCLK.

 

[trents]

Here's a good picture of how case air flow should be. If case fans are all pushing air into the case they oppose each other. In that scenario you are not exhausting the warmed air coming off of hot components and the temp just builds up. You would be trying to cool with air that is already warm. "Spot" fans can be helpful to cool individual components but you still cannot dispense with good airflow in and out of the case. Fans are designed such that the "spoke" side of the fan frame is the exhaust side. So the fans in the front of the case should have their spoke side facing the rear of the case and the fans in the top and rear should have their spoke side facing to the inside outside of the case. Many fans also have an arrow on the frame indicating the direction of air flow, in case my explanation is confusing.

 

[Zerileous]

I think you meant to say the fans in the top and rear have their spoke side facing the top and rear.

 

[trents]

Yes, I didn't mean to say what I wrote. Thanks, I'll correct that.

 

[EarthDog]

Yikes.

To add to what these guys said...


Front/side = intake
Top/rear = exhaust.

AirFLOW is the key.


All intake isnt as effective as having somewhat of a balance between exhaust and intake (always a debate - I prefer more exhaust cfm to intake). But all intake will simply push air out through wherever.

 

[LarmanW]

I would definitely pick a direction for the fans. Perhaps the front and bottom fans blow cooler air into the case and the back and top fans push warm air out. That does seeem a bit warm for 4.2gHz, but yes you need a good air flow into and out of the case.

Z

Those are the directions I picked. I think I will put the Cooler Master fan back to original position to blow the air towards the back. I just checked the back fan is blowing air in (that was the original fan). I think I will switch that one up also and see how that works out.

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Here's a good picture of how case air flow should be. If case fans are all pushing air into the case they oppose each other. In that scenario you are not exhausting the warmed air coming off of hot components and the temp just builds up. You would be trying to cool with air that is already warm. "Spot" fans can be helpful to cool individual components but you still cannot dispense with good airflow in and out of the case. Fans are designed such that the "spoke" side of the fan frame is the exhaust side. So the fans in the front of the case should have their spoke side facing the rear of the case and the fans in the top and rear should have their spoke side facing to the inside outside of the case. Many fans also have an arrow on the frame indicating the direction of air flow, in case my explanation is confusing.

The fans that I purchased do have arrows to indicate the direction of flow rotation, so that part is easy. Store that built my computer did not worry much about airflow as the rear fan is intake. Also at the time it only had the power supply fan and rear intake fan.

 

[Zuzzz]

Those are the directions I picked. I think I will put the Cooler Master fan back to original position to blow the air towards the back. I just checked the back fan is blowing air in (that was the original fan). I think I will switch that one up also and see how that works out.

Yes you will want the CPU fan blowing out the back of the case. After getting the fans in order see if temps drop some. I do still think idle in the high 40/50's is too warm. My 2600K doesnt idle about 35ish. And that hog has hyper-threading enabled.

Z