Overclocking an i7-2600k with an Asrock Extreme3 Gen3 within the BIOS

[Janus67]

Check my second post: it has to do with cpu throttling.

EDIT: don't run your cpu at 1.6v, or it's going to be history before Easter.

It's fine to run at 1.5-1.6 for a short period of time as long as your temps are in check. It definitely is not OK for 24/7 use, but for benching it isn't much of an issue. I would try dropping the voltage down to 1.45-1.5 as the increased voltage was just to see what your max multi was.

It sounds like your CPU's max multi is a 52x (not uncommon). What are your temps after you are booting up? If it is dropping all the way down to 800mhz it may indeed be throttling because of temps. With my VenemousX in my benching station my temps don't get about 75-80C with it at 1.55v at 5.2ghz+

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

I noticed the temps at 5.2Ghz were around 91-93 degrees

 

[Janus67]

yeah that is far far too warm. my guess is maybe your waterblock/loop can't handle the load or there is an issue with the mount/etc.

 

[EarthDog]

Something isnt right with those temps... I can run 5.2Ghz all day long with MCR320 and PA120.2(which is more rad than you have but...), BUT I have much less volts to get there. Temps are far to high, agreed. When stress testing, I wouldnt go above mid 80s.

 

[manu2b]

^^ Didn't think about temp throttling because of your loop. My ex beloved setup was running 5.3GHz/1.61v for benches, but never went above the 80°C even under stress.

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

This is weird....I redid my loop with my old AMD 955 BE and was getting temps of 30-35 degrees running at 4.5Ghz while gaming. Before I redid my loops I was running at 40-45 degrees idling. I can check the mount again.

 

[EarthDog]

You cannot compare your old(er) AMD chip to a new(ish) Intel chip...

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

No, I was comparing how my AMD ran at certain temps until I redid my loop, and then the temps were much lower.....so I would imagine that the loop is still optimized despite now having an Intel chip

 

[manu2b]

To give you an idea:

I moved the loop that you see in my sold rig to the phenom rig.
The SB was [email protected]/1.4v/59°C max and @5.0GHz/1.49v/68°C max under prime95.
The phenom is running@4GHz/1.47v/44°C max.

Hard to compare...

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

When I tested my CPU to figure out the max multiplier, you told me to turn off certain features, like C1,C2, ect.

Should any of those features be turned on again now that I want to run constantly at 4.8Ghz?

 

[EarthDog]

Thats up to you... sometimes it causes instability, but you should be ok.

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

Anyone here runing their i7-2600k at 4.8Ghz who can tell me the vcore that works for them? I even went up to 1.55v and it wouldnt boot at 4.8Ghz

 

[EarthDog]

Did you enable PLL Override voltage?

Every chip is different so b/c mine works at 1.42, doesnt mean yours will.

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

I will have to check on the PLL overvoltage when i get home

 

[Janus67]

That is way too much vcore for 4.8ghz. Mine would do it with no problem at 1.4v.

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

You won't need a different mobo or different RAM really.

I was referring to starting at 4.5ghz to get used to using the BIOS to overclock manually. The stepping up one multi at a time until it isn't stable*. You will want to follow the directions and stop using the automatic overclock as it won't use an appropriate amount of voltage (sometimes too much sometimes too litte). Also, I wouldn't bother using the Windows-based overclocking software either as 9/10 it is bunk and just puts more load on your CPU than necessary to hinder your scores. You should be able to boot at your maximum multiplier (which I lined out above).

If you want to find your maximum multiplier:
In your BIOS/UEFI:
Turn on CPU Pll Overvoltage
Set your vcore to 1.55-1.6v
Turn off the power savings features (Speedstep/EIST, C1E, C2,C3,C6, anything that is a C-state)
Set your CPU Pll voltage to ~1.775v (more or less depending on your motherboard that value may not be one that you can type in, but one notch above or below will be fine)

Increase your multiplier one notch at a time until you get a blinking cursor after the POST screen. If you see a blinking cursor you have reached your maximum multiplier (basically a brick wall where no more voltage will help - mine is unfortunately a 52x chip, for example where 53 gives me a blinking cursor, some people are lucky enough to get 54/55/56/57/58/59(!)x chips, I wasn't, and the higher they are the more rare they are). If you can get into Windows (or at least see the Windows logo start animating) it means that the multiplier works and may just need more vcore to be stable. Of course watching your temperatures, especially during heavy threaded 2D benchmarks (Wprime1024 is a monster for putting out heat, especially with 4c/8t enabled)

I put in a new i7-2600k to see if I could get a higher multiplier, and followed your steps....but it wouldn't even boot at 4.8Ghz.....what did I do wrong? I found the multiplier to be 52 with the last chip using these steps, but the computer powers on and immediately powers off after 2-3 seconds, so i was never able to find out the multiplier...but this should at least do 5Ghz from what I hear, so is something wrong?

 

[Janus67]

do you have pll overvoltage enabled? try resetting your cmos

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

I think I did reset my CMOS, but I'll try again. Its weird....even the automated overclocker in the BIOS wont boot at 4.8Ghz(which is the max speed it will auto-OC). The automated overclocking feature in the BIOS used to always do 4.8Ghz with the other chips I've had in there.

 

[Owenator]

Are you sure your cooling is working? It sure sounds like you are hitting a thermal cutoff when it won't even post at 4.8V. Just because you turn off the sleep states(C1,C2...) and what not in BIOS there is still a failsafe thermal cutoff that would prevent the chip from cooking itself. Maybe you are hitting that.

 

[HeatM1ser2k4]

I'll see if the waterblock is on tightly and enough thermal paste in on the CPU