Still kinda new looking for advice.

[I3lackCat777]

Ok still pretty new to the whole OC'ing scene but I think I've got what I want out of my CPU but I'm looking for other opinions and have a question of my own. I've slowly moved up and up to 4.7GHz on my Fx-4170 chip, did this by just adjusting the multiplier and the voltage. I've got it to run stable in Prime95 for 1hour (I know I need to do a longer test on it to get a 100% stable answer, but I feel pretty good with it).

My question is the voltage in CPU-Z and HWmonitor read different under full load than what they are set. My BIOS cpu voltage is 1.45 which is a little high from what I've read, the only reason I've put it up that high is while running prime95 CPU-Z and HWmonitor show 1.4v - 1.392v. I've read some about vdroop or vdrop but not sure I get it.

Does this mean I could go a little farther with the overclock or should I stop?

Just kinda wanna make sure this is a safe OC to keep and wont drastically shorten the lifespan of my CPU.

AMD FX-4170 - CPU
Asrock 970 Extreme 3 - Motherboard
Idol temps are 32C - 33C
Load temp is 55C

Let me know if you would like any more info.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[trents]

Yep, you're getting some vdrop (voltage falls off at idle) and vdroop (voltage fall off under load) and that's perfectly normal to an extent. Do you have LLC (Load Line Calibration)? If you have that tool in bios you can use it to offset vdrop and vdroop.

If you're at 4.7 on 1.45 vcore in bios with vdroop thrown into the mix that is really very good. Core temps and CPU socket temps are more important than vcore to a point. If temps are good don't worry to much. Is the "load temp" you quote a CPU socket temp or a core temp? 60c for core and 70c for socket are safe limits for the FX CPUs. What cooler are you using?

 

[RGone]

LLC (Load Line Calibration)? you can use it to offset vdroop. As the name implies, it adjusts for loaded Vcore fall-off.

 

[I3lackCat777]

yes my motherboard does have LLC, I'm pretty sure it's enabled by default.
Cooler right now is http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103100

And the temps are readings from speed fan as well as they sync up with HWmonitor as CPUTIN

And I'm not sure how to get a real core reading on this chip, seems the FX series has an issue with that or something (not sure). But at idol temps for the CPU the core temps are ridicuously low on a few different monitoring softwares, like 9C and around that area which can not be correct.

So more on this LLC should I keep it on or disable and adjust the voltage to a stable state that way? If it is on, I'll do a quick reboot and re post to let you guys know.

Thanks for the replies

 

[I3lackCat777]

ok actually its on auto.
And to the side it says.
Set LLC = Disabled for AM3+
Set LLC = Enabled for AM3

I'm guessing go ahead and set it to enabled?


Another question I have is I read a lot of people disabling cool & quite and c1, c6 states. So far I've not touched that so should I and why would I want to touch them or not touch them?

 

[trents]

I have no idea why they would tell you to disable the LLC for AM3+ and enable it for AM3. Never seen that one before. Try enabling it and see if it affects the vdrop and vdroop. Your cooler isn't the greatest and may limit your overclock but it is what it is. What is the make and model of your case and how many intake and how many exhaust fans does it have and how large are they?

 

[trents]

Would you mind creating a "Sig" so that your system component information travels with every post you make? This is a forum courtesy as system info given at the front part of a thread gets buried and lost track of when threads stretch out. To do this, click on Quick Links and then Edit Signature at the top of the page. Pleas include info like you see in my Sig or some of the other regulars. Make, Model, wattage (PSU), Speed rating (ram) and info about case. CPU, Motherboard, ram, PSU, Case, video card, cooler make and model.

 

[I3lackCat777]

Ok yea I was meaning to get around to do that with my sig.

Ok with the LLC I tried enabling it and no change while running Prime95, then I tried disabling it and voltage went up over 1.45 to around 1.5 area. Then I turned the vore in bios back down to stock setting of 1.3875(I think) and ran it again this time Prime95 ran the voltage up to 1.44.
Atm the idol temps seem to be what they were before when it was on auto.

Think I should run with this and lower the voltage with LLC disabled until I get a unstable Prime95 then bump it back up a notch?

Oh yea the heatsink isn't the best kinda had limited space to install one with my case which should be in my sig now. lol this thing takes up all the room. But I couldn't go with a hyper 212 because of its height. But it allows me to run prime95 for extended periods of time where as the stock would not.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[trents]

In a way, LLC is kind of smoke and mirrors but in a way it's helpful. No matter how you do it with raising the vcore in bios without LLC help or with LLC supplement it will take the same amount of voltage under load to keep a given overclock profile stable. If you don't use LLC you will just have to add more up front in the bios. Understand? The design of LLC is to allow you to get by with less voltage when idling or doing light tasks and then to socke the voltage to it when under load when you need extra to be stable. You can try it both ways and see which one you like.

 

[I3lackCat777]

Ok think I'll mess around with it some more tomorrow, but bottom line to this is to make sure the temps stay in a safe range and probably not go much more than 1.45v correct?

Either way I'll check back in the morning and give an update with my results, thanks again.

 

[trents]

Actually, save 24/7 voltages are somewhere between 1.5 and 1.55, depending on who you talk to and with the caveat that temps remain good. I don't think you will be able to get into that voltage range with that cooler as adding voltage drives up temps.

 

[trents]

Tell me about the number, placement, size and direction of flow of your case fans. That case has lots of options for ventilation fans but I don't know how many of the fan spots you currently have populated.

 

[I3lackCat777]

Hey sorry it took me a bit to get back to ya.
I've got 5 120mm fans in the case, 2 in the front both intake. 2 on the side also intake, and 1 in the back for exhaust.

 

[I3lackCat777]

After messing with it a bit, seems I can get the same stability with LLC off with 1.35v set in the bios and the readings through CPUZ and HWmonitor read up to 1.41v under prime95 load. Temps are the same, so the question is would it be better for me to enable LLC and have higher vcore in bios or disable LLC and have lower vcore in bios, but have the same'ish vcore in CPUz and Hwmonitor?

 

[RGone]

Since your LLC does not work well, we can forget 'how LLC should work" and go to what seems best overall.

IF you can get an indicated lower voltage when the cpu is doing n0thing but has enough cpu voltage added when under load, then that would be the cooler temperature setup of voltage to the cpu.

 

[trents]

Looks like you're getting some LLC with it disabled anyway, about .06v under load if the software reporting is accurate. I'd leave it off. Yeah, that feature in your bios seems kind of flakey. Do you have the latest bios installed?

 

[I3lackCat777]

not sure, i'll look into it and get back to ya

 

[Dlaw]

That's how LLC works on our board. For whatever reason, disabled = enabled for AM3+ CPUs, and the opposite for AM3. It's noted in the manual somewhere, as well.

 

[I3lackCat777]

I did find that there was an update from ver. 1.5 to 1.6. So I went ahead and did that and not sure if the bios update or the thermal paste just setting up better but temps are down just a bit more now. Idol gets down to 29c now XD

Btw the heatsink was installed about 5 days ago

 

[caddi daddi]

can you post a screenshot with your monitors open and after 20 mins of p95 please.