Freeze - FX-9590 on asus 990 fx r2.0

[Steve0]

I thought I was very lucky to receive a custom built machine from my sponsor in order to order to more quickly process some heavy mathematics, but now I'm not so sure. I joined overclockers.com because you folks seem knowledgeable and helpful. With that said, now I'll ask my question.

The computer runs an AMD FX-9590 cpu on an ASUS Sabertooth 990 FX R2.0 motherboard. I need for it to run 100% for hours on end but the screen freezes, or it otherwise faults. sig-fault 11 mostly, or sig-fault 9 sometimes, and it freezes sometime between 3 minutes and 6 hours into the same heavy math test job. It attempting to isolate this problem I have unplugged everything except the 480GB Kingston SSDD, the usb mouse and keyboard, the video card, the Corsair liquid cooler and the (totally indecipherable name) 750 Watt power supply. The machine arrived bare, in the shipping box that the Zalman z3 plus case had been delivered in. It had been treated roughly. I plugged the dvd reader back in, installed Ubuntu 15.10 OS plus my math code and started repairs - first was to stabilize cpu temperature. It now holds steady at about 48C under load. I next replaced the nice, expensive (and broken) video card with a low prices unit. (PNY nvidia geforce gt 710)

I have isolated the cause of the problem to the memory. Runs fine with 8, 16 and 24 GB memory (DDR3 1600 MHz) installed, in any configuration of the 8 GB memory cards, installed in any configuration of the 4 memory slots, but will not run with all four slots filled. The test job progresses about 40% faster with 32 GB memory installed so I want to solve this freezing problem. I think the problem is related to memory voltage drop under load with 32 GB installed but my one attempt to increase memory voltage resulted in a quick failure with a scary BLACK screen shortly after starting the test job. So I joined overclockers.com. I'm not an overclocker, I don't even build computers, this is not an overclocking question except for the FX-9590 being factory overclocked but that seems to make it an overclocking problem to me.

My question then is, what bios adjustments are needed to stabilize the memory io and preferably at full speed, 4.7 GHz?

My most heart-felt thank you to any and all who help me to solve my freeze problem.

Steve

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Is there no label on the PSU at all? If there is a label, can you post a picture of it? I fear it is not up to the task if it's some generic brand.

 

[caddi daddi]

a lot of fx cpus do not like lots of ram and sometimes it takes a punch of voltage, core, cpu/nb and dram, to get them to run it.
you might need to set,
dram current capability to 130%
dram voltage frequency to 400khz
dram power phase control to extreme
cpu/nb voltage to 1.3 using + offset.
this is how I have to setup my 8350 with only 16 gigs of ram.

 

[caddi daddi]

oops! a couple of other things I forgot,
I also set
dram voltage to 1.65 from 1.5
cpu/nb to 2400.
it's kind of strange, with 2 8 gig stix or 2 4 gig stix it's all good with all on auto.

 

[Steve0]

Yes, I pulled it out of the corner where I could get a picture. It looks like the PSU is an A Power AK series 750. But I had to google the letters I could read and hope for the best. If you still need an image, I can post one, but the details are illegible. You could make out the general pattern of the label though, if that would be useful.

 

[Steve0]

I hope you aren't confused by my post, I don't have any 4 Gig sticks. All 4 of them are 8 Gig sticks. The motherboard has 4 slots. The machine ran trouble-free with 8 gig installed, with 16 gig installed, and with 24 gig installed, but it ran slow. With 32 gig installed the speed stepped up a notch, but the machine freezes or otherwise crashes.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Sounds like you need to up the CPU/NB voltage to me.
And I'd get getting that PSU out of there.

 

[caddi daddi]

like I said in posts #3&4.
I have a couple of sabertooth boards, I know what you are working with.
and like atminside posted, that psu is a hazard, but let's get the thing working for now.

 

[Steve0]

@caddi daddi - I made the changes in the bios as you indicated. I have either the same problem or a new one like it. Three test runs, resulting in the following:

1- Four cores used, ran for 243 seconds then process rank 3 exited on signal 9 (killed) cpu temp= 50C, spiked to 51C at kill
2- Six cores used, ran for 161.2 seconds then froze.
3- Eight cores used, ran for 415 seconds then seg-fault 11, signal code 128, failing at address nil. Temperature reached 54C max.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, signal code 128 seems to point to a past bug in open-mpi. That is, a software problem. So I'm going to run "stress" and see what happens. Before this change, stress gave similar results to my test job. I'll post the stress results later today, we will see.

Steve

 

[Steve0]

Well, that didn't take long. Stress caused a screen freeze 2:09 into the run. Two minutes with -m 8 --vm-bytes 4G. Max temp =48C. To me, this indicates the same old problem and not a problem with my software. Of course it doesn't rule out a problem with my software but I have compiled and ran the same software on my old machine with no problems. I think that does rule out a problem with my software. Oh - I forgot where I was for the moment. The software ran no problem with 1, 2 and 3 memory stix on this machine, too, so the S/W is fine.

 

[Johan45]

Have you tried updating the BIOS or a different version. Also can you go into the BIOS to tools then SPD and use the F12 key IIRC to take a screen shot? Save it to a thumb drive formatted in FAT32. Then post it up here. I would like to see how the board is reading it. The also take a SS of the memory setting in BIOS to compare. You may just need to relax the refresh rate or adjust some othe timings to get them to run smooth. Have you tested each stick on it's own with memtest? One of the sticks may be faulty.

I'm also on board with the PSU. APower is about as cheap as you can get. The power supply is one are that should not be skimped on especially when trying to run the big 9590. It is one power hungry CPU and what you're seeing could be the PSU

 

[ShrimpBrime]

3- Eight cores used, ran for 415 seconds then seg-fault 11, signal code 128, failing at address nil. Temperature reached 54C max.

FX-9590 is TCase max of 57c while Thermtrip (core max temp) is 85c.

There are two main issues with the FX-9590. Cooling and high voltage requirements.

So off my memory, I have a Pstate requirement of 1.5250v at as slow as 4.2ghz and up to 5ghz. At only 4ghz, it's somewhere along the lines of 1.45v easy.

Any how, anything past 4.7ghz boosted to 5ghz will only clock up to 4 cores. Sometimes one core maybe two.... While expecting to run the proverbial 5ghz on ALL 8 cores, you may be in need of more than Pstate requirement at just 5ghz in other words could take 1.5350v to stabilize all 8 cores.

Back to YOUR processor. Been studying this thread for a couple of days....

You NEED very good.... no make that excellent stable power and it has got to be steady as possible. Needs run this processor LLC set to ultra high and manually set voltage of at least 1.4850v. ALL power saving features turned off (sleep is optional). Would run Memory at 1333 divider 9-9-9-x-x 1.55v (for now till the cpu is actually stable).

Then your issue is that 54c. I know this is crazy sounding, but that temp is low/high considering you cannot run a stress test more than a very short period of time. I mean the 54c is close to the TCase max already but low considering the short test.

I was able to achieve 5.2ghz stable Prime95 2 hours and Intel Burn Test both editions (AVX). It required a modded to my liking water block and 2 x 120.3 rads and 1x 120.2 rad for just the processor. I also de-lidded mine and have a custom IHS plate about twice the mass of the original. Use nano diamond pastes only with spread technique.

You won't get stable without SERIOUS cooling. The H100i is really nice for 125w processors. FX-9590 needs at least twice as much rad just for a stable environment while running that high voltage.

Why do these cpus freeze? Not enough current at requested clock interval. Your Pstates flicker so fast the software never reports unless it's held for a few seconds. Voltage requests happen at the nano second level.

I wish you good luck and any one else that happens to own the Almighty super voltage and low temp hungry beast of a processor.

Sincerely yours,

ShrimpBrime.

Additional comment:

Would advise to find 2 x 16GB sticks and populate only 2 slots and run them slightly over-volted.

 

[Steve0]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed posts. It seems that the power supply may not be up to the task, and then follows the cooler. I don't want to go there.

Perhaps the machine can be stabilized as is by under clocking. Is that possible and if so, how do I under clock it? What are the steps and the settings to try? With 4 memory stix it looks like the machine would run 40% faster than with 3 memory stix. That is equivalent to clocking at about 3.36GHz, and surly it will run faster than that under clocked?

Steve

 

[trents]

What brand is the RAM? Not Kingston, I hope, like the SSD is.

Running 32gb of RAM will tax the IMC (integrated memory controller) and even though the motherboard is rated to handle that much RAM it may not do so with just any brand. You are pushing the envelope with 32 gb of RAM and everything needs to be just so for it to work on stock IMC voltage.

 

[ShrimpBrime]

Steve, you need to DL cpu-z so we can view your pstates to help get a stable clock speed that you can actually cool. I'd think 4ghz would be OK unless you can sacrifice number of cores which may yield a much higher clock speed.

You could try only 4 cores at max rated P-state voltage and 4.7ghz without turbo. Then try turbo. Or perhaps all 8 at 4ghz roughly. Won't know unless you go there.

Back to the pstates. Open CPU-Z and click the about tab. At the bottom left there's a button says save report .txt. save and open this text file and scroll down a short ways until you see the p-states. All 7 copy paste to the thread here.

I feel so bad for non/overclockers that have this processor. It's such a pain in the butt even on top end motherboards. 9 of 10 people have issues just like yours. I did as well. Spent quite a few weeks diagnosing the problem. Turns out this processor loves temps Under 50c socket temp and under 60c core temps. So with the proper voltage and keeping temps low like that, will be most stable you could ask for. However this cpu is designed for extreme overclocking. It clocks very well with nice cool temps. It's not a voltage restriction as much as a cooling one.

 

[DNRDustin]

get some fans directly on the vrm & socket

 

[Johan45]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed posts. It seems that the power supply may not be up to the task, and then follows the cooler. I don't want to go there.

Perhaps the machine can be stabilized as is by under clocking. Is that possible and if so, how do I under clock it? What are the steps and the settings to try? With 4 memory stix it looks like the machine would run 40% faster than with 3 memory stix. That is equivalent to clocking at about 3.36GHz, and surly it will run faster than that under clocked?

Steve

I would try 4.5G set the multiplier manually in BIOS to 22.5 and go down to the voltage change it to manual and try 1.45v. That should be enough even for the 9590 to run at 4.5GHz. I would also set the CPU-NB voltage to 1.25v

 

[Steve0]

Hi All - Hate to say it but for me to understand, I need to be hand fed a little more.
First, do your suggestions assume that I have returned the bios settings to default, or that they are left over from the previous suggestion?
Secondly, and this is my fault for asking two questions on the same thread, which objective are we pursuing, Stabilizing at 4.7 GHz, or under clocking to stabilize at lower speed?

 

[Johan45]

I was guiding you to underclock the CPU to 4.5. Most likely you could just use F5 in bios to return everything to defaults. Then set the docp for the ram and restart to BIOS again. Now I would set the multi to 22.5 from auto then go to the DIGI settings and set the CPU LLC to ultra high, NB LLC to high and raise the current capability to 120% for the CPU. Exit the Digi settings back to the AI tweaker go down to voltages and change to manual. Set the CPU voltage to 1.45, CPU_NB voltage to 1.25v and the memory voltage .05v over stock. So if the mems are rated for 1.5v set it to 1.55v. Try that out and see if your math works then

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

As Adam would say "There's your problem" --> FX-9590

I would replace that with a FX-8350 or FX-8370, they both have the same instruction set as the FX-9590 for your heavy mathematics.