Core i7/X58 Overclocking Thread

[burningrave101]

Interesting. I thought Turbo Mode was dependent on active core load as well as TDP but I guess it's only TDP then according to the info on the Intel FAQ. So are most all of the x58 board manufactures TDP independent other than Asus now? What about the eVGA X58 SLI board? Does it have any threshold where Turbo drops back to 20x multi?

[JWMc]

So the only reason it isn't working on Asus boards sometimes is that people are clocking past the TDP defined in the Asus BIOS? There's a way to disable that limit right?

Edit: I had to up the vCore setting one step from 1.21875 to 1.22500 to combat the droop under LinX after I increased the memory usage to the proper level.

Update for my i920 3841A383 from Newegg, LinX x 20 and Prime blend 11 hours stable:

3.8ghz (19x200 turbo off) @ 1.22500v bios, 1.184v load, 1.200v idle, with HT on, 1.275v QPI, 8-8-8-21-1T, 1.65v DRAM (1.66 BIOS), max LinX temp 65c on TRUE 120 push-pull.

[vikingboy]

My new 24/7 I think for i7 940. Going for the best OC/voltage ratio.

Currently 3.8GHz CPU, 1603MHz 7-8-7-20-1T DRAM, with 1.20000V CPU, 1.23125V QPI/DRAM, 1.55081V DRAM (all BIOS settings)...C-states are enabled hence the post-run clocks are lower.

Screenshot below...not bad for a low-voltage OC I think

Hi Dejanh - great posts, thank you for your contribution to this thread. Im trying to replicate your settings here but have a performance disadvantage.
Your Linx times read...25s / 25GFlops
My times read.....32s / 20.39GFlops

Would you be so kind as to post your full settings so I can see where there may be a difference please? I cant get quite as low in Volts as you but I think I have a less efficient CPU (a 920 too). Assuming same memory speed and multiplier they should bench the same shouldnt they? (same dominator 1600 cas8 ram too).

thanks again
Ian

[ReverendMaynard]

Interesting. I thought Turbo Mode was dependent on active core load as well as TDP but I guess it's only TDP then according to the info on the Intel FAQ. So are most all of the x58 board manufactures TDP independent other than Asus now? What about the eVGA X58 SLI board? Does it have any threshold where Turbo drops back to 20x multi?

I only own one X58 at the moment so I can't comment on those other boards but if I take my cpu to 97C loading all cores at 200x21 it does not drop to 20. I have tested it with prime, with Linx, with wprime, xH264 bench....any program that will load all 8 threads and not once has it dropped. Many others in the Gigabyte thread have experienced the same "phenomena" of absolutely no TDP limitations with 920, 940's or 965's since flashing from the original release bios F3. This is why right now as things are, the Gigabyte boards are the boards to have if you have a 920. Having the solid x21 multi is HUGE.

I'll be hitting up the DFI LP DK T3He6 next and I'll be sure to thoroughly test it with this awesome 920 that I was fortunate enough to grab

[JWMc]

Your Linx times read...25s / 25GFlops
My times read.....32s / 20.39GFlops

Try lowering the memory usage in LinX. I had an issue where it would never reach the proper GFLOPS because I asked it to use more memory than I really had available. The 'All' memory feature can get a little greedy. You can have the same issue with low GFLOPS from not enough memory used so you have to find the right value.

Edit update: needed one step more voltage in bios to combat droop:

I almost matched his vCore and vQPI @ 3.8ghz (1.184v load, 1.200v idle, 1.22500v bios, 1.275 vQPI) and was having low GFLOPS in LinX just like you because I was using 'All' memory. I reduced the problem size to 10000 and got the GFLOPS back up. Edit: Annnnnnnd this was not testing properly. I needed a problem size of at least 13000 to find stability issues properly with 4 gigs of memory.

[rge]

The TDP limit can be turned on or off via bios (not user controlled setting on GB), intel has made that clear from the start. I posted earlier in this thread or the Gig thread a pic of one mobo bios allowing the user to turn TDP on or off as well as set core limits, think it was an engineering board.

Everest reads Wattage from cpu, max specs is 130W TDP. You can OC the cpu on high vcore, turn off thermal throttling in bios (so that mech doesnt throttle it), and run coredamage at 100C and 150W and turbo will still be engaged on all F4 and after bioses. So like Reverend said, turbo on GB boards on F4 and newer bioses = 21 multi for i920 and 23 multi for i940.

Regarding it requiring less voltage for 21 (turbo) multi on i920 than 20 multi given same mhz, that is no different than my i940 requiring much less (6-7 notches) vcore using 21 multi (turbo off) as opposed to 22 multi (turbo off as well) for same mhz. For whatever reason i940 23 (turbo) and 21 (nonturbo) requires much less vcore than 22 multi. And many i920 require less vcore with 19 and 21 multi than 20.

[jcool]

For whatever reason i940 23 (turbo) and 21 (nonturbo) requires much less vcore than 22 multi. And many i920 require less vcore with 19 and 21 multi than 20.

Same here - I just picked up a pretty good i7 940
I needed that after my POS 920... it seems to perform very similar to yours rge, currently running linpack at 200x21, HT enabled, at 1,39V and lowering. I do 3GB mem usage passes and 10 runs so it takes a while but I am pretty optimistic I can get 4,4Ghz 24/7 out of this chip with HT on

And yeah, it likes the 21x and 23x equally well from my testing so far (linpack stable Vcore at 4Ghz is around 1,305V for both the 21x and 23x - couldn't even get windows to boot at 1,4V with the 22x )

[liftedcj7on44s]

1. You can set your voltage on BIOS instead of AUTO, Just not sure if the + is from 1.15 or 1.375, Probably 1.15v.
2. You can use MSI OverClocking Center, get it here
3. You can use MSI GreenPowerII, get it here.

None of these tell me what my actual qpi voltage. they show it the same way the bios does. I need to know what the actual voltage is!!!!!!!!!

[Praz]

I need to know what the actual voltage is!!!!!!!!!

Only one way to know actual voltage. Get a meter and probe the board.

[liftedcj7on44s]

theres got to be some sort of program that will tell me.

[vikingboy]

heres my screenie from my 19x200 run matching Djenah's ram timings and processor spec - about 15% slower benching. Is this a 920 vs 940 issue?
Im ona Asus P6T -D board onVista 64bit.

I cant get my voltages MUCH lower than this (although there is soom room for movement) but concerned re perf difference. Any advice appreciated.

[jcool]

LinX is the worst stresstest out there for an i7, if it can pass even 3 mins it will most likely be 24/7 stable

i7 940 3835A730... a real gem after that POS 3838A 920 I got

So much for stability, now on to some benching fun

[loonym]

None of these tell me what my actual qpi voltage. they show it the same way the bios does. I need to know what the actual voltage is!!!!!!!!!

Kyle say's it's 1.22v on the latest bios if you wanna believe him

edit: and btw if you intend to overvolt your qpi and vdimm as you state you certainly don't have intel to blame for any frying that occurs.

[jcool]

My DFI sets 1.21 VTT as stock/minimum so I guess that must be it.

[giorgos th.]

measured or through bios?

[YukonTrooper]

My Core i7 920 on Air!

The Batch is: 3837B080

So, I just received my i7 gear today. My batch number is 3837B073. Does that mean mine was manufactured 7 chips ahead of Dj's? If so, I'm hoping for good things!

[liftedcj7on44s]

see, so how does intel expect us to keep qpi and dram voltage within .5v if we dont even know what qpi voltage we are running. The only program that i know that shows qpi voltage is the evga eleet software. If my i7 920 burns up im gonna be pissed!

BTW my batch is 3837A732. anyone else got this or close to it?

[jcool]

measured or through bios?

Bios setting my friend, but the bios readout says roughly the same and I have learned to trust DFIs bios readouts.. they are usually amazingly accurate, so is SmartGuardian

[eva2000]

see, so how does intel expect us to keep qpi and dram voltage within .5v if we dont even know what qpi voltage we are running. The only program that i know that shows qpi voltage is the evga eleet software. If my i7 920 burns up im gonna be pissed!

BTW my batch is 3837A732. anyone else got this or close to it?

not sure on MSI but Asus, DFI, Gigabyte boards all show Uncore voltage = QPI/DRAM on Asus, CPU VTT on most other boards just labelled differently

[eva2000]

My DFI sets 1.21 VTT as stock/minimum so I guess that must be it.

yup confirmed on DFI X58, there's jumper on board to change it to 1.4v default on AUTO if you want heh

[liftedcj7on44s]

yeah my msi board doesnt tell you the actual QPI voltage. it lists
Auto
+0.010
+0.020
+0.030 and so on and so on. It list the actual DRAM Voltage though. So right now i have absolutely no clue what my final QPI voltage is. I have DRAM voltage at 1.8v and QPI voltage at +0.120.

so lets say 1.21 qpi voltage were default. then i would need to set +0.190 in bios to get my QPI at 1.4 and that would me within spec.

[giorgos th.]

Must confirm that 1.175V of UD5 is actually that...
i dont care but just for information...

[liftedcj7on44s]

mmm see now 1.175. I have no freakin clue now. WHY CANT MY BOARD SHOW ACTUAL FREAKIN QPI VOLTAGE!!!!!!!!!!!

[jcool]

I guess that's what you get for buying MSI... seriously, I thought we were apst this "+0,x volts" crap. Gigabyte used to do it too and I hated them for it also hated their fugly colour schemes but they have improved, in more ways than I could have thought possible - so now I actually like and recommend them

[loonym]

mmm see now 1.175. I have no freakin clue now. WHY CANT MY BOARD SHOW ACTUAL FREAKIN QPI VOLTAGE!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you opened a ticket with MSI support? They have been very helpful to me in the past. Of course if you give them attitude like you've been giving everywhere else you go the past few days they may not