**Official** Asrock Z68 Extreme4 thread. Share your experiences, OCs & tech issues!

[Ket]

I would recommend sticking to USB2 ports for USB2 devices, some USB2 hardware just won't take kindly in a USB3 port. Its also advisable that you install the latest Etron 1.1 driver from the first post of this thread, it fixes MANY device compatibility issues.

[phillai]

I'm trying to overclock my PC to 4.5GHz.

Should 'Spread Spectrum' in the UEFI be enabled or disabled?

[xdan]

Disabled.

[phillai]

Disabled.

OK thanks!

[phillai]

I'm trying to overclock my new rig to 4.5GHz (45x multiplier).
It did 8 hours prime fine on 1.3v with a high of about 79 degrees (idles at around 34 degrees) but I discovered after about 4 hours of normal web browsing it BSOD.

The only other things I changed in the UEFI are...

Internal PLL Overvoltage = Enabled
CPU Load-Line Calibration" to [Level 1]
Memory is as recommened but I set memory voltage to 1.5v

What do you suggest guys?

Also, do we have to set a fixed CPU voltage? Could it not be set to auto?

[Anusha]

I'm trying to overclock my new rig to 4.5GHz (45x multiplier).
It did 8 hours prime fine on 1.3v with a high of about 79 degrees but I discovered after about 4 hours of normal web browsing it BSOD.

The only other things I changed in the UEFI are...

Internal PLL Overvoltage = Enabled
CPU Load-Line Calibration" to [Level 1]
Memory is as recommened but I set memory voltage to 1.5v

What do you suggest guys?

Also, do we have to set a fixed CPU voltage? Could it not be set to auto?

yes this happens. you got stop error 124 right? that means you need more Vcore. i too can pass loops of prime at 1.3V, but i need at least 1.32V to make it not BSOD randomly. you don't have to stress test for more than an hour in the case of Sandybridge. just play games and do the normal things you would do and if it doesn't BSOD, you are good.

[phillai]

Right, thanks for the advice, Anusha. I will try 1.32v

Also for future reference, if I want to OC to 4.6GHz, when increasing the Vcore, how much is acceptable when increasing? Should the jump in Vcore be in jumps of 0.01v, 0.02v and so on?

[Anusha]

Right, thanks for the advice, Anusha. I will try 1.32v

Also for future reference, if I want to OC to 4.6GHz, when increasing the Vcore, how much is acceptable when increasing? Should the jump in Vcore be in jumps of 0.01v, 0.02v and so on?

after seeing that i need 1.35V or more to get it stable, i gave up the idea of 4.6GHz

[Ket]

2500k CPUs seem to hit 4.5GHz easy with low voltage, for 4.6GHz the voltage increase is rather high just for a extra 100MHz from my own experiences and what I've seen of others.

[chippy]

Ket any news on this problem ?

BSOD " A clock interrupt was not received on a secondary processor within the allocated time interval"

This happens when using the cpu graphics.

[Ket]

That is a overclocking related BSOD. If you aren't OCing and getting that, some of your hardware is faulty.

[kevpuk]

Loving this board, but I am getting Bad_Pool_Header BSODs from USB3 ports when I try to plug in my Asus Transformer - this occurs whether plugged in to the front ports in the breakout box and the 2 rear USB3 ports
Transformer works fine in (any) USB 2 ports.....and I tried a Kingston USB drive in a front USB3 port and had no problems (USB2 device)

Now, having just read through the entirety of this thread, I am wondering whether I have the latest Etron drivers installed...pretty sure I was up to date, per the ASRock support site, but....

Any thoughts ?

EDIT : And yes, this is my first ever post here, despite being a member since 2007 (happy days with an Asus P5WDH )

[Ket]

If you are using the Etron driver either supplied on the CD or Asrocks site, they are not the latest. You want the v1.1 driver which you can grab from the first post Click Me!

[kevpuk]

If you are using the Etron driver either supplied on the CD or Asrocks site, they are not the latest. You want the v1.1 driver which you can grab from the first post Click Me!

Great, thanks Ket

Will download when I get home.....really hoping this fixes the issue - rumour has it that Transformer really benefits on USB3, and will likely charge whilst plugged in as well (USB2 does not supply enough power to charge, unless TF is off, and even then is pretty slow).

Back on the board itself, I have found it to be very stable and with a great featureset; last x boards have been ASUS, so this was a change of pace for me - have to say that I think it was a good decision

[Ket]

Hopefully the 1.1 Etron driver will sort things out, if not let me know and I will tell my contacts, who will then likely forward the info to Etron themselves.

[anewbie]

Does this have to be a hardware issue? I wonder if it is a software integration issue (software assume the timer will be updated at a set frequency) ?

That is a overclocking related BSOD. If you aren't OCing and getting that, some of your hardware is faulty.

[Wendy]

For people getting a BSOD at idle or low workload, It may be helpful to see the following thread.
The first post contains what was found, and the rest of the thread makes for interesting reading.
http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/fo...nd-its-effects

I'm convinced that IME is the cause of most problems on P67/Z68/H67.

[Ket]

Does this have to be a hardware issue? I wonder if it is a software integration issue (software assume the timer will be updated at a set frequency) ?

AFAIK, it will only be caused by a unstable OC or faulty hardware. To date, I have not seen this BSOD under any other circumstances.

[chippy]

That is a overclocking related BSOD. If you aren't OCing and getting that, some of your hardware is faulty.

This is not just affectng me but others as well who wish to use the cpu graphics.

[Ket]

This is not just affectng me but others as well who wish to use the cpu graphics.

I've used the IGPU for extended periods, including gaming. I haven't experienced any such issues.

[cmthomson]

My personal experience is that boosting BCLK is bad news. I could pass all stress tests, even at 103 MHz, but would get BSOD in everyday applications, even at 101. When I put it back to 100.0 all that went away. Still running the CPU at 44x though.

I also saw other symptoms than BSOD, such as fan sensors screwing up. Moral: maybe you can overclock the CPU/Z68/mem, but maybe not the rest of the board...

[kevpuk]

Hopefully the 1.1 Etron driver will sort things out, if not let me know and I will tell my contacts, who will then likely forward the info to Etron themselves.

Downloaded > Installed and problem has gone
Many thanks !

Have to ask why ASRock do not have this driver on their download pages, mind......and why are there no dates against the downloadables ?

[chippy]

I've used the IGPU for extended periods, including gaming. I haven't experienced any such issues.

Do you know what vcore you was running at the time ? heres a link to other that have the same problem as me.

http://forums.tweaktown.com/asrock/4...-received.html

[Ket]

My personal experience is that boosting BCLK is bad news. I could pass all stress tests, even at 103 MHz, but would get BSOD in everyday applications, even at 101. When I put it back to 100.0 all that went away. Still running the CPU at 44x though.

I also saw other symptoms than BSOD, such as fan sensors screwing up. Moral: maybe you can overclock the CPU/Z68/mem, but maybe not the rest of the board...

BCLK clocking is heavily dependent on the CPU itself. Personally, I've pushed about 104.5MHz with memory @ around 2200 and the CPU around 4.5GHz all totally stable but for 24/7 use I set the BCLK to 100.1MHz (so nothing ever dips below spec due to clock variation) and 4.5GHz with memory @ 2133, again all completely stable.

Downloaded > Installed and problem has gone
Many thanks !

Have to ask why ASRock do not have this driver on their download pages, mind......and why are there no dates against the downloadables ?

Due to how frequently driver updates are issued, it makes it almost impossible to update all the drivers for every mainboard.

Do you know what vcore you was running at the time ? heres a link to other that have the same problem as me.

http://forums.tweaktown.com/asrock/4...-received.html

I was testing with stock settings, vcore about 1.18v. For anybody having this BSOD with stock settings, heres what I suggest to try;

- Download the latest intel PCH (chipset) drivers from intels site.
- Update UEFI (if you haven't already)
- Go into UEFI and go to OC Tweaker, scroll down the page until you see "CPU Load Line Calibration" and change "Level 5" to "Level 2", save and exit

[chippy]

Thanks Ket much the same has asrock suggested but it didnt help. Interesting thing is it seems to be a problem with gigabyte as well.