FX-8320 - problem with getting a GOOD motherboard for this CPU

Suguru · Nov 27, 2014

Hello everyone.

I finally got myself to sign to the forum for advice, as by reading through all these topics made my head dizzy @_@

I recently bought myself a new PC set:

■ AMD FX-8320
■ ASRock 970 PRO3 R2.0
■ Patriot ViperX 3RD 2x4GB DDR3 1866MHz CL9 1.5V, XMP 1.3 Dual Channel
■ Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 OC
■ Seasonic SS-500ET 500W 80 Plus Bronze bulk

I also had my old PC case (nothing special, standard one) and was on stock CPU cooler.

After I set up all the components, the PC was doing fine, my temps were 75°C on CPU and 60°C on GPU, but the problem was the stock cooler, which was trying to be a helicopter (5000RPM in full stress) and it was driving me crazy.

Then I bought a better cooler - be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 and installed it.

Turned the PC on, started playing some games and guess what happened... THROTTLING... When CPU's temperature hit 62°C, mutliplier went from 17.5 to 7.5 and clock from 3.5GHz was cut to 1.75GHz for a few seconds and after that went back to normal. Have all the options that might cause it disabled in BIOS...

I started reading a lot about the problem and it may occur that it is due to low quality and not enough VRMs on the mobo - on the ASRock there was only 4+1 set, which was so blazing hot when touched.

I gave the mobo on warranty and maybe I will get a replacement or a chance to change the mobo to a new one.

After that, I also bought new PC case - SilentiumPC Brutus M25 with total of 5 fans to get the air flowing through nicely.

Right now I'm waiting for the decision about the new mobo and hence I would like to receive an advice - which motherboard would be best for FX-8320? And which will not cause me throttling again, as the issue is quite frustrating...

I was thinking about GA-990FXA-UD5, but right now I'm not so sure, as from what I've read - it also gives the problem of throttling...

Can you please advise me on any mobo? Any, actually, budget or non-budget one. I would love to just install all the components and start it without the mentioned problem.

If anything missing or unclear - just tell me and I'll be glad to answer.

bgunner · Nov 27, 2014

If your CPU is hitting 62°C or over the reason for throttling is heat and not VRM. Download AMD Overdrive and click on CPU status. Under the frequency readings there is a temp monitor. This monitor show how many degrees you have left before throttling. If it gets to 0 or in the red the CPU will throttle from heat.

you have a heat issue. whether it is a case airflow issue, poor CPU cooler or improper cooler installation, once these CPU's hit 62°C they throttle to keep themselves from burning up. The AMD 8 core CPU's produce a lot of heat and you need to accommodate for this. THe motherboard is most likely fine but your cooling is the issue.

NightAntilli · Nov 27, 2014

I have an Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0 with the FX-8320 overclocked to 4.5GHz and the EVO 212 as cooler. No throttling issues. However, I did install the stock fan of the CPU on the back plate since the socket was getting too hot without it, and it would throttle. So you might want to try that, before you get another motherboard. It will require some creativity since there's no way to simply install the fan there.

Suguru · Nov 27, 2014

bgunner :

But how is that on stock cooler I had 75°C and there was no throttling? It may be due to case airflow, as there was no space and cables were everywhere... be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 is a poor CPU cooler? And I believe CPU cooler installation is as simple as I know and is really foolproof...

BUT - if my cooling is the issue - how come? or why?

I'm also thinking about Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 which in combination with all this new settings (new case + better airflow + heatsinks on VRMs) may prevent the throttling...

Suguru · Nov 28, 2014

OK, finally decided and bought Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 and will see, along with a new PC Case and Shadow Rock 2, if that won't give me the annoying throttling problem ^^

Gotta wait for it to arrive @_@

Thanks to everyone for answering, I will post my results once I build the PC together (around Wednesday)

bmacsys · Nov 28, 2014

Suguru :

You made the right choice.

bgunner · Nov 28, 2014

Suguru :

If your CPU was hitting 75°C it was throttling with out a doubt. You just did not notice the fact it was. There are no settings in Bios that stop the CPU from throttling so this is a wasted measure.

CPU cooler installation can be messed up by improper thermal paste application. If bubbles form under the CPU cooler in the thermal paste it will effect how well the cooler performs Along with if to much thermal paste is used it becomes to thick and the heat transfer is limited. So installation is not fool proof.

I did not say the cooler was poor performer but I did say that the issue was with heat and gave areas that will contribute to this. I suggest you look into bench marks between other coolers and your to see how they compare.

The Sabertooth boards are really stable and have plenty of features but you can still get throttling from them so please don't think that throttling is impossible with it. IF the cooler installation is flawed then throttling will still occur. If case air flow is to low the CPU will still get recirculated hot air to force through itself. So be aware just changing the motherboard may not cure the issue. Yes changing the board helps in the knowledge that the VRM will not cause an issue But if the issue lies somewhere else you may still have throttling.

Let us know if the issues still appear after the board swap.

mdocod · Nov 28, 2014

The ShadowRock2 probably made things worse for the motherboard, as it basically COVERS the VRMs in a manner that would prevent good air-flow over the VRMs. Chances are, the 75C "CPU" temps you were reading, were motherboard socket temp readings, which are to be expected and perfectly normal running an 8 core hard on a bare 4+1 phase VRM configuration. The 5000RPM stock cooler was blasting the row of VRMs with air-flow, and keeping everything in check. When you switched to the ShadowRock2, you neglected the VRM cooling that was built into the OE cooling design.

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Even "nice" motherboards will throttle if you neglect the VRM cooling. My 990X EVO gets right near the tipping point for throttling the CPU at sock clocks and voltages when the CPU is cooled by a "tower" heatsink, which hurts VRM cooling. (this is with an 8350) I have some AMD 70mm fans from 95W HSFs strapped to the front and rear of the motherboard to cool the VRMs, which affords me a bit of overclocking headroom.

Point I'm making here, is that while you could "throw money" at the problem in an attempt to make it go away, you're ultimately going to have to confront the fact that the AM3+ platform has high power dissipation, and you have to solve the problems associated with this no matter what motherboard you are on.

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I wouldn't personally advise spending more than ~$125 on an AM3+ motherboard. Once you're into a motherboard for this much there's not much point implementing any AM3+ CPU. Bad value. I think I paid about ~$70 for my 990X EVO lightly used, and have also used the UD3P and GA-78LMT-USB3, both of which have good heat-sunk VRMs and are dirt cheap. The AM3+ platform is comparable, technologically and performance/efficiency wise, to Intel's 1366 socket platform. With that in mind, it doesn't make much sense to pay "new" prices for high end motherboards on this platform. Furthermore, there tend to be a LOT of high end AM3+ boards in good working shape available in the used market as many people are abandoning the platform because they are not happy with the performance it offers in certain conditions. (it's not uncommon at all to find >$150 AM3+ boards being sold for under $100 lightly used).

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Careful performance tuning can go a long way to improving the power dissipation of a CPU. Some CPUs have lots of "headroom" in them to be under-volted without a loss in stability, for example. Taking the time to explore "performance and efficiency tuning" options can be a major factor in achieving a good outcome on the AM3+ platform.

bgunner · Nov 28, 2014

mdocod :

The AMD FX series CPU's start to throttle the frequency between 62° - 65° C socket temp.This is not to say the temps don't go higher but this is the temp the system starts to try to cool its self down. If you reach 75° socket temp the CPU has been throttling for a while and your cooling is insufficient. It is not uncommon to see these temps with a stock cooler and a standard case with just one exhaust fan but with a good cooler and proper case air flow, at stock frequency's (3.5 base and 4.0 boost) the 8320's will stay in the 50's for temp easily.

The point to spending more than $125 on a AM3+ motherboard is for stability, features, OC potential and longevity. Yes you can spend less money and get less features, vrm's that don't run as cool, less OC option in the bios, and a 1-2 year warranty. But as this socket is getting older you will find more and more on the market as people switch to an Intel system because AMD has not got the performance potential Intel does added to the fact the 8300's are now over 2 years old and the 9 -series chipsets are now pushing 3 years old. This, for an enthusiast, is old and out of date hardware. This is very common at the End Of Life cycle of sockets, you will find that the market is also flooded with Z77, Z87 boards now because of the new chipset out.

Calculatron · Nov 28, 2014

With purchasing another motherboard, he's already taken thrown cost-benefit out the window. The bright side of him having spent the extra money is that not only does he have a superior quality motherboard, but he can convert it into a sort of home-server when he is finished with this build.

mdocod · Nov 29, 2014

bgunner :

Sorry I have to disagree with this. I have not seen ANY AMD AM3+ motherboard begin to throttle at 62-65C temps reported from the socket or VRMs. Most boards initiate throttling when socket temps reach 70-85C (varies by brand). Keep in mind that not all temp reporting means the same thing. An 80C temp reported on one board might be the same as a 70C temp reported on another board. The key here is precision, not accuracy.

Suguru · Nov 29, 2014

OK, I will share some videos (sorry for the quality) I made for friend to let him know how the build looked like.

This here is the video of the OLD CASE and ASRock mobo build with Shadw Rock 2 - but as you can see, there is almost no airflow and there was only one fan at the back to exhaust the heat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDummeCpC7o

And this here is how my new PC Case looks like (SilentiumPC) with total of 5 fans mounted, but with my old PC build and old mobo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HUAV2MXRfw

What would you recommend as a substitute for the Shadow Rock 2? Maybe some top-down coolers? I really hope that Shadow Rock 2 will suffice @_@

Calculatron · Nov 29, 2014

I would wait and see how things run with your Sabertooth R2.0 motherboard, first.

EDIT - The Shadow Rock 2 should be sufficient, especially for running at stock. Depending on the silicon lottery, it may be able to handle an overclock up to 4.4 ghz.

Suguru · Nov 29, 2014

Yeah, I will be running my rig on stock, I have no intention of overclocking it, as there aren't too many demanding games (at least the ones I play) and this setup should play the games really nice.

If I'll get the throttling again - I will add some extra fans to cool down VRMs and maybe N/SB. If that won't help - I'll sell this 8320 and buy Phenom, or something...

Hope that the new case and mobo will suffice, fingers crossed!

bgunner · Nov 29, 2014

mdocod :

bgunner :

Sorry I have to disagree with this. I have not seen ANY AMD AM3+ motherboard begin to throttle at 62-65C temps reported from the socket or VRMs. Most boards initiate throttling when socket temps reach 70-85C (varies by brand). Keep in mind that not all temp reporting means the same thing. An 80C temp reported on one board might be the same as a 70C temp reported on another board. The key here is precision, not accuracy.

I have seen this happen with an FX 6120, Multiple 8320's and 8350's, this is why I say what I do. If using HWmonitor from CPUID the CPU temp is the socket temp. This throttling temp is derived from different motherboards.

mdocod · Nov 29, 2014

bgunner,

I use linux. Socket temps are reported through the SuperIO chip and read by (in this case) an it87 kernel module, and CPU core temps are reported by the CPU and read by the K10temp kernel module. I've tested this stuff pretty extensively on 3 separate AM3+ boards, and read or participated in dozens of threads around the internet discussing these exact issues.

I have not seen or heard of or experienced an AM3+ board throttling at 62C socket temps.

bgunner · Nov 29, 2014

I stand corrected on the socket temp because I was confusing the Core temp and the Socket temp. IF the cores hit 62° C the CPU starts to throttle. This is why I always recommend using AOD to monitor the temp at which the CPU will start to throttle. No matter what the temp monitors read, this temp will tell you if you are throttling due to temp. I did mention this on a previous post, my first post to be exact, in this thread. (applies to Windows OS only) I to have extensively tested these chips (FX) along with Phenom II's, Athlon II's and Core 2's. Not to mention read and participated also in may threads across the net on my findings.

Suguru · Dec 3, 2014

Hello all! ^_^

At first I have to say I am so excited, that I'm bursting into joy every minute

I built the PC and started it up - working great up to now (hope it stays that way!)

I turned off the Turbo Core option and APM, also got the VRM Current Control to 100% from 130%

Now it is constant 3.5GHz and is working marvelously - these are the temperatures under stress while playing Lords of the Fallen - http://qs.lc/drydd

I don't really want to OC the PC now, as the change from 2core CPU 3GHz to 8core 3,5GHz will suffice

Additionally, made some video to show my friedna again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDFMlnhvYDE

Thanks to all that have been aswering me and guided me on it. I REALLY HOPE that now I won't get that damn throttling issue T_T

Calculatron · Dec 3, 2014

Those are really good temperatures! Congrats.

FX-8320 - problem with getting a GOOD motherboard for this CPU

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