Can't overclock the AMD FX-4100 to 5GHz... Any help?

PlymouthJoseph · May 22, 2015

I have just bought a new cooler for my FX-4100 and I have been trying to overclock it. Before, with my stock cooler, I managed to get it to 4GHz easy but now my goal is trying to get to 5GHz, which I have managed to do and get it to boot and run. I'm running with it now, but the thing is, when I do a stress test, the program and gadgets stop working, and then if I go to open the Stress Test again (Heavy Load) my computer will just crash and either bluescreen or just simply restart. I want to know what is doing this. I have never had this problem with any other overclock I have done with Intel.

Something else I have realized is that I can change my multiplier by 0.5 and it kinda works... If I put it to 4900MHz it with nearly no problems... But the weird thing is, when I use HeavyLoad and do the CPU Stress Test, it will crash and reboot but when I do the CPU burn test in FurMark, it doesn't? but yet, the FurMark is putting out more heat and is still maxing out the CPU... What is going on?

The cooler I'm using is the Zalman ENPS10x Optima

Here is a screenshot of my BIOS overclock settings: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By7ttLpsxRWCcXBBMFBGbzhuazQ/view?usp=sharing

If anyone can find a problem here, please tell me.

Oh, and if there is a way to overclock my RAM to 1600 or even 1866? Every time I try, it won't boot correctly and it'll reset some of my custom changes.

Many thanks

- Joe

okcnaline · May 25, 2015

I guess instability? Seems like it. Try lowering the voltage to 1.6120V. If not, keep a bit of pressuring up.

PlymouthJoseph · May 25, 2015

Tried all voltages, and what do ya mean by pressuring up?

okcnaline · May 25, 2015

Like bumping it to 1.6130V. And add .0005 volts whenever it doesn't work until it's stable.

PlymouthJoseph · May 25, 2015

okcnaline :

I can only bump it up in set increments... And I have tried more volts... It just stays unstable and I don't wanna go into the 1.7 range because I still only have a air cooler... :/

barto · May 25, 2015

I could be mistaken, but I think the max voltage is 1.55.
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/706819-FX-4100-Voltages
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/702378-Bulldozer-max-CPU-voltage

I'd back off if I were you. You're goal might be unreachable on air.

Calculatron · May 25, 2015

What Motherboard do you have?
(I'm guessing Gigabyte?)

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

My entire computer spec:

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3
CPU: AMD FX-4100 with Zalman CNPS10X Optima cooler
RAM: 8GB Kingston HyperX
GPU: XFX Radeon HD 6670 2GB DDR3
SSD: Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB
PSU: ---
Old: Corsair VS450
New: EVGA SuperNOVA 750watt G2 (Currently installed)

I have tried all different voltages with with the 5GHz and none wants to run stable and I don't know why.

Hope this helps.

Kenrou · May 26, 2015

Maybe your chip wasn't made well enough to go that high or you simply don't have enough air flow, i had a FX4100 a couple years ago and it only hit 4.2ghz with the same settings i have on my current. But one thing i can say is that your VCore is too high and it will cause instability, if memory serves they are 1.55 max ?

QuadCore AMD FX-4300, 4700 MHz (23.5 x 200) CPU 1.308v - CPU/NB 1.2v - CPU/VDDA 2.5V
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - 1x120mm stock
Asus Crosshair V Formula
MSI GeForce GTX 660ti - N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC
8gb Corsair Vengeance LP CML8GX3M2A1600C9 - 9-9-9-24 1600mhz
Corsair Enthusiast Series™ TX750 — 80 PLUS® Certified Power Supply
Zalman Z9 U3 - 3x Evo Labs 140mm 1000rpm (1x front, 2x top) - 2x Evo Labs 120mm 2300rpm (back, bottom (PSU was taking too much space for a 140mm fan))

madmatt30 · May 26, 2015

most 4100's top out 4.5ghz ish ,1.42 volts

thats about all id want to push honestly with a zalman 10 on that board

bulldozers hate high voltage - temps will go through the roof once you pass a certain voltage threshold

whats your rams native speed ???

if its 1600mhz you need to enter all timings & voltage to get it to run past 1333mhz,simply setting the ram clock to 8 (1600mhz) will keep the 1333 timings & cause a non boot or system instability

Calculatron · May 26, 2015

To me, it seems that the issue lies in your motherboards. The voltage regulator module has "only" 4+1 phases, and the heatsink on it is rather small. It is probably overheating, and hitting a failsafe switch to prevent damage. Although it is an AM3+ motherboard, it is pretty low-end, so it wasn't meant for heavy overclocking or the 8-cores (although it can run an FX-8370).

If you want, you could try putting a fan over your VRM, to see if the additional cooling helps. But, uh, yeah. You'll want to keep the voltage at around 1.5V, if you expect any sort of longevity. I wouldn't be too disappointed with not being any to get to 5.0ghz; the FX-4100 was a lower-binned part. You probably wouldn't notice the difference between it and 4.6ghz, anyway.

Kenrou · May 26, 2015

BTW i see no mention of temperatures, i do 55 Celsius on Prime95 overnight. Since your CPU cooler is worse then mine i am curious to see how far you're pushing it ?

QuadCore AMD FX-4300, 4700 MHz (23.5 x 200) CPU 1.308v - CPU/NB 1.2v - CPU/VDDA 2.5V
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - 1x120mm stock
Asus Crosshair V Formula
MSI GeForce GTX 660ti - N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC
8gb Corsair Vengeance LP CML8GX3M2A1600C9 - 9-9-9-24 1600mhz
Corsair Enthusiast Series™ TX750 — 80 PLUS® Certified Power Supply
Zalman Z9 U3 - 3x Evo Labs 140mm 1000rpm (1x front, 2x top) - 2x Evo Labs 120mm 2300rpm (back, bottom (PSU was taking too much space for a 140mm fan))

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Well, I have just gotten it to boot running at 5GHz while having it at a 1.6125 volt.

While at 4.5GHz, I did a 24 hour test while still using the PC with Prime95 and my highest temp was 36c. I know what when I overclock it to 5GHz, the split second it is running at 100%, it reaches 42-ish but I haven't seen it get any hotter.

My RAM is at 1333 but I have tried everything to get it to run at 1600 but it will just not boot. I have a screenshot on that Google Drive link of my bios settings. If you wanna have a look, you can see, if anything, what I am doing wrong.

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Well, once I tried to open OpenHardwareMonitor, it maxed out 1 core and it crashed... I tried upping the voltage to 1.65 and it still wouldn't work... So I'm back to 4.5GHz

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Here is a link to my BIOS settings:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By7ttLpsxRWCQmdTbjgzUTROSlE/view?usp=sharing

Here is a link to my BIOS setting, with it showing my voltage clocks I can have. There is more above and below the once you can see though:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By7ttLpsxRWCSFVtWTViZ0c0Y00/view?usp=sharing

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Oh, and on a unrelated note...
Is there any software I can download so I can keep a eye on my new PSU's temps, fan speeds, usage any everything?

Kenrou · May 26, 2015

You are reading your temps wrong m8, even on water cooling you rarely get temps so low with that massive OC and voltage. With Open Hardware Monitor you have several temperatures for the CPU, 1 Core inside the CPU tab that is always really low unless u push it and another above it, you have to find it, that idles around 30-40 (mine idles at +- 40) ?

That is the one u should watch for, not the one that is always low. Guide yourself by that one, and try not to go above 60, what you described sounded like CPU overheating.

To compare check my specs below, i am 4700 MHz (23.5 x 200) 1.308v a lot lower then you're 1.65v

QuadCore AMD FX-4300, 4700 MHz (23.5 x 200) CPU 1.308v - CPU/NB 1.2v - CPU/VDDA 2.5V
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - 1x120mm stock
Asus Crosshair V Formula
MSI GeForce GTX 660ti - N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC
8gb Corsair Vengeance LP CML8GX3M2A1600C9 - 9-9-9-24 1600mhz
Corsair Enthusiast Series™ TX750 — 80 PLUS® Certified Power Supply
Zalman Z9 U3 - 3x Evo Labs 140mm 1000rpm (1x front, 2x top) - 2x Evo Labs 120mm 2300rpm (back, bottom (PSU was taking too much space for a 140mm fan))

Calculatron · May 26, 2015

Use AMD Overdrive, or AIDA64, to take a look at your clockrates while you are stresstesting at 4.5ghz. Is your processor staying at 4.5ghz, or is it downclocking?

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

From what I can see, it keeps changing from 4519.9MHz to 3716.4MHz...
I do think I know how to make it stop changing... But it set my clock speed to 4520 which was annoying me because it wasn't a factor of 100... :/

What exactly does this mean?

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Well, what I thought it was, was wrong... I thought it was AMD K8 Cool&Quiet.
I disabled it and it is still running at 3716.5 MHz but now it is jumping down to 3316.7 MHz at times... It is till jumping up to 4519.9 MHz, but not very often.

So, what exactly is doing this?

Kenrou · May 26, 2015

Don't know if i can link to another forum but here goes. You don't need anything except Open Hardware Monitor and possibly CPU-Z for screenshots and troubleshooting. Take a look at my pics and see the differences. AMD Overdrive is needlessly complicated to use and AIDA (although exceedingly good) has too many things you will not need.

Check in BIOS if u have settings for power savings features in the CPU and turn them all off, it is whats down-clocking yours.

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/756415-FX-4300-overclocking-tips?p=7796955#post7796955

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Well, after looking though the whole of my BIOS and looking up my motherboard, I still cannot find anything which would turn it off... :/

Kenrou · May 26, 2015

How about your power options profile in Windows ? is it set to high performance ? when u go into advanced do u see any option to change the percentage of speed/use of the CPU ? if so, set them all to 100%, should fix it until u find the power saving options in the BIOS, which are called (or are some variation of) :

Cool'n'Quiet, SVM, C1E, C3, C6, C7, HPCM, APM, Speedstep (intel) - turn them all off

These are just the ones i remember, there are more i think.

PlymouthJoseph · May 26, 2015

Kenrou :

Well, Windows is on High Performance. And I will do that, but I will take a picture and upload it, and you tell me which ones to turn on and off?

barto · May 26, 2015

So, 36C at 5GHz. I'm going to have to say that's not right. And because of that, I'd bet your frequency keeps dropping because it's overheating and the motherboard is automatically throttling the CPU to reduce heat. As others have pointed out, the motherboard isn't designed for overclocking.

http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/supportlist.html

Can't overclock the AMD FX-4100 to 5GHz... Any help?

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