Overclocking AMD FX-8320 on an Asus M5A97 2.0

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vestedchicken65

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i am looking to overclock my cpu but i am quite new to this, so i was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me what i have to know about overclocking before overclock my cpu, or if anyone has or knows what would be good voltage etc for overclocking this cpu on a similar MOBO
System Specs:
MOBO - Asus M5A97 R2.0
CPU - AMD FX-8320
GPU - Nvidia Geforce GTX 960
RAM - 8GB
OS - Windows 8.1 pro (soon to upgrade to windows 10)
CPU Cooler - Cooler MAster Hyper 212 evo
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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Overclocking though BIOS is the way to go. AMD Overdrive a great utility for monitoring your FX CPU, but overclocking though it is not recommended due to stability issues. Overclocking though BIOS will not only give higher overclocks but will also yield more stable overclocks. A great place to start is to read the following guide:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1140459/bulldozer-overclocking-guide-performance-scaling-charts-max-ocs-ln2-results-coming
Piledriver overclocks the same way Bulldozer does as Piledriver is next generation Bulldozer so the FX 8150 will overclock in the same manner as the FX 8350.
 
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Outlander_04

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Software like Overdrive over clocks by making changes to the BIOS .
It also gives a first time a great deal of safety because they can stress test as they go
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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The best way is to know what you are doing by educating yourself with the bios guides so you know what the program is doing to your computer. Letting a program just have at your system's bios by utilizing its one size fits all type subroutines is not advisable and can lead to system stability and overheating problems. No overclocker is going to recommend Overdrive over overclocking though bios. Overdrive stress test is also not as good as a Prime 95 torture test for true stability, You don't want your computer somewhat stable you want it 100%.

Trust me, read the guide get to know your system and your bios and you will be better off for it and will achieve a better more stable overclock.
 
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Outlander_04

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Overdrive has granular control of most of the settings in a BIOS . Far less safe than letting "a program have at your systems BIOS" is to make wholesale changes there manually .
You may well get more extreme over clocks making changes manually in BIOS but there is no way you would be as safe .

Obviously you have never used overdrive . I suggest you try that before you make any more comments
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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Anyone who overclocks an FX processor and knows about the hardware uses Overdrive. The difference is people who have extreme overclocks with the best possible Vcore and true system stability don't allow Overdrive to make change one to their system. We use overdrive to monitor the CPU's true core temperature as most hardware monitors get false readings of the core temp. Only Overdrive will show the true temp of FX processor all the time. So I do use Overdrive, am very familiar with its strengths and weaknesses. Every overclocker starts off as a "noob" and learns their system frontwards and back and achieves the best possible overclock at the lowest Vcore with true system stability. Overdrive typically uses more Vcore than is necessary, producing more heat than necessary for an overclock that can be achieved at lower Vcore and lower temp (and as we know heat kills). Recommending a noob use Overdrive to overclock over learning what overclocking really is and how to do it though bios is handicapping them and their systems. Will an Overdrive overclock even pass Prime 95 blend for 24hrs?

When you learn how to do it yourself in little increments you learn how to achieve a small overclock at low Vcore, then push it higher and adjust to stable, push it higher test for stable test for heat, achieve the systems optimal overclock at lowest Vcore and best stability. For everyday use my FX 8370 gaming system is 4.5Ghz @ 1.26V, cranked up to max its 5.3Ghz @ 1.5V. I guarantee Overdrive isn't going to get my system to 5.3Ghz, it won't even get it to 5Ghz which I hit @ 1.44V. Overdrive is a great monitoring tool, but not a great way to overclock.
 
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Outlander_04

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As the OP said they are new to overclocking . They could spend a long time learning and tweaking as you suggest . They can also spend 30 minutes letting Overdrive make the hard decisions for them .
There is far less risk using overdrive . FAR LESS . Since it will also be stress testing as it tunes and will always stay well away from an overheating situation.
You are well out of line to suggest there is more risk with overdrive . The exact opposite is true
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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Overdrive typically won't damage a system, but it will give you a more unstable hotter system than you will achieve though bios overclocking. Overdrive typically sets the Vcore higher than it needs to be to hit the targeted overclock resulting in more heat production. That is a stability issue. You may not notice this issue while doing normal tasks or even video gaming (as most games are going more GPU intensive than CPU intensive) however when you go to do something like video editing, or any massively intensive CPU chore your going to have higher heat produced than is necessary. If Overdrive were 100% safe it wouldn't have a warning that you do it at your own risk and void your warranty once you use it. Its a good tool, but too vague in its coding and sets Vcore too high for lower overclocks.

Its far better for a noob to read over the guides (I posted a good one but there are other good ones out there too) get to know their bios, understand what changes they are making, make very small incremental changes and achieve the best overclock possible. Along the way that person knows how computers work a heck of a lot better too, at the end they will be an overclocker and not a noob. Using Overdrive at the end they are still a noob that doesn't understand what the program did. Its like arguing why go to school and learn for yourself when Google can give you the answer- take away Google and then what?

Believe me, no one at Overclock.net is going to boast about their Overdrive overclock nor recommend using Overdrive over bios overclocking.
 
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vestedchicken65

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Do you think this would be a good, simple and reliable guide to follow for me to do my first overclock?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MckeAmnDeTk
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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Some will disagree with me here but I actually like Jayz Two Cents. The guy is a hoot and he gives good information. There is noting wrong following this video while doing your first overclock. Keep in mind that your processor will overclock differently than his (every processor is different and overclocks differently) and he may have different motherboard, psu, ram, ect. Following his guide is a good way to do your first overclock. In addition to the programs he is using I would also install and use Overdrive to monitor your CPU temp. HWmonitor is a great utility but sometimes reports false temps for AMD FX CPUs. Overdrive will tell you how much temp you have left till you reach critical temp (ie if it says 20C you have 20C left till you hit a critical temp). I also like re-enabling Cool n Quiet after you have your stable best overclock- Cool n Quiet will lower your operating seed when not needed. My rig, even when set at 5.3Ghz will idle run at 1.4Ghz and crank up to 5.3Ghz when I launch a program and more power is needed. I find it better than having the computer run "balls to the wall" all the time.

Good luck with your first overclock and let me know if you need any more help.
 
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ohiou_grad_2006

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I am in the camp that says use the bios. I've got an fx 8120 at 4.2ghz, which stock it's only 3.1ghz. I think I only put voltage up one step, and used the multiplier. My system max gets into the 40s even under full load.

I actually use hwmonitor on my temps instead of overdrive but I've been running the system stable like this for over a year.
 
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Outlander_04

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If you follow the JayZ video you may well get the fastest possible overclock . But immediately you will be running the processor at its overclock 100% of the time .
Normally a processor will slow down to save power when the maximum speed is not needed . Usually an FX processor sits at 1400 MHz and only speeds up when needed . Follow that video and you are suddenly and continuously running at 4800 MHz and using much more power . Hundreds of watts of extra heat , more fans , more noise .
If you want that fine . Personally I think its a waste of power and will shorten the life of the processor

For myself the choice is to take some extra performance and to keep all the power saving options enabled . The chip is not pushed to its limits all the time . You are not burning 200 watts all the time , but when you need it there is extra power available
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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If you bothered reading my post I already addressed that issue. That is why I instructed the OP to enable Cool n Quiet after he achieves his best possible overclock for his rig. Cool n Quiet will allow the processor to idle at 1.4Ghz and only ramp up to overclock when needed.
 
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Voyager_G

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AMD Overdrive is a very helpful utility for OC newbies. It offered me very helpful tests on how far I could OC before doing OC in BIOS. After doing OC in BIOS I got rid of AMD Overdrive from the system. My FX-8320 got as far as 4.6 GHz stable.
 
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Outlander_04

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Most of what you have written wasnt that interesting and this isnt either since you wont be able to run your best possible overclock and have cool'n'quiet enabled .
Thats why people turn it off in the first place
 
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Redneck5439

Redneck5439

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You should really stop posting on this tread as you clearly have no concept of overclocking short of launching a program and clicking start. I'm sure your a master of launching Overdrive and praying it gives you a good overclock, but you have no idea of what the actual bios settings do or how to use them. I have no idea how some people on Toms get their badges but overclocking is A LOT more than just using Overdrive. I suggest you read the actual AMD FX overclocking guides, visit overclocking forums (like Overclock.net) and learn what the settings do and how do use them before you make a post that illustrates how little you know on the subject.

You first turn off Cool n Quiet as you don't want to be testing an new overclock with a utility enabled that can scale back your processor. Next you obtain your maximum overclock, the video on Jayz 2 cents is fine to follow. Once you have reached the best overclock at which your system is totally stable (and Prime 95 test the heck out of it) you can go back into BIOS and enable Cool n Quiet, and Just Cool n Quiet nothing else. A lot of the other energy and power utilization settings won't work with an overclock (ie if you overclock you can't use turbo core so its pointless to turn on). Cool n Quiet will work with even the highest overclocks possible for your system. I've been building and repairing systems as a side business for over 10 years now and have never overclocked an AMD processor and left it at maximum clock 24/7, its a waste of power and will shorten the CPU life with heat production.
 
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