Gaming 7 6600k OC Voltage

make sure you have the right version of prime 95 testing.....i know i had allot of issues before with temps/voltage etc and the version i was running wasnt up to snuff and gave me misinformation..so that being said make sure of that before.
anyhow give some more info for people..what kind of system you runnin and cooling water/air? could be a silicon lottery thing too. GL

Your temp (60 C) is great and your voltage (1.35 V) is very good for 4.6 GHz. I need to set it at 1.41 V to have an absolutely stable 4.6 GHz (although 1.40 V would be just sufficiently stable for everyday use). What you observed with your voltages is a little "controversial" I agree but not exactly "all over the place".

The voltages cycle through a fixed set of values: (in V): ...1.284, 1.296, 1.308, 1.320, 1.332, 1.344, 1.356, 1.368, 1.380, 1.392, 1.404 etc... in bounces of 12 mV. Depending on the quality of your CPU (some are better than others), you will "need" specific values set in the BIOS for CPU VCore. Yours are pretty good. With LLC (CPU Load Line Calibration) left on "Auto" (i.e. not set on "High"), I myself need 1.283 V for 4.3 GHz, 1.29 V for 4.4 GHz, 1.35 V for 4.5 GHz and 1.41 V for 4.6 GHz in order to remain stable on Prime95 for over 2 H, and roughly the same values less 0.050 V when setting LLC on "High". As you can see, +1/10 GHz (100 MHz) like going from 4.4 GHz to 4.5 GHz needs +60 mV (0.060 V) each time in the BIOS setting. This increases significantly the power consumption and therefore the temp and the resulting noise (fans).

Each frequency has a max voltage set, for example, with LLC left on "Auto", a CPU VCore Voltage of 1.35 V set in the BIOS corresponds (in my case) to a max VCore of 1.344 V but will cycle down while under load to 1.332 and even 1.320 V. Under load, the voltage is reduced to lower the power because the current increases and Power (W) = Voltage (V) x Current (A) (the formula is: P = U x I). This is a protection mechanism of the motherboard for the CPU. The voltage drop itself is called "vDroop".
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You can even do a little better by setting the "Uncore Ratio" to the same value as the "CPU Clock Ratio" -1 (note minus one) - for example: Uncore Ratio = 45 if your CPU Clock Ratio = 46 (4.6 GHz). That helps a little with the voltage (VCore), the performance and the overall resulting temp. You have to set it manually in the BIOS, otherwise it will remain at the stock value of 35 (3.5 GHz) which affects (drags down) the cache's ability to work with the CPU with sufficient speed. If you set the Uncore Ratio exactly to the CPU Core Ratio value (46), you will get BSODs (blue screen crashes) because of a timing (or course) error, like CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT for example. This comes from an unstable (jittery) frequency that jumps over the CPU frequency.
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My Overclocking Effort
------------------------------
The only settings I applied (manually in the BIOS of my Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI motherboard) to run at 4.6 GHz are for the CPU VCore at 1.355 V, CPU Core Ratio at 46, Uncore Ratio at 45, FCLK at 1 GHz, XMP on Profile 1, LLC on High, and Internal Graphics - Disabled (using graphics cards). All the other settings are left on their default value (except for the memory of course).

And for the memory: Memory Enhancement Settings to "Relax OC", Command Rate (tCMD) 1 (as in "1 T"), System Memory Multiplier (32), CAS Latency (15), tRCD (17), tRP (17), tRAS (28) under 1.35 V --> that is 3200 MHz all starting from 4 stock standard C14 HyperX Fury 2133 sticks of 4 GB each (total 16 GB).... easy (even stable from 1.28 V but set on 1.35 V to ensure extra stability over time as per the HWDB test --> http://hw-db.com/memory/2687/hyperx-hx421c14fbk2-16-review/2

My temps are low at around 60C max on IBT (Intel Burn Test), 52C in-game, 55C absolute max on Prime95 (constant) with a cheap single fan air CPU cooler at 22 C ambient temp. Here is a picture of the inside of my rig (note 15 fans in total): http://imageshack.com/a/img923/3196/PjaqTS.png

Long story short It's called vdroop, LLC(load line calibration) can stop vdroop, find it on your motherboard and set it to high and you should be able to dial down the vcore a bit.

"Long story short" but it's also good to understand some of the processes behind the "blind recipes". On Asus there is no high, you set LLC on a scale from 1 to 7, and it's for you to test what works best for your own situation. And for that you need to understand at least a little bit about how it works, what LLC does,... and from that what you are supposed to do with it in order to "dial down the vcore a bit" as you wrote.

The moment you figure out that LLC is like a "leash" that you can use to prevent the voltage from varying wildly (up and down) and cause crashes, you know why having it stronger is a good thing.

That's why I said," LLC can stops vdroop" lol
I have an Asus motherboard, when I used manual vcore and LLC I used level 5 LLC, most Asus users use level 4-5

Would these settings work for basically anyone with a Z170 chip-set and an Intel Skylake 6600K processor? I'm thinking about overclocking a rig I just built this past week but haven't overclocked a system in quite a long time. I figure the settings would change slightly depending on the overclock one is going for? In other words, if I was looking to OC at 4.2ghz I would change the Uncore ratio to 41 and lower the voltage a little?

Thanks,

-laz.

On the whole the settings are the same. When overclocking past a certain point, the voltage has to be increased (rather than lowered) from the original value which starts around 1.20 V (don't remember exactly). That gives the CPU more "muscle" to handle the extra processing speed, like using "super" instead of "regular" gasoline ;-), which is what we are after.

Before you start, close everything running on your PC and run a "CPU" test on Cinebench R15 (free download) before and after you OC to compare the improvement in performance ("CPU" is the second of two test types offered on Cinebench). It takes only a minute. I currently reach 767. You should already come close to 750 at 4.2 GHz.

In terms of OC, 4.2 GHz is still quite tame, so you don't even need to increase the voltage (the default will be sufficient) if you want a quick "easy going" overclock to "get back in the saddle" so to speak, after a long time. Setting the cash ratio (the Uncore) at 41 is fine (one less than the CPU) although it will not make much difference. After that you can leave everything else untouched to start with.

See also if you can save your initial setup before you start changing anything (although this is not absolutely necessary as it will automatically reverse to it if required). And please feel free to let me know how you progress. Going from 3.5 GHz to 4.2 GHz is a 20% increase already (good on you!). By the way, what memory do you have? That can also play a part in your overall performance result and be tweaked a little. Let's extract more juice out of this baby... after all, you paid for it

You are right but I just avoided to introduce yet another "thing" like Vdroop, especially after the LLC thingy. It doesn't make it easier to follow and only opens up to more questions. And we don't wanna go into a Vdroop explanation as well now.. do we

Thanks for the advice Phil.

I've got 16MB of 2x8 Crucial Ballistic Sport 2400 http://

So you start with 2400 MHz with 16-16-16-39 timings and at a command rate of 2T on the standard 1.20 V.

You can easily stay at 2400MHz (memory multiplier at 24) but with 11-12-12-31 timings (better) and a command rate (CR) of 1T (better still) at the very slightly higher voltage of 1.30 V (still perfectly safe all way up to 1.35 V) as explained here:
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/7147/crucial-ballistix-sport-ddr4-2400-16gb-quad-channel-memory-kit-review/index.html
... and where it says:
<<Not only does the XMP profile offer higher results than the baseline, but once the timings are as tight as can be with an added speed boost, we got some of the best results ever here, including much faster kits we have tested in the past.>>

If I were you I would go for this setting (11-12-12-31 @ 1.30V). Just remember that to overclock the memory, you must first find the parameter called X.M.P. (Extreme Memory Profile) and set it to "Profile 1". Otherwise it may not change to the timings you want.

Then you run Cinebench again to test the CPU and observe the gain in performance. It should make a visible difference.

Hey Phil,

Sorry for the belated reply. I've been taken off task all day and still haven't even done a baseline benchmark. Concerning that, should I worry about programs running in my tasks bar, i.e., shut them down before running the benchmark? And should I try and get my idle temps down to 21c before running Cinebench, to try and keep a good baseline temp?

(I'm idling at the desktop between 21c-25c).

I'll check out the link for my ram after I've done the benchmark test.

Thanks,

-laz.

Hi John,

A baseline is mainly used for the purpose of comparison (with your own results and also that of others, to gauge how well you are progressing). It's best to take it when all other applications are shut down so as to isolate purely the performance of the CPU without interference. Any other application will consume a few cycles of the CPU even when idling.

Your temps (21C - 25C) are good (I am closer to 30C at idle), don't worry about them. The benchmark will only slightly raise the temps. Heavy tests like Prime95 could raise them a lot more, but not Cinebench. By the way, as long as you remain under 70C-75 C you are super safe with a 6600K... so you still have a long way to go.

Hi Laz,

A baseline is mainly used for the purpose of comparison (with your own results and also that of others, to gauge how well you are progressing). It's best to take it when all other applications are shut down so as to isolate purely the performance of the CPU without interference. Any other application will consume a few cycles of the CPU even when idling.

Your temps (21C - 25C) are good (I am closer to 30C at idle), don't worry about them. The benchmark will only slightly raise the temps. Heavy tests like Prime95 could raise them a lot more, but not Cinebench. By the way, as long as you remain under 70C-75 C you are super safe with a 6600K... so you still have a long way to go.

Click to expand...

Good morning Phil,

I got my first modest overclock stable (after making some mistakes the first go round). I'm not happy with the CPU voltage though, as it seems high for a 4.2GHz OC on a Skylake chip@1.315v.

The first mistake I made was messing with Bios setting while Turbo was enabled, XMP was enabled and the MSI Gaming/Overclock Software was enabled. I didn't read my manual and it caused a myriad of problems. After realizing what I did wrong things went smoother.

So I turned off all of those settings (in the Bios and in Windows).

I ran Cinebench like you suggested and something strange happened AFTER the overclock. The OpenGL score went down. I'm assuming they went down because XMP has been disabled and I haven't yet dealt with any memory setting in the Bios? Does that sound about right to you? I have a weak discrete graphics card (PNY GT 740 2GB DDR3 - Low profile card). My CPU scores did go up but there is a backstory to that also, but I'll refrain from speaking about it right now as I still need advice on more pressing issues.

I also ran Intel Burn Test (IBT), supposedly a better option then Prime95 for Skylake chips. I passed the first two tests with ease (after adjusting voltage to 1.315) but the system would freeze/crash if I tried "Very High" or "Maximum". I got a warning on the "Very High" setting and my processor temps reached 80 so IBT automatically stopped the test. This was disappointing since I had past both of those tests before the overclock without any problems at all. I also used AIDA64 Extreme's "System Stability Test" (SST) and the machine ran fine for over a half hour without any problems. (Apparently IBT is brutal on a chip and runs it at maximum temp while Prime 95 is a bit more gentle, or so I have read).

What I haven't messed with in the BIOS yet:

FCLK
DRAM Settings
C-State (and some of the other power-saving options)


I think I'd like to go for a 4.4GHz OC or a 4.5GHz overclock once I've worked out everything on the current 4.2GHz OC. I'm wondering if my Cool Master Hyper 212 EVO cooler would be able to handle it? Currently I idle at around 25c and during load it can go up from anywhere between 30c-52c (haven't tried playing any games yet).

I have a NZXT S340 case which comes with two exhaust fans (one at the back and the other at the back-top of the case, exhausting the air straight up and out of the case). The air intake comes from the front. I was thinking about adding two 120mm fans for intake and changing the top-back fan to a 140mm fan. Do you think I could get away with trying a 4.4 OC before getting some extra fans?

One last question. I tried to take some screen shots while I was in the BIOS. For whatever reason the function did not work for me. Any ideas on how to correct this error?

Thanks Phil,

-laz.

Hi John,

You may be able to cope with the temps with your current settings - just need to try - although of course it is always better to cool more (make sure also that your fans are positioned and work the way you intend - e.g. use a piece of tissue or something to check the direction in which they blow). You can find some good cooling advice here: http://www.heatsink-guide.com/

This is what I did in my rig: http://imageshack.com/a/img923/3196/PjaqTS.png

Following are the only settings I personally applied to run at a very safe 4.6 GHz by setting VCore to 1.355 V in the BIOS. You could try the same for ALL the parameters that I changed (although this is a Gigabyte motherboard) EXCEPT that you start with the CPU Clock Ratio at 4.4 GHz (44) with the Uncore - or cache - Ratio set at 4.3 GHz (43) and with CPU VCore at 1.31 V. If it is not stable, increase VCore slightly (1.32 V, 1.33 V, etc.). If it is stable, reduce slightly until you see have reached the limit, then come back a little bit for increased stability. Watch your temps in real time with CPUID HWMonitor (free download: http://download.cnet.com/HWMonitor/3000-2094_4-10793486.html). Use Cinebench for the CPU only at this point (not OpenGL yet - that's more for the graphics - needs to set the memory first for this, and have a look perhaps at overclocking your graphics card - if possible).

Here is my complete BIOS dump (remember that Gigabyte may not call everything in exactly the same way as on your particular motherboard but you should be able to identify the settings). As you can see, I don't touch the C states. Just modify what I modified, the remaining is really not worth it and can interfere negatively (been there, done that, came out of it completely). But don't touch the memory yet, and when you do it, use a Memory Multiplier of 24 (2400 MHz) with 11-12-12-31 timings at 1.30 V and a (tCMD) Command Rate (CR) of 1T (don't use my own settings - different memory chips).

The numbers in the summary just below correspond to their indicated position in the BIOS (see the arrows). Identify them one by one and make sure that nothing else is modified. In fact it may be better for you to reset your BIOS before starting to make sure that nothing else is different. Get this right first with temps remaining ideally below 70 C while under load. I still prefer Prime95 to test, first a blend test (default) for CPU stability (1 Hour at least), then a heat test for 30 min. Note your max temps on HWMonitor (they are shown in real time). Make sure before you quit the BIOS that your XMP is still on profile 1, and hasn't be reset.

Try to change one or two setting values max. at the same time, otherwise you will never know what causes what issue. Modify your BIOS manually, not with ANY software, no matter how reputable. They tend to change a whole lot of other things without telling. You'll get there but it takes a little patience and perseverance.

- This parameter: [7]-CPU VCore Loadline Calibration (LLC) on High
will enable you to lower your voltage quite a lot and increase the stability of your overclock. On an ASUS motherboard is is usually set at 4 or 5 (on a scale from 1 to 7).
- This parameter: [4]-FCLK at 1 GHz
will also increase your stability and is really a must.

----8 for the CPU:
[1]-CPU VCore at 1.355 V,
[2]-CPU Core Ratio at 46,
[3]-Uncore Ratio at 45,
[4]-FCLK at 1 GHz,
[5]-Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) on "Profile 1",
[6]-PCH at 1.000 V,
[7]-CPU VCore Loadline Calibration (LLC) on High, and
[8]-Internal Graphics Disabled (using graphics cards instead).
and
----- 8 for the memory:
[9]- System Memory Multiplier (32),
[10]-CAS Latency (15),
[11]-tRCD (17),
[12]-tRP (17),
[13]-tRAS (28),
[14]-DRAM Voltage (CH A/B) 1.30 V (from 1.28 V stable to ensure increased stability), and
[15]-Memory Enhancement Settings to "Relax OC"
[16]-Command Rate (tCMD) 1.

---------> All the other settings are left on their default value (see below).

Here are all the settings as listed in the BIOS:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced Frequency Settings
Performance Upgrade Auto
CPU Base Clock Auto
Graphics Slice Ratio Auto
Graphics Unslice Ratio Auto
CPU Upgrade Auto
CPU Clock Ratio 46 <----------------- [2]
FCLK Frequency For Early Power 1 GHz <----------------- [4]
Advanced CPU Settings
- Repeat
- Repeat
Uncore Ratio 45 <----------------- [3]
CPU Flex Override Disabled
Intel Turbo Boost Technology Auto
Turbo Ratio (1-4 Core) Auto
Package Power Limit
-- to --
Number Of Cores Enabled All Auto
CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E)
-- to --
C8 State Support All Enabled
Package C-State Limit
-- to --
CPU EIST Function All Auto
Residency State Reg. (RSR)
-- to --
Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch All Enabled
Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) Profile 1 <----------------- [5]
System Memory Multiplier 32.00 <----------------- [9]
Advanced Memory Settings
- Repeat
- Repeat
Memory Boot Mode Auto
Memory Enhancement Settings Relax OC <----------------- [15]
Memory Timing Mode Manual
Memory Multiplier Tweaker Auto
Channel Interleaving Enabled
Rank Interleaving Enabled
IMC Timing Settings All Unchanged
Channel A Memory Sub Timings
- Repeat
- Repeat
CAS Latency 15 <----------------- [10]
tRCD 17 <----------------- [11]
tRP 17 <----------------- [12]
tRAS 28 <----------------- [13]
Channel A Advanced Timing Control
Unchanged Except
Command Rate (tCMD) 1 <----------------- [16]
Channel B Memory Sub Timings
- Repeat
- Repeat
All Unchanged
Advanced Voltage Settings
Advanced Power Settings
CPU VCore Loadline Calib. High <----------------- [7]
VAXG Loadline Calibration Auto
CPU Core Voltage Control
CPU VCore 1.355V <----------------- [1]
CPU Graphics Voltage (VAXG) Auto
CPU VCCIO Auto
CPU System Agent Voltage Auto
CPU Core PLL Overvoltage Auto
Chipset Voltage Control
PCH Core 1.000V <----------------- [6]
DRAM Voltage Control
DRAM Voltage (CH A/B) 1.300 V <----------------- [14]
DRAM Training Voltage (A/B) Auto
DDRVPP Voltage (CH A/B) Auto
DRAM Termination (CH A/B) Auto
Internal VR Control All Unchanged
BIOS Features All Unchanged
Peripherals All Unchanged
Chipset Unchanged Except
Internal Graphics Disabled <----------------- [8]
Power Management All Unchanged
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPUID HWMonitor readings at Idle / Under Load (22C ambient):
CPU Vcore - 1.356V / 1.344V
Package Temp. - 30C / 56C
Package Power - 15W / 59W
--------------------------------------
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury (C14 - 2133 MHz) 16 GB (4 x 4GB)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 X (budget single fan air cooler)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 Black Mid Tower w/Side Panel Window (rather large so as to fit 2 large graphic cards in SLI).
Graphics: 2 x MSI GTX 970 in SLI mode both overclocked at 1501 MHz and with their DDR5 Memory set at 4001 MHz (each).
The rig is totally stable on all tests available on Prime95 (v 28.9 build 2) - Cinebench R15 gives a score of 766-767 constantly.
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Note that I didn't disable Turbo Boost because when I tried this, it didn't give me as good a performance (speed, power, temp.)

----> IMPORTANT: What is the exact model number and brand of your motherboard? Please let me know as it can be important.

Good evening Phil,

I've had an interesting time fooling around with this overclock. I noticed last time through (testing CPU during load) that my CPU voltages were dropping during load. Of course this is were LLC comes into play...But guess what? My MSI Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard omits LLC in the Bios PURPOSELY! LLC is only available on MSI's more expensive Z170A Gaming M7 motherboard! Yeah, they could add LLC to the M5's Bios by way of an update but have no plans to do so because they want people to buy the more expensive board. I'm a little ticked off after learning about this and don't know what I should do at this point. I can either figure things out without LLC or take this motherboard back and exchange it for an M7 when they are back in stock (which would be a royal pain in the arse and something I'd rather not have to do).

Is there another way for me to tame the voltage?

I noticed something on page 61 of the mobo manual called CPU Core/GT Voltage Mode and few other settings pertinent to my predicament but it would be difficult to relate all of that information to you by writing all of it out here on the forum. Here's a link to the Motherboard Manual so we can get on the same page, at least if you're still willing to help me figure this all out?

I like the board and would rather not have to take it back. I'm sure there's something that can be done, considering all of the many settings related to voltage and the CPU. I'm still examining your last post, it's a lot of information to swallow all in one sitting (I'm very grateful, thanks man).

I'll try and figure out a few things on my own, make some tweaks and wait for your response. Hopefully I will have good tidings once I return.

-laz.

P.S., Be sure to download the most recent manual (4/13/2016).

Hey Phil,

You are right, on page 61 it allows to control the VCore setting (even more accurately than just the LLC control) ----> the last option "[Override + Offset ] Allows you to set the voltage and the offset voltage manually." is the one I would go for, with an offset of 12mV (0.012 V) and see how it goes.

Click to expand...

Okay, adding the 0.012V would be on the plus(+) side of things to amp up the CPU so it doesn't loose voltage at load? Because I believe that setting has a + & - option that must be selected, at least that's what I remember the last time I was in my Bios (which was last night).

One problem I'm particularly concerned with is CPU idle voltage (related to voltage drop at load). At idle the voltage for the CPU reads 1.360 and I believe it should be lower at idle, while higher at load (voltage droop is occurring, as you know). Hopefully I can fix both of these "problems" even though I'm not sure the former (system idle) is a real problem or not?

Your case is really packed with fans man! I was looking at the image last night and I was blown away by it. I take it there's a good reason for having so many fans? Does your system stay relatively cool during load? You're running four cards and they have to be putting off some serious heat!

Thanks Phil,

-laz.

Hi John,

vDroop is the difference between the idle voltage and load voltage. Generally, you get a higher voltage when idling than when at full load (I know, it is counter-intuitive). The system drops the voltage by the vDroop amount as a self-protection mechanism because under load, the current in the chip is also much higher. As the resulting power (W) equals (=) the voltage (V) multiplied by (x) the current (A) --> P (W) = U (V) x I (A), it goes much higher too... and so does the heat. So by reducing the voltage at load, the power and the heat start to drop and the chip is protected. The motherboard controls the vDroop, not the CPU.

For example, if your chip needs a voltage range of 1.344 - 1.356 V to be stable at 4.6 GHz (as it is for my chip), you might find that your idle voltage is around 1.356 V. That's OK, but when you put it under full load, it might drop to 1.284 V. That drop is the vDroop voltage which is in this example 1.356 - 1.284 = 0.072 V (quite a bit) and this may cause a crash (blue screen) or errors (shown red in Prime95) because your overclocked chip needs more power, especially under load. In that case I would need an offset of +0.072 V to completely counter the drop and still keep my 1.356 V at idle or at least +0.060 V to get 1.284 + 0.060 = 1.344 V under load and remain within my stable range. I set the CPU Vcore voltage at 1.355 V in the BIOS, and CPUID HWMonitor shows me that VCore varies between 1.344 V (load) and 1.356 V (idle).

Of course keeping the CPU at 1.356 V idle is quite a bit higher than having it at 1.284 V idle but that's the small price to pay for overclocking (= living life in the fast lane). The resulting heat is the greatest limiting factor, not the voltage which is OK all the way up to 1.52 V (... well, according to Intel at least). If your package temp. gets at 80 C with 22 C ambient temp., then it is your limit. My CPU is stable with VCore set at 1.40 V for 4.7 GHz but after 2 hours the system shuts down to protect the CPU because the temp. already reaches 85 C. So that limits me to 4.6 GHz. I might get myself a better air cooler in the future and try again (may not be worth it for a tiny 100 MHz more). However, I would never use a water cooler though. That's too noisy and dangerous (water and fine electronics don't mix well IMO). By the way, your NZXT case looks really nice I think. I had considered NZXT as well but their cases are a little tight for me (I needed a "cavernous" case), especially to fit long graphic cards like the GTX970.

Similarly, keeping a Formula 1 racing car at idle is a lot hotter, noisier, costlier and more demanding on the motor than keeping an ordinary family car at idle. Now you know why I have so many fans (15 in total - no wonder you were "blown away") with a specific type (static pressure SP or just quiet), performance (CFM), location and size (92 mm, 120 mm, or 140 mm - yes, their size does matter). The motherboard and the 2 graphics cards generate 500 W total at up to 67 C each while gaming. Then there are 3 hard drives at around 30-35 C. And with the air conditioning usually OFF in my home office ($ savings), the indoor ambient temp can go and stay as high as 30 C during summer months and for hours each day. This is Western Australia. I know... time for a nice fresh cool beer (or two) on the side then ;-). Sometime I have no choice but to use the aircon, for a short while at least, to get the hot air out...

Here is an updated picture of my fan setup: http://imageshack.com/a/img923/3196/PjaqTS.png

Now, I don't know exactly how much "offset" you will need (0.012 V is the minimum and is too low IMO). Every chip is different and many parameters are to be considered, so the following voltages are examples only (take them as a starting point but don't get stressed out if they are not exactly what you get). Say you target an overclock of 4.5 GHz (well over 25% increase). Boot first with VCore manually set at 1.40 V in the BIOS and observe the range of VCore given by CPUID HWMonitor both while at idle (nothing running), and while under load (Prime95 default (blend) test running - 4 workers) for 15 minutes (this is not yet a real stress test at this stage). Don't rely "only" on CPUID HWMonitor's "Min" and "Max" columns (although they are OK), also do your own observation overtime and see where it stays most of the time. Say the range you get is 1.316 (load) - 1.388 (idle) V. OK, if it is stable (all green on Prime95), then manually reduce VCore in the BIOS from 1.40 V to say 1.35 V (radical). If still stable, try 1.34 V, then 1.33 V, etc. (tamed). If it is not stable at 1.34 V, come back to 1.35 V, then perhaps try 1.345 V (fine tuning). until stable again.

In fact, once it is no longer stable, come back to the previous stable setting, say 1.35 V in the example with a VCore range of 1. 278 to 1.338 V (I don't know exactly how much your own chip will give you) and set your offset to + 0.060 V. This way, 1.278 + 0.060 = 1.338 V and the resulting range shown by HWMonitor may be something like 1.338 to 1.350 V (sometime it goes slightly over VCore like in my case, I get 1.356 V for a VCore manually set at 1.355 V but that's OK). Remember that voltages vary in 0.012 V jumps, and that 100 MHz (like going from 4.5 GHz to 4.6 GHz) needs around 5 jumps (5 x 0.012 V) or 0.060 V additional (this is why I recommend to use +0.060 V for the offset). It is an estimate of course, to give you an idea. Thanks to LLC, I only have to go from my current 1.355 V to 1.40 V to increase the frequency from 4.6 GHz to 4.7 GHz, but it becomes too hot then ;-( , and the fans start spinning crazy at their maximum speed (so noisy)... you don't want a PC that sounds like it runs on a jet engine. I thought my fans would fly off the case, like chickens flying off the coop... they almost needed a seatbelt.

Then you can do stress testing by running Prime95 (blend) for say 2 hours (largely enough) and Prime95 (heat) for 30 min. If you can't keep the 4 workers (= cores) on green, - leave your offset the same (+0.060 V) - and raise your VCore a little. This is why I went from 1.350 V to 1.355 V for absolute stability (beyond what I will ever need). But that's when you have something pretty much stable already. Prime95 goes much further than what you would ever use your computer for, unless you start processing complex molecular or massive weather prediction models for example. That would be 'John the scientist' then... Hmmm... don't think so ;-).

Have fun with overclocking. I find the process interesting and satisfying... sometime as much or even more fun than what I can get from playing some games. Now that I decided to leave it as it is, I am happy to know that it gives me all it has... quietly. Enjoy.

Hey Phil,

It's late and I've been working on this overclock all evening until now. I'm freaking beat my friend! I have loads of data from doing everything one step at a time. I began to understand how the offset works but never went over 0.015 (my instinct was to go to 0.020mv and so-on but I didn't want to do it until I spoke with you. I'll tell you how everything went tomorrow morning or noon. I'm just dog tired. I must have reset/frozen my PC three-dozen times or more this evening.

Good to know I can bump up the offset to 0.60 per voltage increase on the CPU. I'll read over the information before I get started tomorrow.

Thanks again brother,

-laz.

Hey Phil,

I had a busy day yesterday so I couldn't do much in the way of overclocking and testing. I was wondering about CPU Voltage current. I read that MSI's base settings (F6 - Optimized Defaults --- which I used as the base for my overclocking attempt) for the CPU current limit are set either too high or too low. The advised setting for doing an oc was 200A on the sub-Reddit I was reading. Would you shed a little light on this setting for me, how it may be effecting my oc and whether or not I should set it to 200A?

Should I have started my overclock using "Optimized Settings" by pressing F6 in the Bios or is there a more sought after base configuration I should have used before starting my overclock?

I also bought a new exhaust fan for the top of my case, a Cougar CFD140. I figured I should have the recommended 140mm exhaust fan going, especially since I'm overclocking.

Last question: If you were me would you keep this motherboard or trade it in for something else? Also, do you think my 6600K is a good chip or by way of my overclocking issues, did I lose the Silicon Lottery?

Thanks,

-laz.

Hi John,

As I wrote previously (somewhere...), it's always better to start an OC fresh and by acting manually directly on the BIOS parameters. "F6 - Optimized Defaults" is a particular global setting of your motherboard (not on my Gigabyte) and is in fact the preset of a number (how many?) of BIOS parameters (which ones exactly?). Overclocking from this is like trying to teach new skills to a retired worker versus trying to teach the same skills to a young apprentice.

As for the CPU current, I wouldn't touch it as this can also be dangerous by potentially damaging the CPU and/or other components (like the PCH handing I/Os). The motherboard has very specific sets of built-in rules to adapt various parameters to your OC and protect its components (some form of very basic AI). So to answer your question fully, "a more sought after base configuration (you) should have used before starting my overclock" would be a "Completely Reset" (virgin) configuration.

Having a 140mm exhaust fan is a good idea, particularly if it's a 4-pin (PWM) fan that you can connect to the CPU_FAN2 header of your motherboard to work in tandem with the CPU Cooler fan which you should already have connected to the CPU_FAN1 header. Getting rid of the hot air is of course very important, particularly with a case of smaller dimensions. A "quiet" fan is sufficient (it doesn't have to be a static pressure (SP) fan for exhaust) and hydraulic is fine (both horizontal and vertical). It has enough pressure.

Your Cougar fan (nice one) is a 3-pin fan and therefore can only have a limited (not so precise) speed control from the motherboard. You can still connect it to CPU_FAN2 (it comes with a 4-pin adaptor for that purpose) and have it accelerate when the CPU Cooler fan accelerates (stronger in tandem). It has a good air volume transfer rate (73.18 CFM). My Corsair ML140 140mm Mag-Lev fans give me 97 CFM at 2000 RPM but they are not red... rather boring white.

In your particular situation, because this exhaust fan is particularly quiet, located at the back and you need all the cooling you can get most of the time, I would even connect it to a 12 V Molex from the PSU, let it run at full speed continuously (can never have too much cooling...) and put it vertical, just parallel to the CPU Cooler fan which it will assist then.

Being a fan that blows out (dust included), I would even remove (cut-off) anything that stands in its way (like a protective grid, a dust filter, etc.) to maximize its output. Especially as your Cougar fan is very quiet (1000 RPM max. at 18dB). Fans always blow against (towards) their motor supports. So the motor supports themselves are enough for protection and already enough standing in the way of (impeding) the expelled air wanting to rush out.

You can keep your motherboard (I didn't know anybody would "trade it in" as a second-hand part). From what I have learned so far about your particular CPU chip, it is not "all the way up there with the best", and nor is mine. I believe it fits well within the average... meaning that it could be much worse. You must also remain realistic about your OC and keep it in perspective. You have a rather small case (therefore a limited ability to cool it), a rather weak GPU (graphics card), a budget MoBo, and "rusty" skills to handle all the BIOS parameters involved.

Most of the work needed for gaming is performed by the GPU (graphics card). In my case, my CPU is close to (with Sniper Elite III) or at 100% (with Battlefield 4) on all 4 cores - continuously - because it has to handle two quite demanding heavily overclocked GTX970 cards (pushing both GPU and DDR5 memory) mounted in SLI mode as well as a 24" Dell monitor with a slightly higher resolution (1920x1200) than usual 'gaming' equipment (I am considering a 4K monitor). Otherwise, a 4.4 GHz would be absolute top for your rig and I would even probably target a more "relaxed" 4.2 GHz and get it right. So, where you may have to spend a little money is precisely on the graphics card. We can also discuss options for that before you walk out to the store ;-). It has a lot (although not only) to do with your budget but IMO it is the real weak link in your project of building a "decent" gaming PC with some grunt.

Don't stress too much about all this (overnight, etc.), it is meant to make you have some fun while also learning something, not loose sleep over it ;-). Besides, it's not a PC to be picked up by a customer sometime next week... so take it easy, and one step at a time.

Hi John,

As I wrote previously (somewhere...), it's always better to start an OC fresh and by acting manually directly on the BIOS parameters. "F6 - Optimized Defaults" is a particular global setting of your motherboard (not on my Gigabyte) and is in fact the preset of a number (how many?) of BIOS parameters (which ones exactly?). Overclocking from this is like trying to teach new skills to a retired worker versus trying to teach the same skills to a young apprentice.

As for the CPU current, I wouldn't touch it as this can also be dangerous by potentially damaging the CPU and/or other components (like the PCH handing I/Os). The motherboard has very specific sets of built-in rules to adapt various parameters to your OC and protect its components (some form of very basic AI). So to answer your question fully, "a more sought after base configuration (you) should have used before starting my overclock" would be a "Completely Reset" (virgin) configuration.

Having a 140mm exhaust fan is a good idea, particularly if it's a 4-pin (PWM) fan that you can connect to the CPU_FAN2 header of your motherboard to work in tandem with the CPU Cooler fan which you should already have connected to the CPU_FAN1 header. Getting rid of the hot air is of course very important, particularly with a case of smaller dimensions. A "quiet" fan is sufficient (it doesn't have to be a static pressure (SP) fan for exhaust) and hydraulic is fine (both horizontal and vertical). It has enough pressure.

Your Cougar fan (nice one) is a 3-pin fan and therefore can only have a limited (not so precise) speed control from the motherboard. You can still connect it to CPU_FAN2 (it comes with a 4-pin adaptor for that purpose) and have it accelerate when the CPU Cooler fan accelerates (stronger in tandem). It has a good air volume transfer rate (73.18 CFM). My Corsair ML140 140mm Mag-Lev fans give me 97 CFM at 2000 RPM but they are not red... rather boring white.

In your particular situation, because this exhaust fan is particularly quiet, located at the back and you need all the cooling you can get most of the time, I would even connect it to a 12 V Molex from the PSU, let it run at full speed continuously (can never have too much cooling...) and put it vertical, just parallel to the CPU Cooler fan which it will assist then.

Being a fan that blows out (dust included), I would even remove (cut-off) anything that stands in its way (like a protective grid, a dust filter, etc.) to maximize its output. Especially as your Cougar fan is very quiet (1000 RPM max. at 18dB). Fans always blow against (towards) their motor supports. So the motor supports themselves are enough for protection and already enough standing in the way of (impeding) the expelled air wanting to rush out.

You can keep your motherboard (I didn't know anybody would "trade it in" as a second-hand part). From what I have learned so far about your particular CPU chip, it is not "all the way up there with the best", and nor is mine. I believe it fits well within the average... meaning that it could be much worse. You must also remain realistic about your OC and keep it in perspective. You have a rather small case (therefore a limited ability to cool it), a rather weak GPU (graphics card), a budget MoBo, and "rusty" skills to handle all the BIOS parameters involved.

Most of the work needed for gaming is performed by the GPU (graphics card). In my case, my CPU is close to (with Sniper Elite III) or at 100% (with Battlefield 4) on all 4 cores - continuously - because it has to handle two quite demanding heavily overclocked GTX970 cards (pushing both GPU and DDR5 memory) mounted in SLI mode as well as a 24" Dell monitor with a slightly higher resolution (1920x1200) than usual 'gaming' equipment (I am considering a 4K monitor). Otherwise, a 4.4 GHz would be absolute top for your rig and I would even probably target a more "relaxed" 4.2 GHz and get it right. So, where you may have to spend a little money is precisely on the graphics card. We can also discuss options for that before you walk out to the store ;-). It has a lot (although not only) to do with your budget but IMO it is the real weak link in your project of building a "decent" gaming PC with some grunt.

Don't stress too much about all this (overnight, etc.), it is meant to make you have some fun while also learning something, not loose sleep over it ;-). Besides, it's not a PC to be picked up by a customer sometime next week... so take it easy, and one step at a time.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice about my new Cougar fan, I'll definitely plug it into the PWM so it can run in tandem with my CPU cooler, damn good idea there. I bought my motherboard at Micro Center. The reason I did this is because if anything goes wrong, you have 15 days to return your hardware and swap it out for a brand new part. They allow you to do it multiple times within that time frame. Micro Center is pretty awesome. I didn't want to order from Newegg.com and have to take the risk of a DOA board as it happens frequently to people. In fact, the first board (ASRock) I got from Micro Center was Dead On Install. The second board was the same (Asus) DOA. The third board was a Gigabyte Gaming 5. It was working well until I decided to upgrade my processor from an i3 6300 to the i5 6600K. For whatever reason, that particular Gigabyte board has problems with the i5 6600K and Memory modules. It would give me an error code of 55. I tried three different brands of memory at the default speed listed on the board (2133) and none of them would work. This is how I wound up with the MSI Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard.

I have to say, I really love this board, the way it looks and so far the performance (besides my overclocking problems) is pretty solid. After going through three other boards I'd like to stay with the one that works rather trade up for the MSI M7 which is more expensive anyways, though it has 12 phases instead of the M5's 11 phases (I think). Besides that, most of the features are almost exactly the same. With the M7 you get some buttons on the board itself and some crazy automatic overclocking dial (that goes to 11 like in the movie Spinal Tap!). I'm not big on software overclocking so it isn't a feature I care about anyway. The only real difference is the extra phase-power and an extra setting tap in the Bios (which includes LLC). Beyond that they are virtually the same board, minus a few chokes and transistors hear and there, and a spiffy shroud that supposedly shields the back I/O from the rest of the motherboard, something that looks cool but isn't necessarily necessary!

I know my chip isn't the best but it is a solid mid-tier consumer chip that has been lauded by the gaming/overclocking community. The motherboard is mid-tier as well and received very good reviews all over the Internet, though I wonder how many of the reviewers were getting kick-backs or perks from MSI for doing a nice video on Youtube or a good right-up on their website? End-user reviews were very good also. I liked the metal-clad PCIex16 slots and that sealed the deal for me.

You must also remain realistic about your OC and keep it in perspective. You have a rather small case (therefore a limited ability to cool it), a rather weak GPU (graphics card), a budget MoBo, and "rusty" skills to handle all the BIOS parameters involved

Click to expand...

Don't hold back now Phil!

Yeah Phil, I'm quite aware my GT 740 is shyte! (I'm going to by an MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 6GB GDDR5 in about a week and a half...Hooray!) I could also go with this card as it seems the only difference is the amount of RAM it has and it has a better price-point compared with the 6GB version. What are your thoughts?

I agree with you 100%, still though, I know (with your help and others) that I can get this overclock tuned in and running stable (whether it be 4.2GHz or 4.3-4.4GHz). I just need to be patient. My only real worry now if it is possible I just lost the Silicon Lottery and got a sub-par processor that doesn't perform as well as the average 6600K's already out there? If that is the case I can easily exchange it for another one but today is the last day that option will remain open to me. After today I'm stuck with it (unless I buy the protection plan from Micro Center which I can still do all the way up to Nov 4th).

Hi John,

The MSI is truly a great graphics card and would be my choice too !!! As I wrote above, I don't believe that your CPU is sub-par but if you want to take a chance in replacing it, go for it (I often take risks like that too). However, I don't want to push it without knowing what you are going to get, because the replacement chip could very well be much worse (although unlikely IMO). If you do choose to replace it, let me know and wait until I give you a word of advice on the way you best 'paste' your EVO Cooler on it. This is important for heat dissipation and the overall efficiency of the CPU Cooler.

This is Friday, I have to sign-off now. Please let me know what you decided to do.