When overclocking CPU...

miha2

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2009
525
1
18,995
Do I also need to OC other stuff as well?

I'm asking because I have BSoDs from time to time, and two "most popular" ones are System_Thread_Failure (or something like that; can't remember right now) and less rare is Memory_Management.

The BSoDs start, roughly speaking, when I wake my computer from sleep, and since I put my computer to sleep for the night... You'll never know when the BSoD will happen. But I want NOT to have BSoDs ever again! So, as I experienced the Memory_Management BSoD today, I started the Windows Memory Diagnostics. Didn't help much. Then I ran Memtest86+ (because it supports 64-bit). Ran 2 passes, 0 problems.

Then I thought, maybe I should OC other components/raise voltage/whatever, so that my computer was stable (not more or less, but stable). So, should I?

My computer is:

i5 4690K (3.5@4GHz)
Gigabyte Z97X-SLI
G.Skill Sniper @1866 (XMP enabled)
Asus DC2OC r9 290 (set to 1000 MHz, was something like 1020 or so)

Page file set to manual; should be enough.
Fast Startup is disabled

In one of my previous threads, I was recommended to reinstall the GPU drivers to possibly resolve another BSoD, and the page file and fast startup are from that thread. So, anyways, should I do something to, like, North/South Bridge, or something else, to get rid of all these BSoDs?
 

Ne0Wolf7

Reputable
Jun 23, 2016
1,262
5
5,960
BSoD is a windows failure, when it reaches a point it can no longer operate safely. The other problems look like instability problems; when you reached your limit when you OCed, did you then back off a bit? Maybe more voltage would add some stability, but that causes more heat and less life.
 

miha2

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2009
525
1
18,995
My last BSoD was about memory, not CPU. Even though, I have to agree, I may need more voltage. When I upgraded, I found an article on Anandtech, which listed the OC and voltage they used. I set it to lower, and I had a lot of BSoDs, like once a week or more frequently. Then I raised to what article said, and I have less. So... do you really think if I raise it even higher, I'll have a more stable computer? I have Corsair H80i, and it cools good enough.

About less life: as far as I understand, it's the heat that shortens the life, isn't it? I mean, it's when you raise voltage, the CPU releases more heat, and more heat shortens the life. Isn't it so?
 

Ne0Wolf7

Reputable
Jun 23, 2016
1,262
5
5,960
If the blue screen was about memory, maybe you could even raise the memory controller (CPU/NB, which is memory controller) voltage by 0.06v.
And about CPU life, yes, the heat does lower it, but the internals would be degraded faster by more voltage regardless of cooling. This won't affect you if you get new CPU every say 10 or less years. (15-20 is non overclocked lifespan)
 

miha2

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2009
525
1
18,995
So... "theoretically", could the System_Thread_Failure BSoD have been caused by memory? I mean, if so - I will raise it for sure (maybe will lower later, but for now - raise), but if not - why OC my memory? I don't want to burn it just to see if I won't have any BSoDs anymore...
 

Ne0Wolf7

Reputable
Jun 23, 2016
1,262
5
5,960
Not OC it, just add a minuscule amount of voltage, since the memory controller is unstable. Voltage helps increase stability, you don't have to increase clocks (I wouldn't recommend it if you get BSoDs), this will most likely get rid of your rare memory management problem. I forgot about the thread one, could you be seeing "System Thread Exception Not Handled" instead of "System Thread Failure"? If it is the first one (probably is because when I googled system thread failure I got System Thread Exception Not Handled), you need to do a clean instalation of your graphics drivers, the newest one for your card.
 

miha2

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2009
525
1
18,995
"System Thread Exception Not Handled". Something like that; I don't have the most current info about it in my BlueScreenView, and so, in my Minidump.
And really, for me raise voltage is very closely related to overclocking, so that's why I mentioned overclocking the memory.

Wow... Looks like I really do need to reinstall the graphics drivers. Thanks. I couldn't even imagine that! In the summer, I reinstalled Windows (BSoDs wasn't the reason), and so downloaded the latest drivers for my GPU, but.. reinstall again? Or reinstall from the CD that came with it? I mean, back then, there was that CCC, I think, but now there's a completely new software, and so...

I don't really keep track of all these BSoDs, so there might have or might have not been the System... BSoD.
 

miha2

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2009
525
1
18,995
Thanks, if I have that BSoD ever again, I'll definitely try that. And memory - for right now, I don't really want to mess with it too much, but if I see that once again - I will raise the voltage. Thanks a lot, you helped me a lot today.
 

miha2

Distinguished
Aug 14, 2009
525
1
18,995
Oh, you...

Well, yeah, I haven't done a lot of that, but really - I have done some stuff, and it helped, and so I thought that should have solved all problems, but it didn't. So...

But about memory - I don't think he or anybody else answered to raise the voltage... Though, I don't read the old messages a lot...
 

Ne0Wolf7

Reputable
Jun 23, 2016
1,262
5
5,960
I saw it on an old solved thread. He ahd said raise the voltage in tiney incriments and ened up fixing the guys problem. On a separate thread, he said to reinstall drivers and fixed that guys problem too. If it fixed his I fugured it would fix yours.
There are lots of ways to improve sytem stabillity, but some blue screens are almost always caused by the same thing, like the system thread exception not handled, there are guide for how to do it if you cant even get past the blue screen (your system must only be a little unstable or something)