Help with i5 3570k Voltages.

[mr1hm]

Hello,

I have the Asrock Z77 Extreme4 paired with a Intel i5 3570k and am in the process of trying to overclock to 4.4 ghz.

The problem is that I'm having a hard time understanding how offset voltages work.

I've done some reading over on a few forums and I guess the motherboard chooses a default voltage (or VID?) for the processor DEPENDING on its clock speed.

My question is, how can I find this default voltage?

- Bios only shows offset voltages (i.e. CPU Voltage Offset = +0.005; Add. Turbo Voltage = +0.004)
- In fact, those 2 settings are exactly what I have as of right now.

- Would also love to know how load line calibration would work with all of this.
- Currently using CPU Load Line Calibration of Level 3 (average voltage compensation).

- Here is a screenshot of just a very quick system stability test from AIDA64 in which, CPU VID has a minimum and maximum?
- http://imgur.com/CjR1L

If anyone can help figure out the exact CPU VID @ certain clock speeds (4.4 ghz in my case), I'd really appreciate it cause with the above offset voltages, AIDA64 system stability test and CPU-z show approx. 1.256v @ max and holds right around 1.240v or 1.248v for most of the stress test.

 

[steddora]

Honestly, I can't tell you what the actual VID of your chip is. Only you can really figure that much out unless there's some tool I missed out on when clocking my chip.

Offset voltage takes the stock VID and allows you to have some control over it.

Say the processor runs like this 0.825v idle with a max of 1.25v at full load. It varies between and that's how the variable voltages for these processors work. The processor actually varies the voltage it's taking depending on the load that is placed on it.

On automatic voltage, the VID can actually differ, and as the multiplier is increased the VID can change greatly. I major mistake some people make with automatic voltage on the SB and IB chips is seeing temperatures in the 90C range at only 200-400mhz overclocks. That's because the VID changes and the CPU is wanting an insanely high amount of voltage like 1.3-1.4v.

Offset voltages takes the normal VID of the processor and applies a change. Such as you're adding 0.005v to the offset. So if it's wanting 0.800v at idle, you're board takes your setting into mind and throws the chip 0.805v at idle. Finding your chips VID may be hard. The way I did it was stress tests at each multiplier watching the voltage like a hawk. It's easier to get stability with voltage offsets but easier to get idle crashes where the CPU isn't getting enough voltage at idle to keep from crashing.

LLC is simple.. There's a thing about any electronic device taking and using electricity. If you're on a fixed voltage and you toss exactly 1.2v into your processor, the processor is going to use that and the board will actually only be able to push 1.180 or so. Depending on how bad the vdroop is of the motherboard. The higher quality components on the board, the less vdroop there will be and the more steady the power to the processor. LLC helps fight this issue by increasing the level of voltage during high load situations. The higher the level, the harder the motherboard works to push actual voltage to the processor. This can put more stress on the VRM's on the motherboard and may be harmful over time. Either way, sometimes when getting a good overclock you just have to have LLC as a player.

I hope that helps out bro!

 

[mr1hm]

Honestly, I can't tell you what the actual VID of your chip is. Only you can really figure that much out unless there's some tool I missed out on when clocking my chip.

Offset voltage takes the stock VID and allows you to have some control over it.

Say the processor runs like this 0.825v idle with a max of 1.25v at full load. It varies between and that's how the variable voltages for these processors work. The processor actually varies the voltage it's taking depending on the load that is placed on it.

On automatic voltage, the VID can actually differ, and as the multiplier is increased the VID can change greatly. I major mistake some people make with automatic voltage on the SB and IB chips is seeing temperatures in the 90C range at only 200-400mhz overclocks. That's because the VID changes and the CPU is wanting an insanely high amount of voltage like 1.3-1.4v.

Offset voltages takes the normal VID of the processor and applies a change. Such as you're adding 0.005v to the offset. So if it's wanting 0.800v at idle, you're board takes your setting into mind and throws the chip 0.805v at idle. Finding your chips VID may be hard. The way I did it was stress tests at each multiplier watching the voltage like a hawk. It's easier to get stability with voltage offsets but easier to get idle crashes where the CPU isn't getting enough voltage at idle to keep from crashing.

LLC is simple.. There's a thing about any electronic device taking and using electricity. If you're on a fixed voltage and you toss exactly 1.2v into your processor, the processor is going to use that and the board will actually only be able to push 1.180 or so. Depending on how bad the vdroop is of the motherboard. The higher quality components on the board, the less vdroop there will be and the more steady the power to the processor. LLC helps fight this issue by increasing the level of voltage during high load situations. The higher the level, the harder the motherboard works to push actual voltage to the processor. This can put more stress on the VRM's on the motherboard and may be harmful over time. Either way, sometimes when getting a good overclock you just have to have LLC as a player.

I hope that helps out bro!

Thanks for this... Simple yet had all the details I needed to make sure that I was OCing this processor properly.

I attempted 4.4ghz again but saw temps rising above 70C (gets close to 80C at times) and didn't want an overclock that would take me past 70C.

I'm currently happy with my i5 3570k @ 4.2ghz (with Temperatures never rising above 60C) as it's eating everything I throw at it for breakfast...

Current Rig (If anybody wishes to know)
PSU: OCZ EliteXStream 800w (Max. Combined Power = 744w with 62 amps)
GPU: XFX Radeon HD 6870 1GB Crossfire
CPU: Intel i5 3570k @ 4.2 Ghz (24/7 OC)
MOBO: Asrock Z77 Extreme4
RAM: 2 x 4 Gb Kingston HyperX Genesis DDR3-1600 CL9
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB 7200RPM (storage)
SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 90 Gb

 

[Adroid]

For what its worth, I am probably going to settle at 4.2 GHZ on my i5 also. I pushed up to 4.4ghz, which was stable @ 1.235 volts during AIDA for 12 hours, then crashed on games almost instantly.

I think AIDA64 is kinda garbage =x

Running prime, I had errors almost instantly at 1.235 V
Prime errors didn't stop untill around 1.250V, but heat really started picking up.
Even at 1.265V, I was having WHEA errors on the cpu after 7 hours or so.

I have a strange feeling I might be able to get a prime stable OC at 1.270 V, but my temps got as high as 86 C at 1.265, and I decided I don't want to burn the chip up quite yet.

Running very stable at 1.235V @ 4.2GHZ now. Chip seems fast and happy, having to throw another .035V at it seems like too much for only 200MHZ OC...

 

[mr1hm]

Best answer selected by mr1hm.

 

[steddora]

It's nice to hear when people finally settle to a clock they are happy with!

Android, an extra 0.35v isn't a huge amount for 200mhz, but the temperatures over 80C do worry me. I would work on making sure you're colder before faster you know? I personally have a 4.4Ghz overclock on my 2600k and never break 70C, even with IntelBurnTest. So I'm really sitting fat and happy on a 1Ghz addition to my chip. But I think I go lucky as I don't have to break 1.3v too often on offset mode to have the chip remain stable during a 24 hour Prime95 Blend session.

mr1hm, that sounds perfect bud! Sometimes it's best to actually see where pushing the chip will end you. I know pushing my 2600k wasn't bad until I hit 4.6Ghz and higher. I really did have to start dumping volts into it to get stability at higher speeds. At 4.8Ghz I was over 1.4v just to boot up and run a game. But, I doubt she was 24h Prime stable. I relaxed a bit and settled at 4.4Ghz and love it.

 

[Adroid]

It's nice to hear when people finally settle to a clock they are happy with!

Android, an extra 0.35v isn't a huge amount for 200mhz, but the temperatures over 80C do worry me. I would work on making sure you're colder before faster you know? I personally have a 4.4Ghz overclock on my 2600k and never break 70C, even with IntelBurnTest. So I'm really sitting fat and happy on a 1Ghz addition to my chip. But I think I go lucky as I don't have to break 1.3v too often on offset mode to have the chip remain stable during a 24 hour Prime95 Blend session.

mr1hm, that sounds perfect bud! Sometimes it's best to actually see where pushing the chip will end you. I know pushing my 2600k wasn't bad until I hit 4.6Ghz and higher. I really did have to start dumping volts into it to get stability at higher speeds. At 4.8Ghz I was over 1.4v just to boot up and run a game. But, I doubt she was 24h Prime stable. I relaxed a bit and settled at 4.4Ghz and love it.

Ivy is notoriously hotter than Sandy. My temperatures are fine - I'm using a 30$ cooler, dont' expect more. Don't want to pay more money for better cooler = I'm stuck where I am

 

[steddora]

Exactly Android! You've found the sweet spot for your gear and you seem happy with it. That's what counts! I know the feeling about not wanting to pay more for a cooler; I spent $50 on a Zalman9500A quite some time ago. It took me a while to justify a Hyper212 for myself. Once I did and I threw my fans on it, I got another 400Mhz out of my chip while dropping the temperatures by a good 5C at full load with IBT.

And yeah, Ivy is a hot blooded chip. I'm glad I decided to buy into the Sandy Bridge before Ivy came out. Knowing my luck I wouldn't have broken 4Ghz without temps in the 80C range.