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Can anyone help me get my 2500K past 4.1Ghz!? (ASRock Extreme4 Gen3) [Solved - Motherboard BIOS is buggy!]

9K views 169 replies 26 participants last post by  ET900 
#1 ·
*Im updating this first post periodically as the thread progresses so new viewers can see where im at*

*Original posts removed and now only displaying conclusive updates (if you want to see what was here before you can check out the history at the bottom of this first post)*

*I would recommend this guide (http://www.overclock.net/t/968053/official-the-sandy-stable-club-guides-voltages-temps-bios-templates-inc-spreadsheet/2240#post_14466483) by Munaim1 as a starting point, but if you still find you're stuck at a lower clock speed than expected like I was, then read on through this thread...*

*Below when I'm talking about not being able to get the operating system to boot with an overclock - I was usually getting a black screen with a white flashing underscore.*

*OK guys, thanks to Munaim1 (http://www.overclock.net/u/53375/munaim1) I have now been able to get the MotherBoard to POST with the CPU at 4.8Ghz so far. Not sure what i'll be able to get stable in the operating system but i'll soon find out! It turns out that a setting called "IGD Multi Monitor" was causing the issue which I needed to disable. There was another setting suggested that could have been causing an issue (visualization or virtualization?), though im not sure it caused me any problems. Thanks to everyone for the help!!
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*Here's another update - I still found i couldn't get the operating system to boot at anything higher than 4.2Ghz and could only get it stable at 4.1Ghz which was the situation i was in right at the start of this thread. What i have now discovered is a bug in the BIOS that was also messing things up. To get it to boot higher than 4.2Ghz i have to save my desired overclock settings and exit the BIOS, then get straight back into the BIOS when the computer reboots without letting the operating system load, then just exit the BIOS without changing anything or saving, and Voila! It boots!
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*OK this will probably be the last update here. Here I will just copy and paste my most recent post at the time of writing this: "Once i figured out that bug in the BIOS things seemed to be going alright. I had 4.6Ghz looking pretty stable passing 10 runs on LinX (obviously more testing would have been needed), but then i accidently did the order wrong saving settings in the BIOS and things went back to how they were before. So i re-downloaded the 1.0 and 1.10 BIOS's. I flashed the 1.0 BIOS, tried a load of stuff - problem persisted. So I tried the 1.10 BIOS and the same thing. I then took the BIOS battery out for 15 minutes and put the jumpers in the reset position, put those back, booted up windows, rebooted, went into BIOS, tried again but the problem persists. I can now only get 4.1Ghz stable again and can't boot anything higher than 4.2Ghz." (This is a BIOS bug and I will surely be RMAing this board)


*Another update... I've found that if I turn on advanced turbo 50 and boot the computer, then go back into the BIOS - I can overclock again. I'm not to sure why this happens and it may only work temporarily. The BIOS is definitely buggy but thought someone who is looking for answers might find this information useful. I am still sending the Motherboard back for a replacement. Also after looking at the ASRock warranty on their website I found that they only give a 1 year warranty which is pretty crap compared to the ASUS 3 year warranty which I'm used to (I guess ASRock just don't have as much faith in the quality of their products). This whole experience has put me off ASRock so I think i'll go for something different next time round and would recommend others do the same.

I will put more updates here if I feel they are relevant and necessary, but aside from that I really hope this thread provides some useful information to other people who have the same or a similar problem to me. I feel I'm at a stage where I don't need anymore help with this so would be glad to help others. If you're reading this thread and you need some help, even if it's a long time since anyone posted here - just post a reply and i'll try help out
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#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

dont push ur cpu for 1.45v.... ur gonna burn it...
mine never went ofer 1.305 for 4.5ghz
i know man. i dont intend on using that voltage. really dont wanna be over 1.4v tbh. only did it as a test one time to see if i could get it to boot. from what i can tell i really shouldn't be needing any more than 1.35v for what im trying to achieve.
 
#4 ·
Change Core Current to 250.
Also, under turbo mode, change
Short Duration Power Limit to 250 and Long Duration Power Limit to 250.

Note, a small issue I had was XMP had wrong settings for my RAM, causing instabilities running P95.
Try looking up your manufacturers specifications for your RAM, and manually set its voltage and timings. Do not forget to set either 1T or 2T as well..
 
#5 ·
well im not familiar with asrock bios but might help with it...

these are mine...

AI OC - manual
Internal PLL Disable
EPU power saving disable

loadline calibration ULTRAHIGH
VRM Freq auto
vrm spread disable
phase control standard
duty control T.Probe
cpu current 100%
igpu load auto
igpu current 100%

Now cpu voltage:
If i were you i wouldnt go for more than 1.305 for 4.5Ghz (u can try reducing it if u feet that its stable)
Igpu offset +
Igpu voltage auto

CPU Spread Enable (U can disable if u want)
CPU Ratio Auto

Now for memory, make sure that u r entering correct values from memory
For eg. if memory is 9-9-9-24-1t make sure u enter that

CPU Config
Intel monitor enable
HT enable
Active core all
Limit cpuid disable
Execute enable
Intel VirtualT - if u dont use virtual programs on ur pc u dont need this enabled, so put disable
Enhance speed enable
Turbo mode enable
C1E enable
C3 Auto
C6 Auto

Try those settings if u have them in bios and let me know...
 
#6 ·
I know that no two CPU's are the same in respect to how far you can overclock them but I would be surprised if 4.1GHZ was your limit!

First of all I wouldn't use the overclock presets. Sounds like it could be more RAM related. Make sure your RAM timings are set to what they should be and then up the DRAM voltage to 1.55. You can experiment with the voltage later but at least it will be one possibilty knocked off the list.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by desmin88 View Post

Change Core Current to 250.
Also, under turbo mode, change
Short Duration Power Limit to 250 and Long Duration Power Limit to 250.
Note, a small issue I had was XMP had wrong settings for my RAM, causing instabilities running P95.
Try looking up your manufacturers specifications for your RAM, and manually set its voltage and timings. Do not forget to set either 1T or 2T as well..
yeh those power settings are exactly what i have tried actually. was thinking of going up a bit higher but not sure of the risks... my ram is set correctly to....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

well im not familiar with asrock bios but might help with it...
these are mine...
AI OC - manual
Internal PLL Disable
EPU power saving disable
loadline calibration ULTRAHIGH
VRM Freq auto
vrm spread disable
phase control standard
duty control T.Probe
cpu current 100%
igpu load auto
igpu current 100%
Now cpu voltage:
If i were you i wouldnt go for more than 1.305 for 4.5Ghz (u can try reducing it if u feet that its stable)
Igpu offset +
Igpu voltage auto
CPU Spread Enable (U can disable if u want)
CPU Ratio Auto
Now for memory, make sure that u r entering correct values from memory
For eg. if memory is 9-9-9-24-1t make sure u enter that
CPU Config
Intel monitor enable
HT enable
Active core all
Limit cpuid disable
Execute enable
Intel VirtualT - if u dont use virtual programs on ur pc u dont need this enabled, so put disable
Enhance speed enable
Turbo mode enable
C1E enable
C3 Auto
C6 Auto
Try those settings if u have them in bios and let me know...
well from what i can make of that i think i have tried those things, apart from a few im not sure i have or how they relate to my bios. why do i want to start messing with igpu settings though? i was thinking that the issue is one, or a mix of these things: power limit to low - highest i have set so far is 250W, another voltage needs to be adjusted other than vcore, my cpu just sucks and cant overclock well.
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by desmin88 View Post

Hmm.
Try and update the BIOS. ASRock has had a few bad BIOS issues that might be contributing here.
there are 3 BIOS's. the stock one hich i haven't even tried, 1.10 which i installed the day i set it up and 1.15 (beta) which i am currently using. i have tried overclocking a little with 1.10 but not as much as with 1.15 beta. but for what i have tried - neither can get past 4.1Ghz yet :/
 
#10 ·
guys i have my voltage set to fixed mode at 1.36V and LLC at level 4. currently running prime95 and ive noticed that the voltage is barely at 1.3v so im getting voltage drops under load which is causing the problem. in HWmonitor the package is only pulling 83W and the IA Cores are only pulling 76W which seems to low.

To fix the VDROP problem do you guys think i should add more offset voltage on the CPU Core (currently at +0.080V), or take LLC up to level 2?

Thanks!

edit: sorry i screwed up there. not currently using offset voltage. i was using what i mentioned above before fixed voltage mode though!
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by ET900 View Post

guys i have my voltage set to fixed mode at 1.36V and LLC at level 4. currently running prime95 and ive noticed that the voltage is barely at 1.3v so im getting voltage drops under load which is causing the problem. in HWmonitor the package is only pulling 83W and the IA Cores are only pulling 76W which seems to low.
To fix the VDROP problem do you guys think i should add more offset voltage on the CPU Core (currently at +0.080V), or take LLC up to level 2?
Thanks!
Change your LLC. If I remember correctly the lower the number the less voltage drop you should see. Try setting LLC to 2.
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

dont push ur cpu for 1.45v.... ur gonna burn it...
mine never went ofer 1.305 for 4.5ghz
1.45v is fine. If you have the proper cooling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TH3 original View Post

is c3 and c6 off?
c3 and c6 should be enabled. They not only help extend the life of a CPU but greatly reduce idle temps.

Plus, they're great to save on some power..
wink.gif
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by TahoeDust View Post

Change your LLC. If I remember correctly the lower the number the less voltage drop you should see. Try setting LLC to 2.
sorry i screwed up on what i said there. im using fixed voltage at the mo but was using offset before. i am trying LLC 2 now. i heard its better to tweak things using offset voltage than LLC though cos LLC can cause nasty voltage spikes. after running 10 mins of prime95 with no probs i went and changed LLC from 4 to 2 and then windows crashed on the desktop when all i did was come on here to reply. How the hell did is survive 10 mins of Prime95 before but then crash just going on the web browser lol? i am now trying a fixed voltage of 1.37.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TH3 original View Post

is c3 and c6 off?
i didn't have them turned off last time but i have now just for testing purposes.

gonna see what sort of voltage drops i get with LLC level 2...
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dustin1 View Post

1.45v is fine. If you have the proper cooling.
1.45 for this kind of cpu is too much, even with proper cooling..
if u have 45nm chip than its different story...
i saw few of them blowing up on 1.45v
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

1.45 for this kind of cpu is too much, even with proper cooling..
if u have 45nm chip than its different story...
i saw few of them blowing up on 1.45v
uh wrong. 1.45v is safe lol

OP did you change your QPI voltage. i forgot what its called on sandy its been a while since i OC'd my 2600k but it might be VTT..adjust that to like 1.1 or 1.15.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

well those were my 2 cents...
if i were you i wouldn't go for more than 1.35v....
Edit:
Especially not with his cooling system
And another edit:
LINK
? the A50 is a nice heatsink. he's safe all the way up to 80c before he should be worrying. also, yeah, in that article people are saying 1.42 to 1.45 so it just supports what i just said.
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by srsparky32 View Post

uh wrong. 1.45v is safe lol
OP did you change your QPI voltage. i forgot what its called on sandy its been a while since i OC'd my 2600k but it might be VTT..adjust that to like 1.1 or 1.15.
yeh im pretty sure i need to try changing some other voltages. this guide here speaks of them: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/2
do you know which one it is that you're talking about?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

we'll decide on his temps cause i dont think he is gona be able to keep it under 80c with that cooler...
wish im wrong....
i had similar one and my temps on q9550 would go more than 85c ...
the highest ive seen my CPU hit so far is 60c. That was with the 4.1Ghz overclock with CPU Core voltage at 1.36V doing 10 Rounds of Intel Burn Test on maximum. The thing with that burn test is that it makes my CPU keep dropping down to 3.3Ghz with a voltage of around 1.25V, Prime95 doesn't make it do that though. Still, 60c is the highest ive seen so far, in games its 56c. I think this cooler is pretty good!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schmuckley View Post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e04-5hjk-I
youtube video..4.7? i think..
very similar bios to yours..
thanks for the link man but ive already watched that one and tried the settings from, plus ive tried those settings with power limits on 300W and a higher CPU Core Voltage :/
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

1.45 for this kind of cpu is too much, even with proper cooling..
if u have 45nm chip than its different story...
i saw few of them blowing up on 1.45v
Then I don't know what you were looking at. They must have been running them without a heatsink.

There's people on the forum running 1.5+ 24/7 folding and have been for months. As long as the temps are good, and stay below 80*, he's fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

we'll decide on his temps cause i dont think he is gona be able to keep it under 80c with that cooler...
wish im wrong....
i had similar one and my temps on q9550 would go more than 85c ...
Bigger nm chip of course it's going to produce more heat.

Were talking about SB.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ET900 View Post

yeh im pretty sure i need to try changing some other voltages. this guide here speaks of them: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/2
do you know which one it is that you're talking about?
the highest ive seen my CPU hit so far is 60c. That was with the 4.1Ghz overclock with CPU Core voltage at 1.36V doing 10 Rounds of Intel Burn Test on maximum. The thing with that burn test is that it makes my CPU keep dropping down to 3.3Ghz with a voltage of around 1.25V, Prime95 doesn't make it do that though. Still, 60c is the highest ive seen so far, in games its 56c. I think this cooler is pretty good!
thanks for the link man but ive already watched that one and tried the settings from, plus ive tried those settings with power limits on 300W and a higher CPU Core Voltage :/
Try enabling PLL Overvoltage and setting a 4.5Ghz OC with 1.35/1.36 vcore.

You're either doing something wrong or your luck with the silicon lottery just sucks.. :/
 
#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dustin1 View Post

Then I don't know what you were looking at. They must have been running them without a heatsink.
There's people on the forum running 1.5+ 24/7 folding and have been for months. As long as the temps are good, and stay below 80*, he's fine.
Bigger nm chip of course it's going to produce more heat.
Were talking about SB.
Try enabling PLL Overvoltage and setting a 4.5Ghz OC with 1.35/1.36 vcore.
You're either doing something wrong or your luck with the silicon lottery just sucks.. :/
from site that uve posted:

"Up to 1.3V is completely fine for an everyday overclock, whereas at some way between 1.3V and 1.4V you'll see the heat output increase quite notably even if you can push the CPU a little bit higher. We wouldn't recommend using more than 1.3V unless you have a powerful cooler, and using a vcore of 1.4V or more isn't advisable unless you're just planning a quick Kamikaze benchmark run. Professional overclockers might use a vcore of 1.5V or above even, but bear in mind that these guys and gals get CPUs by the tray load from sponsors! "
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erper View Post

from site that uve posted:
"Up to 1.3V is completely fine for an everyday overclock, whereas at some way between 1.3V and 1.4V you'll see the heat output increase quite notably even if you can push the CPU a little bit higher. We wouldn't recommend using more than 1.3V unless you have a powerful cooler, and using a vcore of 1.4V or more isn't advisable unless you're just planning a quick Kamikaze benchmark run. Professional overclockers might use a vcore of 1.5V or above even, but bear in mind that these guys and gals get CPUs by the tray load from sponsors! "
Haha...I must be a professional overclocker! How old is that post? Current data suggests these chips can be run well above 1.4v quite safely.
 
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