[Jokie]

So I'm trying to take my cpu back up to 4.5ghz / 4.6ghz, which I had it at before my motherboard died. But for the life of me I cannot get it to be stable now, which I have the same configuration as before. There is no new hardware as I RMA'd the motherboard and they repaired the one that was originally mine.

CPU: AMD FX 8370 4.0ghz stock
Mother board: AMD Fata1ity killer 990fx
Cpu Cooler: Noctua NH-d15

Overclock settings:

CPU Frequency: 200
PCIE Frequency: 100

Processor Maximum Frequency 6300 mhz
North Bridge Maximum Frequency 6200 mhz
Processor Maximum Voltage 1.5500 V

CPU Frequency Multiplier x22.5 4500mhz
CPU Voltage 1.3625
NB Frequency Multiplier x11.0 2200mhz
CPU NB Voltage 1.1875v
HT Bus Speed Auto
HT Bus Width 16 bit

DRAM Frequency is 1600 at 9-9-9-24

DRAM Voltage is 1.500v
CPU Voltage Offset +0mV
NB Voltage 1.10V
HT Voltage 1.200V
CPU VDDA Voltage 2.56V
PCIE VDDA Voltage 1.81v

I can not for the life of me figure out why it's failing every stress test that I run. I've tried OCCT, Prime95 and IBT. IBT and OCCT report an error / Instability respectively. Prime95 just freezes my system. I'm quite new to overclocking but I've had it at 4.5ghz stable before with the same hardware. I was able to game, stream, video encode, etc.. with no blue screens or anything and passed all of my tests with out even hitting 50c under load.

Any idea on what I should do? I'm quite clueless so reading guides don't really help me from where I'm stuck at. Any and all help is appreciated, I would like to try to get 4.5 or 4.6hz stable as soon as possible.

*Solved: I don't know how to mark as solved. But due to CPUTIN temps at 4.5ghz since I could only get it stable at 1.4v for some reason, I went down to 4.4ghz at 1.362v. At 4.5, 1.4v I was getting a max of 72c CPUTIN in HWMONITOR, and with 4.4ghz at 1.362 I don't go past 60c. Thank you all for your help.

 

[miklkit]

Processor Maximum Frequency 6300 mhz
North Bridge Maximum Frequency 6200 mhz
Processor Maximum Voltage 1.5500 V

What is this supposed to mean????

 

[Ahnt]

Is it stable at stock speeds? Just to rule out a still malfunctioning motherboard.

 

[Jokie]

Yes it is. I'm thinking that it might be because I have 4 sticks of ram to make 16gb, they're all the same ram, but the last time I ran this OC configuration I was only using 2 sticks for 8gb. Do you think that could be the problem I'm having?

 

[Jokie]

Was just in my OC tab settings in my BIOS, I figured it couldn't hurt to just list everything I was looking at.

 

[seanzylol]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jokie

Was just in my OC tab settings in my BIOS, I figured it couldn't hurt to just list everything I was looking at.

bump your cpu/nb voltage to 1.25. Its probably cause your running 4 sticks.

 

[Jokie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanzylol

bump your cpu/nb voltage to 1.25. Its probably cause your running 4 sticks.

I currently took out 2 and put in 2 of the matching sticks that came in the same pack (I can't tell because they're made differently but are the same make and model, idk how I could explain with out taking pics but I don't feel like taking them out to do so.)

I'm going to try my settings how it is with 2 sticks of ram, and if that doesn't work I'm going to try to bring up my NB

 

[Jokie]

Still no progress. I can't figure this out for the life of me.

 

[Kryton]

Try raising your CPU voltage to at least 1.40v's or so and definitley get your RAM voltage up to about 1.65v's. Although some RAM sets may spec this the FX chips don't like RAM voltage getting too low, as a standard using at least 1.6v's is where you want it to be as a minimum regardless of RAM speed because the chip's IMC doesn't like RAM voltage dropping too much below this overall. 1.6v's will not hurt anything and in reality running 1.65v's would be best. I have sticks that says 1.5v's too but always run these at 1.65 without a problem.

At least try it and see what happens.

 

[mtcn77]

Tower coolers might not be the preferred choice for high power flow chips such as these. Vrms take a hit.

 

[chrisjames61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtcn77



Tower coolers might not be the preferred choice for high power flow chips such as these. Vrms take a hit.

The air from a downdraft cooler really helps vs a tower cooler which basically just cools the cpu only.

 

[Jokie]

I was able to hit 4.5ghz stable and these are my temps. I passed all 10 passes on IBT.

http://prntscr.com/akaofp

Only thing is my CPUTIN hit 72c on highest temps. I have a feeling that should be way lower down to at least 62? Is that correct? I'm not sure how hot cputin should be but I know I was supposed to keep an eye on it as well as "package" temp.

 

[seanzylol]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjames61

The air from a downdraft cooler really helps vs a tower cooler which basically just cools the cpu only.

This is why you slap a couple fans on the vrms and north bridge

 

[Jokie]

http://prntscr.com/akb6hu this is temps while gaming and while idle. Mind you, both of these temps were taken with my side panel off. Everything look good? I achieved 4.5 with 1.4v and 1.25v on NB. I tried cutting the cpu voltage down a step but it failed at 6 ibt passes. Everything as it is now passes all 10 on standard.

 

[miklkit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjames61

The air from a downdraft cooler really helps vs a tower cooler which basically just cools the cpu only.

That is a blanket statement that is not always true. The Noctua D14/D15, Phanteks TC14PE, and Silverstone HE01 all have adjustable fans that cool the VRMs very well.

Here, note the vcore and then note the Sabertooth temperatures.

 

[mtcn77]

OP: Post #12.
I don't know which exactly, but one of those sensors is likely reading the socket temperature and you are likely required to keep it cooler by a few degrees more. Likely 2 °C will suffice, if not so lucky: 9 °C to keep the cpu cool along with the socket; however you haven't said anything about throttling, right? It isn't safe above 62 °C nonetheless, unfortunately.
PS: Post #425 - this is more interesting. It might be of preference to go for the '8370-e' version to have a higher throttling point.
Quote:

For example:

FX-8370E
tCTLMax = 70
tCaseMax = 70.5°C
THERMTRIP on tCTL scale = 85

FX-8370
tCTLMax = 70
tCaseMax = 61.1°C
THERMTRIP on tCTL scale = 85

FX-9590
tCTLMax = 70
tCaseMax = 57.0°C
THERMTRIP on tCTL scale = 85

 

[Jokie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtcn77

OP: Post #12.
I don't know which exactly, but one of those sensors is likely reading the socket temperature and you are likely required to keep it cooler by a few degrees more. Likely 2 °C will suffice, if not so lucky: 9 °C to keep the cpu cool along with the socket; however you haven't said anything about throttling, right? It isn't safe above 62 °C nonetheless, unfortunately.
PS: Post #425 - this is more interesting. It might be of preference to go for the '8370-e' version to have a higher throttling point.

I don't believe anything's throttling, at least I haven't noticed any of it to be doing so. I only hit that 70 in 1 test, the next test was 60-68 with 68 being the highest 1 maybe 2 time peeks. When idle my cputin is 46c and my cpu is 29-30c.

Max for CPU is 43c while gaming and max for cputin is 47c while gaming.

 

[chrisjames61]

Quote:

Originally Posted by miklkit

That is a blanket statement that is not always true. The Noctua D14/D15, Phanteks TC14PE, and Silverstone HE01 all have adjustable fans that cool the VRMs very well.

Here, note the vcore and then note the Sabertooth temperatures.

I have both a D14 and a TC14PE and yes you can drop the fans a bit. I still don't think you get the secondary cooling a downdraft cooler brings. Especially from the newer coolers from Phanteks and Noctua that have over sized fans that overhang the heatsink itself. As a side note I ditched my NH-D14 and TC14PE because they are just too big and ugly. I now use a NH-U14S. I would like to get a Thermalright 140 mm Archon but they are crazy expensive. I really like the quality of Thermalright even over Noctua.

 

[miklkit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisjames61

I have both a D14 and a TC14PE and yes you can drop the fans a bit. I still don't think you get the secondary cooling a downdraft cooler brings. Especially from the newer coolers from Phanteks and Noctua that have over sized fans that overhang the heatsink itself. As a side note I ditched my NH-D14 and TC14PE because they are just too big and ugly. I now use a NH-U14S. I would like to get a Thermalright 140 mm Archon but they are crazy expensive. I really like the quality of Thermalright even over Noctua.

I see at least a 10C difference in VRM temperatures when switching from a cooler with adjustable fans to one with the fans locked in place. I have done this with the HE01 and the Phanteks 14PE VS the Thermalright IB-E Extreme. The 14PE and the IB-E are with the same fans too.

The C-type coolers do put a lot of air onto the VRMs, ram and North Bridge but then where does that hot air go? It goes all over the place and is hard to get out of the case efficiently so some of it ends up getting recycled, resulting in higher temperatures. The C-types are good for stock to mild OC systems but especially if there is a powerful video card in there too things can get hot fast.

Overall case air flow is the one thing that nobody pays any attention to and is where the most improvement can be had.

 

[mtcn77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by miklkit

I see at least a 10C difference in VRM temperatures when switching from a cooler with adjustable fans to one with the fans locked in place. I have done this with the HE01 and the Phanteks 14PE VS the Thermalright IB-E Extreme. The 14PE and the IB-E are with the same fans too.

The C-type coolers do put a lot of air onto the VRMs, ram and North Bridge but then where does that hot air go? It goes all over the place and is hard to get out of the case efficiently so some of it ends up getting recycled, resulting in higher temperatures. The C-types are good for stock to mild OC systems but especially if there is a powerful video card in there too things can get hot fast.

Overall case air flow is the one thing that nobody pays any attention to and is where the most improvement can be had.

I agree with total air flow setting the bar for overall temperatures, though tower coolers can break the compatibility with dual orientation gpu heatsinks when LP cpu cooler + axial gpu cooler can work in unison.
I had a superb Thermalright HR-03, however couldn't manage to keep the cpu temperature in check with a tower cooler since it worked best only when it was pointing towards the cpu. No amount of total air flow would help in that case, imo. Also, AIO WC kits hadn't been launched back then.