[Asterra]

I don't normally overclock anything. This time I feel the need to do so because there's a certain upcoming game that is very CPU-limited, regardless of how much power you actually have. Point is I don't know what I'm doing.

In the past, I relied on guides, and happily there was, at the time, a guide specifically tailored to my then-setup of the EX58-UD5 and the i7 920. It gave all the voltages, clock this and that, etc. for taking it all the way to (and beyond) 4GHz, which worked just fine on my air-cooled box. Now I've got this 980x and I really don't want to just tinker with it and fry the thing. Again, I literally do not know what I am doing. ;p

The actual heatsink is something I've had for years. It looks just like this Thermalright True Copper:

http://www.frostytech.com/permalinkArch.cfm?NewsID=74156

right down to the six pipes, but mine is 100% aluminum with no copper anywhere. It does a great job anyway.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions, or can point to a guide, that'd be great. Since 4GHz was pretty easy to hit with the 920, I admit I'm hoping for a little more with the 980x, but certainly I could still use some recommended settings for 4GHz as well. Thanks in advance!

(Note my motherboard is not the X58A-UD5, which seems to be somewhat more common.)

 

[esp42089]

My 980x liked the 25x multiplier and responded better to raising the baseclock. I'd try walking up your base clock and leaving the multiplier alone. You should have no trouble reaching 160x25 or 4ghz this way. Increase v-core as needed (don't go over 1.4v or 90 degrees on load and you won't hurt the processor), try not to touch any other voltages until you hit a wall. Once you've done that post back here with where you hit the wall and we can help more.

 

[Asterra]

Thanks. I admit I was mainly hoping for specifics. Like maybe settings that worked for other folks. Ex:

160 x 25 @ ???vcore (with whatever else) works great for 4Ghz.
165 x 25 @ ???
170 x 25 @ ??? (etc.) works stable for me with air cooling.

That kind of stuff. I worry about tinkering with the vcore (and/or whatever else is needed), as opposed to just being told what has worked for other folks, because I have read that the 980x is less safe to toy with in this manner than the likes of my trusty 920. Not a factor that inspires confidence when we're talking about the cost involved. ;p

Anyway I plan to let this stew for a day and see what comes of it. Thank you for the suggestions, too.

 

[esp42089]

Here is a screenshot of all my settings at my max oc. It's liable to be too hot for air cooling, but it will give you an idea of where I hit a wall. My processor could do no more without additional vcore.

Your processor may do more or less but the best way to do this is to slowly turn it up and test it. Anyone who gives you settings and says its a sure thing is not being completely truthful. I could tell you to set your vcore to 1.38, pll to 1.9, and the qpi to 1.38 to get a stable 4ghz. It would probably work, but it would likely be more voltage than needed for stability.

 

[Asterra]

Yeah, there. Pll? Qpi? These are unknowns to me. Vcore, in fact, is an unknown; it's merely the one I've seen the most, and I do understand the purpose behind it, if not the threshold at which it typically needs to be modified.

That said, the settings you list are exactly the sort of data I'm looking for, though they definitely exceed what I'd be willing to attempt, let alone what I reckon I could achieve stably. Nice cool temps, btw.

I'll hunt around some more and look for some ~4.2GHz settings now that I have more words to specify. ;p

 

[Asterra]

I should perhaps phrase things differently. Let's say I'm shooting for 4GHz, and to keep things simple (since I don't want to have to toy with my brand new 12GB of ram), I'm going to go with 160x25, as this supposedly won't require me to fiddle with ram voltages - or at least, so goes my limited grasp.

If I set the (whatever) from X to 160, and the (whatever else; I'll find it) from Y to 25, what else would you change more or less automatically, as it would almost certainly be required in order for these changes to be maintained stably?

 

[esp42089]

Well, every processor is different in what it will need to maintain a given frequency. There aren't quick ways to get it and be assured the processor is running efficiently.

I don't know your bios intimately enough to guide you step by step, but you should be able to find all the settings if you hunt around a bit. I would start by going to 140x25 and not touching your voltages. Check stability with Intel Burn Test (5 or 10 runs and be sure to monitor your processor temperature) and if it passes, go up to 145x25. Repeat until it fails, stepping the base clock up in 5MHz steps. When it fails, start bumping your vcore up in .05v increments and retest until it passes.

For 160x25 you will likely only need to bump your vcore (maybe your qpi voltage a little bit). Try going as high as you can with just bumping your vcore and report back if it won't reach 4Ghz stable.

Most people readily agree that 1.35v or less will not damage your processor. There is documentation from Intel that says maximum spec is 1.4v It is up to you to decide what you are comfortable with. I have run 1.368v for 21 months now with no signs of degradation; it has been rock solid.