AMD FX-8320 Overclocking Help
AMD FX-8320 Overclocking Help
I’m facing a really tough situation with overclocking. I’ve checked all the usual sources—threads, tutorials, videos, forums, error logs—but each time Prime95 tries to boost the speed, it becomes unstable. I have a few ideas so far.
I’ve eliminated two main possibilities:
■The power supply might be insufficient. My Corsair HX750i only draws around 350W during stress tests, according to Corsair Digital Link.
■There could be cooling issues. With the Corsair H60 Liquid Cooling Kit, I observed temperatures between 55°C and 60°C at 4.3GHz during testing.
I tried AMD Overdrive first. The overclocks failed completely, and I kept getting the CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT error. After uninstalling Overdrive, I attempted to overclock directly from the motherboard. A few months ago, I had successfully pushed the FX-8320 to 4.5GHz by adjusting just the multiplier. I retried with a smaller increase (to 4.4GHz), but it still didn’t work. I then raised the voltage incrementally, but the instability persisted. Eventually, I settled on 1.4000V, which is only slightly above the original spec of 1.3250V—no major changes in error messages.
My question now is: should I keep pushing the voltage higher, or should I lower it? Also, my motherboard is a GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3P (rev. 1.0) with a 970 chipset. It’s capable of overclocking, but I’m uncertain if it’s safe given the chipset limitations.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m starting to think something might have gone wrong, though everything seems stable at 4.3GHz now.
Using an AIO liquid cooler causes the VRMs to overheat. The thermal paste between the heatsink and VRMs has dried up. The heatsink connecting the CPU to the rear connector panel requires strong airflow to function properly. This affects the voltage regulation for the CPU and generates significant heat. (This model does not have Gigabyte on it.)
Try directing a fan to blow directly onto the VRM heatsink. If this resolves the issue, the paste is still in good condition. If not, clean all old paste thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol and reapply new thermal paste.
You're experiencing issues with your AIO liquid cooler setup. The VRMs are overheating, the thermal paste has dried out, and the heatsink needs better airflow to regulate temperature. This affects the CPU voltage control and generates excess heat. Consider directing a fan to cool the VRM heatsink. If that doesn't resolve it, clean the old paste thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol and apply new thermal paste. The motherboard has multiple temperature sensors; one reading 58°C during a 4.6GHz overclock suggests it's warm. You also have a 140mm fan nearby and a 200mm fan on the opposite side panel. What type of fan would be suitable for this configuration?