Assist in enhancing FX 6300 FX
Assist in enhancing FX 6300 FX
Hello,
Your system details are as follows: FX 6300 with Stock Cooler, M5A78L-M/USB3, 2x4GB 1600Mhz RAM and GTX 750 GPU.
Temperatures stayed around 62C and 64C during the stress test, with idle temps at 21.4C and 37C on the package and CPU sensor.
The VCore can reach up to 1.42V at 4.12GHz turbo. You’re considering undervolting but the BIOS only allows raising voltage above stock (like 1.3v) and not lowering it.
Would it be better to keep the voltage on auto and turn off Turbo Boost, or should you try overclocking with voltages below 1.375?
What options do you have? Any advice would be appreciated.
When you start overclocking, additional effects may occur. The BIOS and CPU likely run an APM function to keep the CPU within its TDP limits. Under heavy load, you might notice the processor occasionally adjust its clock speed. Some motherboards offer a way to turn off APM completely, though I’m not sure if yours does.
ASUS has a solid VRM design, which may cause it to throttle under high heat, pulling clocks back even when APM is active. This can happen once the VRM becomes very hot.
You're aware of the constraints with the stock CPU cooler, but you do have an 80mm fan directing air toward the VRM. This means you're looking for a way to lower the voltage and achieve a stable OC below 4.0GHz, which would help reduce system temperatures.
Higher frequency demands increased voltage to maintain stability.
Are you experiencing thermal throttling? Standard coolers focus more on performance than maintaining low temperatures. Have you maintained the dust from the heatsink and fan over the years?
The maximum Boost Clock for the FX 6300 reaches up to 3.8GHz AMD.
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulldozer/AMD-FX-Series FX-6300.html
indicates,
Boosted P states [1]
#1: 4100 MHz, 1.425V
#2: 3800 MHz, 1.4125V
Thus a 4.1GHz @ 1.425 volts is within the expected range.
What’s the maximum operating temperature?
70.5°C
You might also want to verify your thermal margin.
The Tcase Temperature for the FX 6300 processor is 70ºC.
source email from amd
TCase stands for Case Temperature and refers to the upper limit temperature allowed at the processor Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS).
If your motherboard includes a diode that contacts the CPU, keep it below 70°C. You’ll throttle if temperatures rise too much as you approach Tj Max.
Tjunction
represents the point where transistor performance starts to degrade (become unreliable).
Tcase reflects the actual CPU temperature measured by your motherboard. I recall one of my older systems had a diode touching the bottom of the CPU—another method is to touch the pins in the CPU socket. The Tjunction max is the threshold temperature your CPU can handle.
AMD’s proprietary thermal-margin scale uses this value to manage overdrive performance.
It appears the processor is experiencing thermal throttling as expected. Recently, I thoroughly disassembled the PC and cleaned every part. During a 15-20 minute stress test, the CPU reached a boost of 4.118GHz at 1.42V, then quickly dropped to standard speeds between 3.5 and 3.8GHz around 1.375 to 1.4V. The temperatures were approximately 64°C on the motherboard sensor and 62°C in the package. This led me to consider undervolting, but the BIOS restricts me to under 1.3V, and I’m hesitant to use the AOD option.