Asus has been using these configurations for nearly a year... is it trying to harm my CPU?
Asus has been using these configurations for nearly a year... is it trying to harm my CPU?
I've been using my 9700k with a 3600 mhz memory and XMP enabled. I initially assumed it would work out of the box, but after some research, I realized my motherboard (Asus Prime Z370-a) increased the VCCIO and VCCSA voltages to high levels—something not ideal. What's going on with Asus? Are they trying to harm my CPU? I'm worried this might have shortened its lifespan. Here are the voltage readings:
You're asking about the expected behavior with a 9700k OC and auto voltage, plus you're curious about CPU voltage auto settings on motherboards.
VCCIO at 1.32V remains quite reliable, it's a bit above what it should be but still safe. VCCSA is slightly higher than ideal, around 1.4V, which is the threshold many consider safe for extended use. Raising it beyond 1.35V usually offers only marginal gains, especially on recent Intel mainboards I tested for over 20 minutes (7700K). I wouldn't expect major issues, though. Your memory controller might experience slight wear. Still, most 9th generation chips handle 3600MHz well, so unless you're aiming for extreme overclocks and want to bring it down further, you should be fine.
It looks the same as before, just like it did during its life. Adjusting vccio and vccsa to 1.20v didn’t cause any issues.
I had no idea until today... I only set xmp and turned off mce after buying the CPU and RAM. That was all I thought was necessary.
It has dropped from the peak frequency it should reach to around 3733-3800MHz. When aiming for higher performance, the memory controller performs poorly, though it may not be noticeable on a 3600MHz device and should remain functional. I recommend stress testing the memory overnight, using heavy workloads like Linpack Xtreme, to confirm stability. A 1.2V supply might work for a new chip, but as silicon ages it typically needs slightly more voltage to stay reliable. I wouldn't expect major issues, but you might encounter a few errors and need to raise the voltage to 1.25-1.3V for consistent performance (still within safe ranges).
I adjusted the VCCIO and VCCSA to 1.10v each and ran multiple stress tests using realbench, linpack extreme, and OCCT for several hours. I also played games nonstop while monitoring performance. Everything functioned smoothly. I avoided an all-night linpack extreme test since the temperatures reached dangerously high levels (up to 92°C).