Can't OC cpu if I enable XMP?
Can't OC cpu if I enable XMP?
Hi, I just bought and assembled my new PC. It has an MSI Z170A Mpower Titanium motherboard with a DDR4 8GB Gskill memory and an Intel 6700K processor. I set XMP to allow my 16GB RAM at 3000MHz to work perfectly. However, I’m having trouble changing the CPU ratio and frequency afterward. Also, when I turn on Game OC for quick CPU overclocking to 4.4GHz, XMP shuts off and the memory speed reverts to its default. How can I keep XMP enabled while still being able to adjust the CPU in BIOS?
Software OC behaves differently from manual OC adjustments. It alters various parameters such as current limits, LLC, turbo settings, EiST, etc. The most significant adjustment is the BCLK value. This defines the main bus speed multiplier clock. It's typically fixed at 100.0, meaning all values are essentially multiples of 100 (42 multiplier x 100 BCLK = 4200MHz, or 4.2GHz). The bus clock connects everything—CPU, GPU, Northbridge, PCIe, USB, SSD, HDD, etc.—and determines the communication speed. If you increase BCLK to 105, it would result in a 30x increase instead of 30x100, potentially raising RAM speed to 3150. This change could either be beneficial or cause instability, so the software will adjust RAM accordingly.
Do you have the most recent BIOS version? It might help to perform an OC on the CPU, then enable XMP or manually set the DRAM, as I haven't been satisfied with MSI's BIOS.
Hi, I finally got it working. I had to do both OC's manually. For some reason I can't use both preset OC settings (for cpu and ram) at the same time.
What suggestions do you have to check if the system is stable with these new configurations?
Tradesman1 shared their experience using ROG Real Bench and reported successful stress and benchmark tests. They provided detailed metrics including system score, temperatures, and performance under load. They also asked for advice on adding a second fan to the Noctua cooler.
Software OC settings go beyond merely adjusting the CPU multiplier, affecting various parameters such as current limits, LLC, turbo options, EiST, etc. The most significant adjustment is the BCLK value, which controls the bus speed multiplier. Typically fixed at 100.0, it means all values are essentially multiples of 100 (42 times 100 BCLK equals 4200MHz or 4.2GHz). The bus clock influences everything connected—CPU, GPU, Northbridge, PCIe, USB, SSD, HDD—it determines the communication speed. If you increase BCLK to 105, for example, instead of a 30x multiplier, it becomes 30x105, potentially raising RAM speeds to 3150. This could either be beneficial or cause instability, prompting the software to default RAM settings and then adjust others for improved performance. It’s essentially swapping one optimization for another, and results may vary.