Consistently encounter boot failures while attempting to overclock the i7-6700 (non-K) CPU
Consistently encounter boot failures while attempting to overclock the i7-6700 (non-K) CPU
I'm experimenting with overclocking my i7-6700 (non-K) and consistently encountering boot failures when adjusting the base clock.
I've referenced a guide from Gigabyte, but it seems to not apply to my setup.
The F6e BIOS version they suggest doesn't resolve the issue for me.
Hello Behmer, I'm here to assist you. Could you clarify when exactly the system crashes and whether there are any sounds involved? One beep, several beeps, long ones, short ones, or a pattern? Before attempting an overclock, make sure all components are functioning properly. You might want to try using only one stick of RAM, which may need some testing to find the correct slot. If that doesn't resolve the issue, check your BIOS settings—have you confirmed your LLC is set to high/ultra? Did you switch the voltage from auto to manual? Have you increased it to 1.325 or 1.35 volts? Also verify the RAM multiplier adjustment. Let me know.
breek :
Hello Behmer. I'll do my best to help you out here. Can you tell me when exactly it crashes and if there are any beeps? One beep? Many beeps? Long beeps? Short beeps?
Before overclocking, did you make sure everything runs well? One thing you can try is leaving only 1 stick of ram in (this could require trial and error if you need to find the right slot). Assuming this does not fix the problem, the next step would be to check your BIOS settings. Have you double checked your LLC is set to high/ultra? Have you adjusted your voltage from auto to manual? Have you tried upping the voltage to 1.325 or 1.35v? Make sure you're adjusting your RAM multipler as well. Let me know.
Keelin, to dispel any misinformation, non-k Skylake CPUs can be overclocked with the proper BIOS. You're required to install an older version that allows a separate baseclock for your CPU and RAM from the rest of the system. This is what the OP is referring to and what I have done with my i5 6400 @ 4.5Ghz on Gigabyte's Z170x G1 Gaming 3 board.
Hi breek, Thanks for the reply. I don't get any beeps during the boot up. I see the GIGABYTE screen for a few seconds where you would push DEL or one of the F#'s to open the bios or boot menu, and then the next screen is the boot failure screen.
My system runs just fine without trying to OC, it's about 6 months old and hasn't had any problems, just interested in trying to play around with the clock.
I do have the LLC set to high (the only options are high, standard and auto). As for the voltage setting, I just changed the CPU vCore voltage from Auto to 1.35 V. I've tried changing just the voltage and when I boot up the system and open CPU-Z I can see that with only a voltage change, it does apply the 1.35 V constantly to the system. Is this what you mean changing voltage from auto to manual? there's no option for me to actually have anything say the word "manual." I also have checked the RAM multiplier to make sure it's still at a value around 2500 MHz when applying the OC.
So far I've tried everything you suggested except removing some RAM so I'll give that a shot.
Behmer, it seems you've followed the right path so far. When I mentioned changing the voltage from auto to manual, I meant adjusting it to a precise setting, which you've done correctly.
I faced some challenges with my OC too; it took a bit of trial and error to get it working, so I'm hoping to assist further. I think your motherboard supports BIOS screenshots, so if possible, please share images of your CPU voltage page, CPU frequency page (which may also include RAM) and your RAM/memory frequency page. If relevant, is an XMP profile active for your RAM?
Another point I should have raised earlier is the BCLK and multiplier settings you're using. Could you clarify what stock CPU frequency values you're targeting—like 100mhz x 33? I'd suggest setting your CPU voltage to 1.325v, a 33 multiplier, and around 130Mhz BCLK. Experiment by adjusting these numbers in steps of 5-10Mhz and let me know the results. As always, keep an eye on your RAM and tweak the multiplier as needed.