CPU Overclock Inquiry
CPU Overclock Inquiry
Hey everyone, I'm trying to boost the FX-8320E's clock speed from 3.2 to 3.8 GHz on my ASUS M5A78L-M with USB3. I'm curious if this is feasible considering my motherboard.
You'll need a heat sink for those MOSFETs. This part will add a small cost. Here are some examples of what I'm referring to. I think I'd choose the MOS-C10 C1100. There should be enough in just one pack to cover all your MOSFETs. Clean the surface of the MOSFETs with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips. Use the included thermal tape and stick it onto the MOSFETs.
You'll need a suitable heatsink for the MOSFETs, which will add a small cost. Here are some examples: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... These are references to what I'm referring to. I’d likely choose the MOS-C10 C1100, as there should be enough in a single pack for your components. Wipe down the MOSFETs with alcohol and cotton swabs, then apply the thermal tape provided.
Next, return to the microcenter and obtain a quality case fan. You’ll need to attach it directly to the new heatsinks. Since you already have a solid CPU cooler, you must determine the appropriate fan size—possibly 2-80/90mm, though some cases might accommodate a 120mm model.
This setup will allow you to push your system to higher speeds.
Open the BIOS, navigate to the advanced section, scroll down to the CPU settings, switch it from automatic to manual mode. This unlocks most overclocking features. Move to the Turbo settings and change them from automatic to disabled. Switch on Quiet & Cool, then disable C1 and C6 power states. Adjust the LLC settings: set the CPU to Ultra (or its highest setting as defined by the BIOS) and the Northbridge to high.
On the voltage control, turn off offset mode and switch the voltage from automatic to manual. Set it to whatever voltage the CPU is currently using—this varies per chip, so I can't give a precise value. For the Northbridge, adjust it similarly (around 1.1-1.2 volts), then slow down its hypertransport speed to 2000 while keeping the CPU speed unchanged. Maintain a frequency of 200, save your changes, and restart your PC.
Now you're ready to overclock. Return to the BIOS and increase the multiplier by +0.5 (making it 20.5). Keep the CPU frequency at 200, save and restart. Ensure Windows loads properly. Repeat this process, adjusting the multiplier again (by 0.5) until you can no longer boot into Windows or fail the POST test. If your system crashes during boot, it may have reset to default settings after three attempts—this is sometimes unavoidable. You can resolve this by using clr_cmos.
Once issues arise, refer to your BIOS settings for the correct values. Afterward, monitor your CPU core and motherboard temperatures closely. Run IBT on its most demanding setting for 10 cycles. A negative result indicates a failure. If the program crashes, a negative value in any core during IBT-AVX may signal a faulty core—consider using vcore correction.
After stabilization, increase your vcore by +0.0125V, save, and restart. Try IBT-AVX again, incrementally raising the vcore until your system passes the test or temperatures exceed safe limits (core temp over 65°C, socket temp over 72°C). If you successfully complete ten cycles without overheating, you can safely raise the CPU multiplier further. From there, continue testing with IBT-AVX until temperatures remain stable.
Once you achieve this, your system should be ready for further adjustments.
It is not recommended to overclock with that motherboard due to the fact there is no heat sink for the VRM. This causes them to overheat and cause voltage delivery issues to the CPU. Is it possible to get it to run at 3.8 on all 8 cores? Yes Will it run without having problems? Doubtful.
EDIT:
What if I put heat sinks on the mosfet's (VRM)? It still wont be enough to to handle the overclocking since it was not designed for anything over a 95W TDP CPU. This means that even if you can keep them cool enough your voltage stability will be so poor that a stable OC will be hard to achieve. This is a common question here on these forums with this and other low end Asus boards. The voltage circuitry just is not designed to hold that much power flowing through them.
You'll need a suitable heatsink for those MOSFETs. This part will add a bit to your expenses.
Here are some examples I found. I’d likely choose the MOS-C10 C1100. A single pack should cover all your MOSFETs.
Wipe down the surface of the MOSFETs with rubbing alcohol and qtips. Use the included thermal tape and stick it onto the devices.
First, return to microcenter and select a reliable case fan. Then obtain some double-sided tape. You’ll need to fasten the fan directly on top of the new heatsinks. Since you already have a solid CPU cooler, you’ll have to determine the appropriate fan size—possibly 2-80/90mm models, though a 120mm fan might fit in some cases.
Now you’ll be able to push your system overclocking further.
Open the BIOS, navigate to the advanced section, scroll down to the CPU settings, and switch it from automatic to manual. This unlocks most overclocking options. Move to the Turbo section, change it from automatic to disabled. Then go to Quiet & Cool, turn it off. Disable C1 and C6 power states. In your LLC settings, set the CPU to Ultra (or whatever your BIOS calls its highest setting) and the Northbridge to high. Jump down to voltage control, disable offset mode, and switch the voltage setting from automatic to manual. Set it manually to whatever voltage the CPU is currently running at—this varies per chip, so I can’t give a precise number. It’s usually between 1.32-1.38 volts. Do the same for the Northbridge (voltage also differs by chip, generally around 1.1-1.2 volts).
Next, gradually reduce your Northbridge and HyperTransport speeds to 2000 (note the original values). Keep the CPU speed at 200. Save and restart your computer.
Now you’re ready to overclock.
Return to the BIOS and increase the multiplier by +0.5 (this makes it 20.5), keep the CPU frequency at 200, save and restart. Ensure Windows loads properly. Save and restart again. Load into BIOS and double the multiplier (+0.5) once more (it should now read 21, pushing the CPU to 4.2GHz). Save and restart.
Repeat this process until you can no longer load into Windows or fail the POST. If the system doesn’t post, it may reset your BIOS to default settings after three attempts—sometimes this happens. You can fix it by using clr_cmos.
Once you encounter difficulties, you’ll remember your previous good configuration. Make sure your BIOS matches that setting. Load into Windows, download Intel Burn Test - AVX, and HWMonitor. Monitor your CPU core temperature and motherboard socket temperature. Run IBT on its most demanding mode for 10 cycles. A negative result means failure. If the program crashes, a negative number in any core will trigger a blue screen or reset—then you’ll need to adjust the Vcore.
Restore BIOS settings, increase Vcore by +0.0125V, save and restart. Try IBT-AVX again. Continue adjusting Vcore until your system passes IBT-AVX or temperatures exceed safe limits (core temp over 65°C, socket temp over 72°C). Assuming you can complete ten IBT-AVX cycles without overheating or failure, you may safely increase the multiplier further. From here, test overclocks with IBT-AVX until your cooling system remains stable.
If successful, you’re ready to proceed.
Now, back into the BIOS and turn on C1 and C6 again. Save and verify that your computer can post. Load into BIOS, raise the Northbridge and HyperTransport settings to their default values (this depends on your motherboard), save and restart. If it still posts, try the NB frequency at the same speed as the HT. For optimal performance, some motherboards only support 2600/2600 configurations—though I’m not certain about the M5A78 model.
First and foremost, this board only features a 4-pin EPS connector, which restricts stable voltage delivery to the CPU. Aggressive overclocking is therefore not recommended. The VRM circuitry won’t hold under high loads.
Second, AMD FX and A-series CPUs/APUs require temperature monitoring via AMD Overdrive, since HWMonitor doesn’t accurately report temperatures. Overdrive uses Thermal Margin to indicate how much the CPU can heat before throttling. If the temp drops to 0°C, the CPU will begin throttling to cool itself.
Third, LLC or Load Line Calibration shouldn’t be set to the highest possible value. It should be adjusted to maintain stable voltage under full load. Setting it to maximum actually increases voltage during heavy usage, which is counterproductive.
Example:
I have my LLC at High with a voltage of 1.475. Under heavy loads, the CPU only reaches 1.488V. However, when set to Ultra and 1.475V, the voltage climbs to 1.51xV under load. This shows that pushing to the absolute maximum isn’t ideal. Test each setting under full load to find the optimal one that keeps voltage stable without excessive rise.
Fourth, while Intel Burn Test is useful, it doesn’t detect all issues with FX series CPUs. Running Prime 95 for at least two hours is essential to verify IBT results. This comes from years of experience with these processors. If you don’t test thoroughly and encounter problems, identifying the root cause will be difficult.
Throughout your explanation or signature, note that you haven’t specified which CPU cooler you’re using. Many assumptions in this guide could lead you into trouble during overclocking.