Find tips for updating your Asus Sabertooth X79 clock.
Find tips for updating your Asus Sabertooth X79 clock.
Hey there, LinusTech Community. I just completed an upgrade on my latest build to boost its performance. I’m new to overclocking or setting up a server processor, so I’m looking for guidance. I watched Linus’s video from six years ago: https://youtu.be/khDsbxa5_G0. He used the Asus X79-deluxe board, while I’m using the Sabertooth X79. Can I try replicating his BIOS setup to overclock the Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2? Might I run into any problems? Will I need a special BIOS or an update? Any tips would be great. Currently I’m running an Intel i7-3820 and will get the Xeon this week for the final touch.
Specs: Processor – Intel Xeon E5-2697v2, 12 cores, 2.70 GHz, 30MB cache, 8GT/s motherboard – Asus Sabertooth X79. RAM – 64GB total, including 4x8GB Consair DDR3 1600 and 4x8GB GSkills Ripsaw DDR3 1600. GPU – MSI GTX 1650 Gaming X 4G GDDR5. Storage – 1TB WD Blue SSD, 2x1TB WD Black HDD, plus a case fan and power supply.
I'm curious about whether your board supports a 125MHz BCLK strap for overclocking, as this CPU doesn't allow overclocking via a multiplier like unlocked models. Generally, adding a Xeon would be similar to using a 3820.
He followed these steps in the video: 1. Activated advanced BIOS mode and enabled boot mode. 2. Enabled manual overclocking. 3. Set BCLK frequency at 105. 4. Changed CPU ratio to auto. 5. Configured DDR3 RAM under the 1600 threshold at 1400MHz. 6. Did not apply overvoltage protection and adjusted voltages manually (captured screenshots of voltage settings). 7. Ensured Turbo Boost was active. 8. Used ASUS TPU software to gradually increase clock speed, reaching 113MHz base clock. 9. Resulted in a CPU clock speed of 3.389GHz (3389.9MHz) with 12 cores. 10. Noted that boosting cores without boosting frequency would improve performance. He mentioned this was an older version of the video and asked for additional stress-testing tips.
This model isn't the top choice for gaming despite its strong specs. It offers solid performance for servers and virtualization, handling tasks like encoding Plex and running UnRAID well. However, when it comes to gaming, it lags behind a Ryzen 9 3900X in core count and speed. The i7-3820 is also a good option, though some 6-core Xeons in Socket 2011 are available—just rebranded as i7 Extremes.
I also heard that using a PCIe 3 M.2 SSD and running a patched BIOS could boost performance further. There are several videos available, but I haven’t watched them yet. It looks like this board was quite adaptable back then.
Please note your query was relocated to the CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory category. Ensure future posts align with the correct section.