How's my overclocking?
How's my overclocking?
Hey Guys,
I’ve been working on a new setup for the past three weeks. Here’s what I’ve got:
Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX Z370 E GAMING
Processor: Intel Coffee Lake 6-Core I7-8700K @ 3.7 GHz
Memory: CORSAIR LPX VENGEANCE DDR4 @ 3000 MHz, 16 GB
Cooler: CORSAIR H100i V2 Liquid Cooler
GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB OC Edition (1683 MHz boost clock)
PSU: CORSAIR RM750X
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB HDD
Additional components: Fans from the H100i V2 and one SP120L used as a case fan.
I’ve overclocked the GPU, Processor, and Memory. The GPU is set to 1708 MHz with a custom fan curve I designed to manage temps. The CPU was initially at 5.0 GHz but was downclocked to 4.8 GHz after detecting high voltages (around 1.4 V for VID #0-5). Memory supports XMP, allowing full speed and a DRAM voltage of 1.360 V.
All these configurations were fine-tuned using AI Suite 3’s 5 Way Optimization. The GPU speed is controlled via MSI Afterburner based on the OC settings in GPUtweak II. I’m considering adjustments to improve longevity while still pushing performance. What changes should I make?
TJ Hooker:
Keep in mind, Vcore is what you should focus on, not VID.
My VCORE from HWMonitor is currently 1.280 V at 4.8 GHZ. I'll test increasing it to check the range.
EDIT: I have some data from previous runs at 5.0 GHZ. It never exceeded 1.31 V, though I'm not sure if that's the peak or actual max. Right now it's running at 5.0 GHZ with a maximum of 1.376 V, and it seems to stay around 1 V to 1.35 V otherwise.
You adjusted the Vcore setting in the BIOS, whether it remains under auto or offset settings. For finer control, you can assign a specific fixed value, though this means it will consistently operate at that voltage even when idle. I noticed that with high load line calibration, Vcore tends to increase slightly above the BIOS setting. With default LLC, it seems Vcore drops slightly below what was configured in the BIOS.
TJ Hooker:
What BIOS settings were applied to Vcore, are they still in auto or offset? For finer control, you can define a fixed value, though this means it will maintain that voltage even when idle. I noticed that adjusting the load line calibration to 'high' causes Vcore to rise slightly above the BIOS setting. With the default LLC mode, Vcore seems to drop slightly below what was set in the BIOS. It's currently using the auto value. Should I switch it to offset and is it safe for continuous operation at 1.35 V?
EDIT: Tried changing Manual to 1.35, but temperatures spiked to 80°C during a Realtemp sensor test at 5.0 GHz. Reduced frequency to 4.8 GHz and switched back to Auto mode for the voltage.
Hey TJ, I believe I've discovered my ideal processor setting. It's been overclocked to 4.9 ghz with auto voltage enabled. In terms of silicon performance, I'm looking at a standard chip where 4.9 ghz operates with a typical voltage range between 0.6 and 1.344 volts under auto mode, and it remains stable. The average voltage I've observed is around 1.2 to 1.3 volts when under load. I haven't seen it exceed 1.344 volts during any stress tests except the realtemps sensor prime95 small FFTs test, where it briefly reached 1.396 volts—likely a temporary spike when clock speeds dropped. The maximum temperature recorded was 85°C. When running under AVX workloads such as blender and realbench, there were no crashes, and temperatures stayed below 80°C on the lowest fan speed throughout all tests, with consistent voltage levels. I'm sticking to your advice to keep the voltage below 1.35v to preserve longevity. Overall, this seems like a promising sweet spot for future use.