i7-6700K plus MSI Z170A Gaming Pro model experiencing issues.
i7-6700K plus MSI Z170A Gaming Pro model experiencing issues.
Hello,
I’m facing some challenges when attempting to overclock my CPU. Here are a few specifics about my setup:
- i7-6700K processor
- MSI Z170A Gaming Pro motherboard
- 4x4 GB G.Skill DDR4 RAM at 3200 MHz
- 80+ Gold power supply delivering 850W
- 120mm Cooler Master Seidon 120M cooler
- GTX 970 graphics card, several SSDs, and other components
Everything functions normally without any issues during OC operations or using XMP profiles for RAM. Temperatures remain stable at around 25°C with full CPU utilization, while the CPU stays between 50 and 60°C.
However, when I try to overclock, I encounter significant problems.
I primarily test my CPU with Prime95. Initially, I faced difficulties because my RAM couldn’t sustain 3200 MHz, regardless of the CPU’s OC settings. So I lowered it to 2400 MHz for testing.
When I adjusted the multiplier—such as setting it to 45 (equivalent to 4.5 GHz)—and disabled Turbo Boost (including Intel EIST for testing), the results were inconsistent:
- Long Prime95 tests ran smoothly without errors.
- Temperatures never surpassed 65–70°C.
But:
- The multiplier would drop to 43, sometimes even 40, and would not return to 45 until Prime95 or another benchmark (like Intel Xtreme Tuning) stopped.
- On 3Dmark FireStrike, the multiplier remained at 45 during all tests, including CPU checks.
Even worse: keeping Turbo Boost and EIST enabled, and setting the multiplier to 45 under Intel Xtreme Tuning produced a much slower clock (down to 3.8 GHz or less), compared to the stable 4.2 GHz achieved with the stock multiplier.
I’m puzzled by this behavior and wondering what might be causing it. I’m thinking about disabling the CPU’s auto heat protection in the BIOS to see if that affects the multiplier, but I’m hesitant. Are there other safeguards against overheating in the CPU? For example, could simply halting everything instead of lowering the frequency prevent damage?
Thank you for your help, and please let me know if you have any advice.
Benjamin.
Check maybe some power saving function is enabled.
If i were u i would save OC profile and reset Bios, then would put voltage manually and set multiplier without touching anything else, off turbo too u dont need it
😀
. Make sure u dont have any power saving options in windows OS too. Then try to test it again. I never had such a thing like u so its just my personal thoughts, eliminate things that can causing it 1 by 1, or wait for more replies from people.
Problem is it can be more things causing it to behave this way.
Check if a power-saving feature is active. If I were you, I would save the OC profile and reset the BIOS, then manually set the voltage and multiplier without touching anything else, turning off turbo boost as well. 🤔
Make sure there are no power-saving options in the Windows OS too. Then try testing it again. This is my personal thought, so eliminate things one by one or wait for more replies.
The issue might be caused by multiple factors. I’ve already reset the BIOS and adjusted multiplier and voltage, disabling turbo boost too. Same result! =/
What about power-saving functions? Are there any default power-limiting options on MSI's MBs?
Benjamin Barrois :
Makentox :
Check maybe some power saving function is enabled.
If i were u i would save OC profile and reset Bios, then would put voltage manually and set multiplier without touching anything else, off turbo too u dont need it
😀
. Make sure u dont have any power saving options in windows OS too. Then try to test it again. I never had such a thing like u so its just my personal thoughts, eliminate things that can causing it 1 by 1, or wait for more replies from people.
Problem is it can be more things causing it to behave this way.
I already tried resetting BIOS and just touching multiplier and voltage, disabling turbo boost too. Same thing ! =/
For power saving functions, what are you thinking about ? Is there some power-limiting function active by default on MSI's MBs ?
Same thing? Frequency is not stable?
It shouldn't be power saving in bios by default. Also there is power saving in windows, go to control panel and search for
power options, go though some advanced settings in there. I saw similar topics from other people but those never get solved, so good luck!
Makentox :
Benjamin Barrois :
Peel maybe a power saving feature is active.
If i were u i would save OC profile and reset Bios, then would put voltage manually and set multiplier without touching anything else, off turbo too u don’t need it 😉
. Make sure u don’t have any power saving options in windows OS too. Then try to test it again. I never had such a thing like u so it’s just my personal thoughts, eliminate things that can causing it 1 by 1, or wait for more replies from people.
The issue is it can be more things causing it to behave this way.
I already tried resetting BIOS and just touching multiplier and voltage, disabling turbo boost too. Same thing! =/
Regarding power saving options, what are you considering? Is there a power-limiting function that’s enabled by default on MSI's MBs?
Same thing? Frequency is not stable?
It shouldn't be power saving in bios by default. Also there is power saving in windows, go to control panel and search for power options, go through some advanced settings there. I saw similar topics from other people but those never get solved, so good luck!
I already did that, hoping that some Windows "energy saving" mode would be enabled and that it would be the cause, but it is in normal mode (I am not even sure the energy saving mode exists on Windows when used on a desktop setup). I checked the details and there are no restrictions on the CPU frequency for instance in normal mode.
Benjamin Barrois has already attempted resetting the BIOS and adjusting multiplier, voltage, and turbo boost settings. He is seeking advice on power-saving functions and whether a power-limiting feature is enabled by default on MSI's motherboards. He also asks about the maximum power consumption during Prime95 testing using HWMonitor.
Benjamin Barrois tried resetting the BIOS and adjusting multiplier and voltage, disabling turbo boost as well. The same results occurred. For power-saving features, what options are available by default on MSI's MBs? What was the maximum power consumption during Prime95 testing? You can check this using HWMonitor.
You can review the details in the picture provided. In the BIOS settings, I changed the RAM speed to 2133 MHz instead of 3200 MHz to avoid issues. I increased the CPU multiplier to 45 and overrode the CPU core so it operates at 1.30V. I turned off turbo boost but kept EIST active because it didn’t seem to affect my problem.
The unusual behavior is clear from HWmonitor: frequency stays between 4.0 GHz and 4.3 GHz (the maximum column shows 4.5 GHz, but that only occurs at moderate load). Under Prime95, it runs at 4.0–4.3 GHz most of the time (99.99% of the time). However, voltage readings never exceed 1.23 V, while it was supposed to reach up to 1.30 V. It even drops to 1.14 V. How could this happen?
It appears there isn’t a power issue—though I’m not an expert. The power supply delivers between 10 and 110W to the CPU. Are there any other unusual observations?