Is it feasible for B250 mb,i7 7700k to maintain its speed at a low voltage?
Is it feasible for B250 mb,i7 7700k to maintain its speed at a low voltage?
I own a Cooler Master Hyper 412 and I'm trying to figure out which fan it uses for push-pull operation. I don't have one available, so I'm considering using it in a different configuration.
For my i7 7700k, I believe I don't need any additional power beyond what it provides at stock speed. Since it outperforms the i7 7700 non-K version, it makes sense to opt for the i7 7700k over the latter.
I'm not using an OC or RAID setup, so I'm using an MSI B250M M.2 SSD. What I'm most surprised by is that I can't lower the voltage below 1.135V at 4.5GHz (different models and brands), but with stock or 4.4GHz it usually runs around 1.160-1.176V. Adjusting the CPU IO voltage and PLL overvoltage to 0.010V allows it to run at 1.200V without enabling C state (EIST/speedstep is always off). Why?
Additionally, I notice it's hard to keep it stable at 4.4GHz or between 4.2GHz and 4.5GHz consistently—it sometimes drops down to around 800MHz but usually stays at 4.4GHz when I enable the lowest C state.
My goal was to have a smaller PC with better airflow, not a silent case. Six and a half hours later, the cable management looked terrible, so I returned it to my define R5 a few minutes ago and sent the max case back today.
Would it be possible to keep it at stock speed of 4.2GHz and turbo at 4.5GHz with low voltage?
I understand what you mean based on what I’ve heard. Speedstep/EIST are hardware tools that adjust clock speed according to needs. There’s also OS-level power control, which is why I mentioned changing the power plan. To sum up, for most users running at full speeds isn’t necessary—your system can handle it well.
If you need continuous high performance, choose the High Performance Windows power plan. It's typical for a CPU to lower its speed during idle, so why would you prefer it run at 4.2-4.5 GHz constantly? Concerning the voltage, it might be that the Vcore adjustments aren't fully applied since it uses a B250 motherboard. Avoid altering CPI IO or PLL voltages. What is your load line calibration setting?
I just need to keep the system running at full power continuously, lowering the BIOS lower vcore instead of focusing on GHz. It’s confusing why it drops to 800MHz even when EIST_speedstep is off—since C-state only affects vcore, not actual CPU speed. The CPU speed is controlled by EIST_speedstep, which is used for turbo mode. I think a stable setting is needed if you want consistent turbo performance across all cores.
From my understanding, Speedstep/EIST are hardware-driven power control tools that adjust clock speed according to needs. There remains OS-level power management, which supports what I mentioned about modifying the power plan. I want to emphasize again that for most users, running at full clocks continuously offers no advantage, since Windows and the CPU handle clock adjustments efficiently.
I’m not entirely clear on the rest of your points. Are you suggesting that setting the Vcore below 1.16V causes instability, or is it about the BIOS not actually reducing the Vcore voltage? As I see it, automatic power-saving features like c-states and p-states work by balancing voltage and frequency together. So if you keep the frequency at its maximum, the voltage should remain at its maximum too.
To be honest, I’m still puzzled about the issue. If you need your CPU to run continuously at 4.2+ GHz, it’s not a big concern as long as the voltage stays around 1.16V. Or better yet, let the various power management tools adjust voltage and frequency as required.