Looking for assistance with adjusting the volume on Phenom II 955?
Looking for assistance with adjusting the volume on Phenom II 955?
Here’s a revised version of your text:
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice or feedback on undervolting my Phenom II 955.
I’ll share the steps I’m taking below and ask if I’m on the right track, what results I can expect, and how I can improve.
1. My system setup matches exactly as described.
2. Cool and Quiet features are turned off in the BIOS.
3. I installed HWMonitor 1.15, IntelTestBurn V2.3, and K10Stat 0.91, and opened all of them.
4. I set the processor to P0 mode (3200 MHz, default 1.35V).
- Using K10Stat, I lowered the voltage by one step (12.5 mV).
- I ran IntelTestBurn with Standard settings for 5 cycles (default), and for P0 I also tried High for 10 cycles.
- Maximum CPU temperature reached 52°C, idle stayed between 32–35°C, and ambient was around 20°C.
- After repeating the process, I achieved 1.2125V. At this level, programs began to crash, and the display showed corruption. It seemed like this setting broke something, and after the next boot, the CPU temperature displayed as 0°C. I had to re-flash the BIOS to restore normal readings.
- From that point on, I believe 1.225V is the lowest I can safely use.
5. Next, I switched the processor to P3 mode (800 MHz, default 0.975V).
- Using K10Stat, I forced the CPU to run at 800 MHz and then reduced the voltage by one step.
- Currently, I’m testing 0.875V, which is stable so far.
My questions are:
1. Is this approach effective and optimal?
2. Should I repeat these steps for the other two P-states as well (I think I’ll set them to 1600 MHz and 2400 MHz)?
3. How can I make these settings permanent once I finalize them?
Thanks for your help.
Underclocking a 955 might be considered to improve its performance by reducing its clock speed, which can help manage heat and extend battery life in mobile devices.
Just to be sure, I'm not aiming to slow down, but to reduce voltage.
so what you're attempting is reducing the cpu's power consumption to the point of starvation? that's a quad-core, dual-core processor can operate at such low voltages, but a quad will likely crash trying to maintain stability. the default voltage works well for this chip at 1.35v (it's designed that way). an amd chip isn't like an intel one—it won't automatically lower its core speed or significantly cut power usage either. your idea doesn't make much sense. on my setup, I had to undervolt because the cpu was drawing too much current; my board provided 1.31v instead of the expected 1.26v, so I adjusted it in bios. the minimum voltage needed is around 1.1v, but running it that low would barely supply power and is essentially useless.
well if you get a voltage drop in the psu rail..,,, for example when your graphics card starts to kick in when playing a game, thats all it could take to make the pc lock solid as the little spike of a voltage change will cause instability if the core voltage is at bare minimum.
that 0.875v is the minimum to get the cpu to work not run efficiently, think of it like a 2-stroke engine, not enough oil it will seize solid when a load is put on it.
I do get your point, although I don't agree.
To me, if a processor has headroom for overclocking, then it surely has headroom for undervolting as well, that's how the physics underlying it works.
The default voltage is only the worst case, there is no question of starving if the system runs fine at a given voltage. To me, this is free power savings, so why not take advantage of it?
In any case, I'm not going to debate this point - let's just take it that I want to reduce my electricity bill (which is poised to go up by 35% next month
🙁
).
Do you have any feedback on my methodology / approach? Is there a better way to do this?
Hehe, reducing the CPU voltage won't affect your electricity bill much. Undervolting is only really useful if you're using an HTPC or have CnQ turned on to save power. You bought a quad, which is usually bought when you need all four cores. If you're looking for a lower electricity cost and want to undervolt, consider a low TDP dual-core CPU or a low TDP quad like the x4 620.
3.2 GHz @ 1.225V, 800 MHz @ 0.9V
im surprised you can even start the pc with that ram voltage
i don’t see the voltages going any lower as it will just cause problems
you should be pleased you’ve reached them at lower voltages
if you aimed for such low power use, build a low-power rig as i have done – it runs on a 250w psu (still dual core)
also, the lower the voltage, the more strain the vrm puts to handle and waste excess energy
in any case, you’re not helping the pc or saving enough electricity to make it worthwhile.
I don't understand the value of "power saving" in this setup with a 955 and a 5850...