Offset Overclock I5-3570k guide. VID questions included.
Offset Overclock I5-3570k guide. VID questions included.
Hardware incase someone wants to know:
i5-3570k ivy bridge trying to OC to 4.5ghz
coolmaster 212 evo with Noctua F12 on it
New 80+ gold EVGA psu 650w
asrock Z77 extreme 4 mobo
8gb ram 1600mhz
Asrock Z77 extreme 4 UEFI settings under OC tweaker:
**IF not mentioned, then I left it as it's default **
CPU ratio: All Core
All core: 46
House clock (BCLK): 100.0
Spread spectrum: Disabled
Intel Speedstep Tech: Enabled
Additional Turbo voltage: X (i'm changing it still for my OC) started at +0.051
PLL Overvoltage: Disabled
Long and short power limit: 300
Primary and secondary plane limit: 300
Ram is set to 9-9-9-24 timings, 1600mhz and 1.5v (all labeled on my ram)
Power saving mode: disabled
CPU core voltage: Offset mode
Offset voltage: X (still changing) I started at -0.010v
Load line Calibration: level 3
settings under advanced tab, cpu config:
**IF not mentioned, then I left it as it's default **
Active processor core: ALL
Enhanced Halt State (C1E) : Enabled
CPU C3: Disabled (I don't use sleep mode)
CPU C6: Disabled (I don't use sleep mode)
So as the title says i'm doing a step by step offset overclock of my i5-3570k because I cant find alot of info on offset overclocks so this may help someone maybe and It doubles are keeping track of my volts/temps to compare. I do have a question though, I am getting some fair differences in the core voltage from CPU-Z and HWMonitor. Under full load with blend test (prime 95) HWMonitor is reporting under the VID max 1.371 (hovering around 1.36-1.37) and cpu-z is reporting 1.312v-1.320v. I'm just wondering whats on the go between the 2 of them? Is hwmonitor reporting my straight voltage with no droop? and cpu-z picking up my actual cpu voltage after drooping? (I have my LLC set to 3)
It's just a general question anyways because my temps are higher than I want (high 80's max recorded) with the blend test so i'm reducing voltage anyways. Still would be nice to know which is actually correct although I believe it's CPU-Z.
TEST 1
listed above was with a Offset of -0.10v and a turbo offset of +0.051v
TEST 2
because temps were too high:
-Still going for 4.5GHz but now with a offset of -.20v and a turbo offset of +0.043v.
-New readings under load on cpu-z is 1.288v and HWmonitor is at 1.361v.
-Temps seems to have reduced down to mid 80's on max column but I think thats because my fan took a second to cool the heatsink because [strike]it's sitting at about 70-73 celcius in it's actual value column. [/strike] now up to 78-82 after 20 mins of blend test. Prob going to try reducing offsets again.
TEST 3
because load temps were still high:
- Still going for 4.5GHz. Didn't change offset from -.20v because idle voltage is at 1.056v compared to the stocks 1.061v. Did change the turbo offset to +0.039v.
-New readings under load on cpu-z is 1.280v and HWmonitor is at 1.356v.
-Temps so far are at low 80's, which isnt much of a change. only 2 hours into blend test, I can do better I think
TEST 4
because I think I can lower voltages a bit.
- Still going for 4.5Ghz. Offset is now set to -0.06v and turbo is at +0.059v.
- New readings in CPU-Z: Idle is 1.016v and load is 1.264v-1.272v (usually 1.264v) HWM is at 1.371v and i think its way off.
- into a 1 hour blend test now and temps have peaked to 80 celcius but usually hover around 65-72 celcius. I have had no failures on Prime95 blend so far. I will let this run overnight 8 hours to make sure it's stable but i think it is. Also will test with real life applications like gaming tomorrow.
Final thoughts: i like the fact that i'm not bombarding my cpu with 1.2+ volts under no load with a offset overclock. It honestly isn't that hard to setup, idk why more people don't do it. Hope this helps someone and if anyone can tell me whats up with HWMonitor's VID readings that would be cool. Thanks.
EDIT: So appearently all my voltages are wrong because asrock is awesome. So i'm scrapping this OC and starting again because my voltages are a fair amount higher than the actual CPU-Z readout. Settings and method is still the same for anyone who wants to try OCing with offset mode.
The VID readings have a recognized problem with most ASRock Extreme series boards. The voltage measurements shown in the BIOS and third-party tools are inaccurate. You can verify this by testing with a multimeter at the correct locations on the back of the motherboard.
The VID readings have a recognized problem with most ASRock Extreme series boards. The voltage measurements shown in the BIOS and third-party tools are inaccurate. You can verify this by testing with a multimeter at the correct locations on the back of the motherboard.
Fun fact, I didn't realize this about AsRock chips. For me, even with an undervolting i5, I still get 4.5 and 5.0, but I have a sub-ambient system.
Interesting to know this about ASRock Z77. I didn't realize it was possible for me to reach 4.5 and 5.0 with my i5, especially since I have a sub-ambient system. It's been a long struggle for years, affecting almost all models in that range. You can check the details here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1360404/asroc...re-reading. I managed to get 4.5GHz at stock voltages and 4.7GHz at 1.208v with ambient temperatures around 23°C. I had to tweak a few settings when switching from my old MSI board to this ASRock Extreme4 to fix the VID issue.
AdmiralDonut shared some insights about overclocking ASRock Z77 systems. He mentioned experiencing issues for years, affecting most models in the range, and provided a link for reference. He noted success with an i5 3570K achieving stable speeds, and discussed adjustments needed after switching boards. He also confirmed his readings with a multimeter, aligning closely with expectations but still feeling uncertain due to conflicting data. He plans to retest and verify actual voltages before proceeding further.
Animositygamers :
AdmiralDonut :
Thequn :
Fun fact, I wasn't aware of this regarding AsRock Z77. It's been a real challenge for years, affecting most models in that range. You can find more details here: http://www.overclock.net/t/1360404/asroc...re-reading
I managed to get decent results with my i5 3570K, reaching 4.5GHz at standard voltages and 4.7GHz at 1.208v with room temperature around 23°C. I had to tweak a few settings when switching from my old MSI board to this ASRock Extreme4 to address the VID issue.
This really makes a difference. I failed test 4, so I increased the voltage to 1.272v under load during a blend test. I was thinking about lowering it to 4.4GHz to stabilize the turbo offset from +0.062v, but I don't want to exceed 1.3v under load. Now I'll retest using a multimeter (I own one because I'm handy) to check actual voltages and hopefully gain confidence in my overclock.
It seems my recorded numbers might be off, so I might need to start fresh in the area where I last left off.
Just confirmed with a multimeter – it read 1.306v under load, not the 1.264v I saw in CPU-Z. I'm beginning over with the overclock and using HWMonitor for temperatures and my multimeter for voltage readings.
Thanks for the assistance!
AdmiralDonut shared his experience with overclocking, noting ongoing challenges with ASRock Z77 boards. He mentioned personal success with an i5 3570K achieving stable speeds and discussed adjustments made after switching hardware. He also warned about potential risks and the importance of accurate readings, emphasizing caution given his background as an electrician.
Interesting, I wasn't aware of this regarding asrock boards. However, it's been a significant challenge for many years, affecting almost all models in the ASRock Z77 line. I found information on overclocking at overclock.net, which covers the ASRock Z77 series and their VCore readings. I managed to reach 4.5GHz with my i5 3570K at stock voltages and 4.7GHz at 1.208V with ambient temperatures around 23°C. I had to adjust a few settings when switching from my old MSI board to this ASRock Extreme4 to address the VID issue. This is really helpful. I had failed test 4, so I increased the voltage to 1.272V under load during a blend test. I was thinking about lowering it to 4.4GHz to improve stability, but I don't want to exceed 1.3V under load. Now I'm planning to retest using a multimeter (which I own because I'm an electrician) to get accurate readings and reassess my overclocking. It seems my recorded values might be off, so I might need to start fresh in that area.
I checked with a multimeter and found 1.306V under load, compared to the 1.264V reported by CPU-Z. I'm beginning over from scratch with overclocking and will monitor temperatures using HWMonitor and voltages with my multimeter.
Feel free to ask if this issue is exclusive to ASRock boards. If yes, I probably won't buy another one, especially if I already have watercooling. With proper cooling, I might have achieved 1.5V without realizing it.
I haven't encountered this problem on any other company's boards at this level. Some MSI Z77 boards are known to be problematic for overclocking due to weak offset OC support, which is why I switched to ASRock. You might want to consider ASUS or Gigabyte boards for your overclocking projects.