Overclocking CPU with XMP activated
Overclocking CPU with XMP activated
@Mohamed Blat mentions the base frequency is 2133 MHz for each DDR4 memory set, which allows smooth booting, and then explains how Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) fits into this context.
I also have Gskill DDR4 RAM with a COAX speed of 2400MHz, which is the default setting, and an XMP RAM speed of 3200MHz. I currently use the overclock value of 3200MHz for my RAM. My CPU is the Intel 5820K with a default clock speed of 3.3GHz and a gaming overclock of 3.6GHz. I opt for the gaming overclock instead of the default. My reference clock is set at 100MHz, and the CPU voltage is at the default level. I also have a GTX 980 MSI version with core boost set to 200MHz and memory speed boosted to 170MHz. The CPU fan spins for the water cooler and GPU runs at 100%. I use a Samsung 850 EVO Pro with a 520MB/s bandwidth.
I am running an MSI x99s gaming 7 motherboard, which supports XMP and overclocking features. Both the CPU and XMP settings are enabled, but I frequently encounter game crashes, such as Titan freezing during the main menu load or Battlefield 4 failing online when entering online mode. Pressing the W key causes the game to freeze and the PC to shut down, possibly due to the CPU and RAM not handling it properly.
The GPU is also overclocked, and I’m confident it’s safe to do so since our MSI motherboards are designed for that purpose. They’re meant to be used in this way.
My goal is to apply XMP and overclock settings to my Intel 5820K CPU to 3.6GHz simultaneously with XMP. However, I couldn’t achieve it without crashes—my PC freezes for about five seconds before shutting down. I updated the BIOS to the latest version, but the issue persists. The FSB or reference clock remains at 100MHz. Should I adjust it? The CPU voltage is at its maximum, and I can’t change it. My power supply is a 840W unit. I have three DVD drives installed, four DDR4 GSKILL 8GB memory modules on my MSI X99s gaming 7 motherboard, and the GTX 980 video card from MSI. I’m unsure what’s causing the crashes.
@Ragahv, I recommend resetting everything to stock clocks and verifying stability with stock configurations without XMP. If crashes persist even at stock settings, try reinstalling the game and drivers. Only after confirming full functionality at stock should you proceed with overclocking.
PS: Maintain BCLK at 100 MHz and adjust only the multiplier.
Good luck
Yes, thank you for your response. I’ve grasped what you’re trying to convey. If I go back to the default settings, my PC should function normally while playing all my games. However, I’ve already done that and found the games perform better than overclocking. The benchmarks are designed for overclocking, so it seems the CPU, RAM, and GPU are optimized for that. I currently use the multiplier setting, which is at 3.3GHz now compared to 4.0GHz previously.
You likely need to increase the voltage slightly. The 5820K's default is 0.95V, which isn't sufficient for significant progress. I'd begin at 1.1V and observe the results. If it doesn't meet your expectations, you can adjust incrementally with voltage, aiming up to a maximum of 1.3V.
So you're asking if raising the voltage also boosts the processor's speed or multiplier? I understand what voltage means – it’s essential for the CPU, but I thought too much of it could damage it. If the voltage goes beyond its limit, could the CPU overheat and produce smoke or even catch fire? When would a CPU smoke? Also, if you only adjust the multiplier and keep the voltage at 0.95 while setting the OC to 4.0GHz, are you implying that higher voltage is necessary for that speed? I’m worried it might harm the CPU. What voltage would be needed for 4.0GHz? No one has done this on a 5820K CPU without a water cooler. Since I have a cooler, I’m interested in using it. I didn’t realize applying more voltage could actually make the CPU faster.
The maximum voltage the Haswell architecture supports from Intel is approximately 1.25 to 1.27V for the 4790K. This higher stock voltage applies because the 5820K turbo reaches 4.4GHz compared to 3.6GHz in the 4790K. It's reasonable to think that voltages under 1.3 are acceptable as long as thermal management is effective. There are some reports suggesting performance issues begin above this threshold, with minor stability problems at higher speeds and more serious failures at lower speeds. In the 1.3X range, people often mention degradation, while in the 1.4X range, such issues are more frequent.