Possible damage to hardware after adjusting OC settings has been reported.
Possible damage to hardware after adjusting OC settings has been reported.
I recently chose to adjust my OC settings, which may have caused some hardware issues inside my system. Here’s a clearer breakdown of the situation.
Specifications – http://textuploader.com/axlfq
Recently, I aimed to improve the stability and performance of my already reliable CPU by fine-tuning its OC. In the BIOS, I set the Vcore manually to 1.22 volts. I began by adjusting the Uncore ratio, starting at x34 and settling on a stable value of x44. Then I gradually reduced the main Vcore voltage from 1.25 down to 1.22. My CPU is now running at 4.5 GHz.
Other configurations I activated include Intel SpeedStep EIST, C1E, C3, and C7 Cstates; CPU VRIN LLC is set to Medium (operating at 1.75 volts, adjusted to 1.8 in BIOS); RAM is running at 1600Mhz with a 1.5V boost (stock XMP overclock); and the GPU is functioning stably with an additional 146Mhz added to Core overclock and 145Mhz to memory clock. More details about these components are available in the link above. My motherboard runs BIOS version F6.
The problem became clear when I was pushing the system under stress using 1.25 volts on the Vcore with Aida64 Extreme, and I started experiencing a BSOD after reaching a safe voltage. I resolved it by experimenting with drivers and settings, continuing to stress the system. I regularly updated Aida64 for about 2–3 hours daily (total 16–20 hours), keeping temperatures below 80°C. The issue became more obvious during a cold boot attempt, which resulted in a boot failure. To investigate, I disabled all OC settings and still encountered the error.
I tried various fixes—checking ports, panels, driver issues, running chkdsk and sfc scans, reassembling cables, inspecting the motherboard for damage—but found nothing. At one point, my computer completely refused to start, leading to a boot failure. I reset the system, entered BIOS, and then had to reset again to access Windows. Recently, after another cold boot, the system loaded into Windows without a crash, though it took longer. I have a dump file of the error here:
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Dump File : 072917-4625-01.dmp
Crash Time : 7/29/2017 6:09:14 PM
Bug Check String :
Bug Check Code : 0x00000124
Parameter 1 : 00000000`00000000
Parameter 2 : ffffbe07`69664028
Parameter 3 : 00000000`bf800000
Parameter 4 : 00000000`00000124
Caused By Driver : ntoskrnl.exe
Caused By Address : ntoskrnl.exe+14f960
File Description :
Product Name :
Company :
File Version :
Processor : x64
Crash Address : ntoskrnl.exe+14f960
Stack Address 1 :
Stack Address 2 :
Stack Address 3 :
Computer Name :
Full Path : C:\WINDOWS\Minidump\072917-4625-01.dmp
Processors Count : 4
Major Version : 15
Minor Version : 14393
Dump File Size : 434,557
Dump File Time : 7/29/2017 6:09:39 PM
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If you can assist in any way or offer advice, I would greatly appreciate it. Could there be a method to identify any damaged hardware?
UPDATE 7/30/17: The boot failure issue seems resolved, and the system is now starting normally (hallelujah). However, I remain worried about potential hardware damage.
Restore everything to the default voltage and clock settings, perform some memory tests, then apply a new Windows installation. A spare drive at another location would work well as a testing environment for the fresh setup. It’s likely you’ve caused damage due to an unstable overclock.
Restore everything to the default voltage and clock settings, perform some memory tests, then install a new Windows copy. A spare drive works well if you have one for testing purposes. It’s likely you’ve caused damage from an unstable overclock.
On a Gigabyte board featuring Dual-BIOS, like yours, updating the BIOS usually poses minimal risk unless you upgrade to a Beta version that might cause problems. For the F7 BIOS, the guidelines are:
1. Improved system compatibility for Intel® 5th Generation Core™ Processors
The CPU support list indicates Broadwell was included in F7, and that's approximately all it covers. Updating your BIOS is safe, but it seems to offer no additional benefits beyond Broadwell support.