Question Raised: High voltage settings in adaptive mode lead to VID spikes in overclocked CPUs.
Question Raised: High voltage settings in adaptive mode lead to VID spikes in overclocked CPUs.
Concerned: CPU Voltage in Adaptive Mode Triggers VID Spikes on Overclocked Unit.
Help Request - CPU
I’ve discovered several reliable overclocks with override voltages for my CPU. Now I’m trying to switch to adaptive voltage to enjoy energy savings and reduced wear during continuous use. But when using adaptive mode for the CPU V Core, I notice spikes of +0.1V above the voltage I set in BIOS. Is this a problem? Is there a method to prevent it from exceeding the stable voltage I achieved during overclocking in override mode?
Additional Info:
I’m running an i5 4670K on an ASRock Z97 Extreme3 motherboard. Stable overclocks with CPU voltage set to override include:
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected].
I considered reverting Voltage Mode to “Adaptive” so the voltage would drop when idle and rise only under load. However, I observed VID spikes during load (as seen in Valorant):
- [email protected] can spike to 1.29V,
- [email protected] can spike to 1.39V,
- [email protected] also spikes to 1.39V.
I’ve confirmed these spikes using HWMonitor, CPU-Z, and HWINFO64. I know VID and V Core are distinct, but none of the tools display V Core for my setup. Only VID appears in each program, with CPU-Z also showing Core VID. It’s possible VID equals V Core for this motherboard.
These spikes last only a second or less and don’t cause temperature increases.
TLDR:
I’m attempting adaptive mode with my stable overclocks but encountering VID spikes of +0.1V above the set values (e.g., 1.19V → 1.29V). Should I be worried? How can I avoid this in adaptive mode?
Heyo
VID in simple terms is the signal the CPU sends to the motherboard to give a series of voltage levels inside the microcode. This setup lets the CPU run normally communicate with the board to switch power modes and save energy. Overclocking forces the CPU to request more power, but the voltage steps remain unchanged because they’re nominal and work with percentages rather than fixed values.
VCC or core voltage is what the motherboard actually provides to the CPU. If the motherboard has a fixed voltage, it will disregard the VID signals and deliver the preset value. Load line calibration can override the VID to reduce the vdroop effect—this is the gap between what the LLC sets and what’s delivered to the chip.
Measuring this accurately isn’t easy; if you want to see real voltage changes and detect spikes, an oscilloscope, probes, and sensors are necessary. If you’re not very interested in overclocking, it might not be worth the effort.
About this
Unless the CPU is always at full capacity, a few millivolts won’t harm it. It’s the current and overheating that damage components over time. This should help you, expert.
Thank you for the reply.
I reviewed the YouTube video you shared, and it seems the issue remains with voltage spikes surpassing your configured idle voltage, even after adjusting the LLC settings. It appears modifying the LLC configuration isn't resolving the problem.