[Question] What about "Z" and "K" overclocking?
[Question] What about "Z" and "K" overclocking?
Hello everyone, I have some issues with the CPU clocks of my i7-4790S. I wasn't able to reach the advertised turbo boost speed of 4GHz. On single-threaded tasks I get 4GHz, but when running multi-core workloads it only reaches 3.6GHz. I checked the BIOS and adjusted a few parameters—CPU ratios were set to 40 and BCLK mode changed to high—but nothing seems to work. I also tried setting the BCLK OC, but it wasn't available in the BIOS and the CPU ratio stays at 40. Additionally, when using Intel XTU, my turbo boost is always disabled, causing the CPU to run at baseclock speed (3.2GHz).
Details:
CPU: i7-4790S
Motherboard: Asrock Fatal1ty B85 Killer
RAM: Remaining RAM from an old HP machine (8GB DDR3 1600mHz, Micron)
Graphics card: MSI GTX 980
Storage: Three random SSDs totaling 480GB, plus some 120mm AIO drives with a slim fan; temperatures around 30°C idle and 64°C max.
Gameplay temps: CPU 40–50°C, GPU 55–69°C
Adjust the BIOS to factory defaults, modify xmp settings, and consider lowering vid/vcore if possible. Otherwise, factory configurations are already fine-tuned for optimal performance.
Wrapping weights around your ankles so the scale indicates a higher weight doesn't actually increase your lifting capacity. It simply means you can't move as quickly or sustain as long. This kind of tweaking in the BIOS is artificial and superficial, affecting CPU behavior in ways that may lead to instability soon after.
Your CPU is operating as expected.
The advertised 4.0 corresponds to a single core, while 3.6 is the all-core turbo speed.
I understand.
But I've heard that certain individuals have achieved success with single core speeds across all cores.
I want to extract the full potential from this CPU.
Also, would turning on XMP help in this case? I'm planning to upgrade my RAM next month.
When the cpu operates within normal temperatures, performance remains at its 3.6ghz ceiling, with one core increasing to 4.0ghz when required. For a 4790K setup paired with a Z87/97 motherboard, the situation changes. Spare your money—ram speed has minimal impact on Intel-based systems. Activate XMP and configure it to match the advertised rate of your memory module.
Enabling xmp could be beneficial, though not significantly so from an Intel perspective. The calculations for RAM usage and data transfer occur in nanoseconds, making the 5-10k data movement in 10 nanoseconds seem minimal compared to the 9 nanoseconds. It's a 4790 S.
That's a low wattage (65w) model of an 84w i7 4790. Reduced power consumption doesn't equate to greater efficiency; it simply limits higher power needs. The processor can't be compelled to perform better, as there isn't enough capacity to force improvement. The BIOS contains instructions and configurations that guide the CPU on its operations, functioning in both directions—CPU also communicates with BIOS about capabilities and restrictions. Any user-adjustable parameters exist to reduce settings rather than increase them beyond the default limits defined by the CPU. Adjustments can include lowering turbo, voltages, or base speeds, but not exceeding stock values. The stock turbo settings range from 4.0 to 3.6GHz for 1 to 4 cores. At 65w, the S variant lacks sufficient power to support all cores at 4.0, though it can still operate all cores at 3.6GHz.
It's strange that you can adjust the power limit to 105W in Bios. Should you disable one of the cores to achieve a higher clock speed, or maintain the current setting of 4c8t since you mostly use it for gaming?