Safest OC Amount???
Safest OC Amount???
Hey guys, I'm checking how much overclocking I can do with my FX-8320E processor and the ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 board. I tried 3.8ghz and got a BSOD, so I'm curious about the limits without changing the voltage.
Another way to speed things up is to increase the base clock speed by 0.1ghz and then gradually raise the voltage until it stabilizes, unlike my approach with Haswells where I add 0.05 volts for each 0.1ghz increase to all core turbo speeds. My concern is finding a safe voltage for AMD FX chips—I have one in a computer but it's stored away, so I haven't tried over-clocking it. I’m aware they tend to run a bit higher than Intel chips. I think looking up the safe maximum voltage for the FX series would help.
astrofighter122 :
I'm checking with an FX-8320E processor, stock cooler, and ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 board. I'm trying to see how much overclocking is possible without changing the voltage, after hitting 3.8ghz and getting a BSOD. Just keep lowering the clock speed until you can run prime95 smoothly. Remember, you might not gain much beyond stock with the default voltage. Are you using manual voltage settings?
You should consider upgrading to a more efficient CPU cooler, like the Cryorig H7, which offers better performance at a lower cost compared to the original one.
Max Turbo is advertised as 4GHz, but there are various TURBO settings. A single one is suitable for light workloads (such as running a program with a single thread), and it decreases as the load rises. I’m not sure it falls below 3.7GHz, though.
You can check this by launching Prime95 and checking the CPU speed in Task Manager under CPU Performance. (It may not be precise. On my machine, I got 4.16GHz instead of the expected 4.2GHz.)
Since a better cooler is essential, it might not be worth experimenting further.
*If you still decide to proceed, this could work (I’m not familiar with AMD):*
1) Restore the System BIOS to default settings for CPU and memory (activate the memory profile if you have fast RAM that isn’t showing as fast). In CPU-Z, under the "Memory" tab, you’ll see:
a) "DUAL", and
b) 800MHz (under "DRAM frequency").
This is essentially 1600MHz because the data is split between both drives. If you choose "Single" instead of "Dual", you’ll get only 800MHz (half), which can hurt performance in some cases.
2) Execute MEMTEST86 for a thorough test (about 30 minutes for an 8GB system). www.memtest86.com (you may need to adjust your BIOS boot order so the USB or DVD boots into Memtest86).
3) Employ "Core Temp" software to monitor the temperature. I’m not certain of the ideal max, but it’s usually under 70°C.
4) Prime95 tends to run hotter than games; it’s still a solid choice for worst-case scenarios. A more practical alternative is to convert a video in HANDBRAKE, run it with Task Manager at full load for at least 10 minutes.
5) Overclocking:
a) In Simple settings, tweak the Turbo multipliers (if possible). Maintain the 1-core value, but increase lower multipliers by 2 (for example, a multiplier of 36 becomes 38, reaching ~3.8GHz).
b) BIOS or Windows motherboard tools offer automated overclocking presets.
c) Advanced settings are advised if you have a significantly better cooler. You might also combine the multiplier method with a slight voltage increase. (Note: AMD is outside my expertise.)
Summary:
- Invest in a superior CPU cooler
- Adjust Turbo multipliers if feasible
- Monitor temperature regularly
- *Always verify memory and CPU stability before making changes*
dudmont :
astrofighter122 :
I'm using an FX-8320E with a stock cooler and an ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3 board. I'm curious about the maximum overclocking possible without adjusting the voltage, since I previously reached 3.8ghz and hit a BSOD. Try reducing the clock speed gradually until you can run through Prime95 without issues. Remember, you might not gain any extra speed beyond stock with the current voltage setting. Are you applying manual voltage?
photonboy :
1) You should consider upgrading to a more efficient CPU cooler, like the Cryorig H7, which offers good value and significantly outperforms the standard one.
2) Max Turbo is advertised as 4GHz. There are various Turbo settings available. A single value works best under light load (perfect for a task using just one thread), but it decreases as the workload increases. I’m not sure it falls below 3.7GHz, though.
You can check this by launching Prime95 and checking the CPU speed in Task Manager under CPU Performance... (It may not be precise. On my machine, I got 4.16GHz for what I thought was 4.2GHz).
In any case, since a better cooler is essential, I wouldn’t waste time tweaking this further.
*If you still decide to proceed, this might work (I’m not familiar with AMD):
1) Restore the System BIOS to default settings for CPU and memory (activate the memory profile if you have fast RAM that isn’t showing as fast). You can check memory speed in CPU-Z under the "Memory" section.
For instance, with a 1600MHz system it should display:
a) "DUAL", and
b) 800MHz (under "DRAM frequency")
This effectively equals 1600MHz since the data is split between both drives. If you choose a single stick instead of dual, it drops to 800MHz (half), which could hurt performance in certain cases.
2) Execute MEMTEST86 for a thorough test (about 30 minutes for an 8GB system). www.memtest86.com (you might need to adjust your BIOS boot order so the USB or DVD boots into Memtest86)
3) Employ "Core Temp" software to monitor temperature. I’m not certain of the ideal max, but it’s usually under 70°C.
4) Prime95 tends to run hotter than games do. Still, I suggest it as a worst-case scenario. A more practical alternative is to convert a video in HANDBRAKE, run it with Task Manager at full load for at least 10 minutes.
5) Overclocking:
a) In Simple settings, attempt to tweak the Turbo multipliers (if possible). Keep the 1-core value unchanged, but increase lower multipliers by 2 (assuming a base clock of 100MHz; for example, a multiplier of 36 would yield 3600MHz. Raising it to 38 gives around 3.8GHz).
b) BIOS or Windows motherboard utility—automated overclocking presets are used. But likely, you won’t reach safe temperatures quickly.
c) Advanced settings—recommended if you have a much better cooler. You might combine the multiplier method with a slight voltage increase. Note: AMD is outside my expertise.
Summary:
- Invest in a superior CPU cooler
- Adjust Turbo multipliers if feasible
- Monitor temperature regularly
- *Always verify memory and CPU stability to the best you can
It’s often mentioned that Turbo Core Control doesn’t work well with FX processors.
Another way to speed things up is to increase the base clock speed by 0.1ghz and then gradually raise the voltage until it stabilizes, unlike my approach with Haswells where I add 0.05 volts for each 0.1ghz increase to all core turbo speeds. My concern is finding a safe voltage for AMD FX chips—I have one in a computer but it's stored away, so I haven't tried over-clocking it. I’m aware they tend to run a bit higher than Intel chips. I think looking up the safe maximum voltage for the FX series would help.
An easy way to gauge whether your chip is good is by slightly reducing its voltage. Keep the CPU running at its normal speed, gradually lower the voltage until it stops, then slightly increase it again. If you can do this effectively, it indicates a strong CPU and suggests you might be able to boost the clock speed even with the standard voltage. This method is often my first step when trying to overclock.