The Athlon x4 860k struggles to maintain stability beyond 4GHz.
The Athlon x4 860k struggles to maintain stability beyond 4GHz.
So recently, I've been trying overclocking my CPU because I got a new cooler and I just wanted more performance out of my system. I was aiming for 4GHz, and that was fairly easy so I tried to get it to 4.2GHz. When I raised my multiplier to 41, and stress tested, 1 second in, a crash WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR so I upped the voltage to 1.386v (@4GHz it was stable @1.380v). Still crashing, this time with CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT, so I upped it to 1.392v, still crashing. 1.398v, crash, 1.404v, crash but this time it wouldn't stay at 1.404 during the 30sec of stress testing it did before it crashed. CPU-Z showed that it was going from 1.392-1.404v which is a whole 0.012v, mostly staying at 1.392v. I think it's a PSU problem but I'm not 100% sure. The temps are stable, I use AMD Overdrive to check temps and to do stability tests and the thermal margin stays at around 32C-28C. That's the highest I've ever seen it go, and it only goes there when stress testing. Any tips? Thanks
Specs:
CPU: Athlon x4 860k
GPU: R7 265 (OC Core: 1050MHz Mem:1500MHz but only when playing games)
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper T4
Thermal Paste: Arctic Alumina
PSU: 500w EVGA B1 PSU
Mobo: Gigabyte F2A88XM-D3H
HDD: Seagate 1TB 7200RPM
Case: Corsair Carbide 100R
Have you turned off Turbo Mode in BIOS?
By the way,
the thermal margin remains around 32C to 28C. That's the highest I've ever observed it drop
as temperatures increase. Just a heads-up.
Have you turned off Turbo Mode in BIOS?
By the way,
the thermal margin remains around 32C to 28C. That's the highest I've ever observed it drop
as temperatures increase.
Just a heads-up—yes, I disabled Turbo and that was just a minor typo. I'm aware the thermal margin decreases with higher temps.
Are there any m/b positions with high activity? This board lacks heat sinks for the VRMs. Consider increasing the CPU-NB voltage by about 0.01v incrementally. It seems this adjustment restored stability. Previously, I needed to raise it by +0.04v without causing a BSOD.
Any m/b temps looking elevated? That board lacks any heat sinks for the VRMs. Consider increasing the CPU-NB voltage by about 0.01v incrementally. Observe if stability returns. I had to raise it by +0.04v to achieve stability, yet the system still crashes with BSOD.
Some m/b temps are showing high readings. The board seems to lack VRM heat sinks. Consider increasing the CPU-NB voltage by about 0.01v incrementally. This might restore stability. I had to raise it by +0.04v, yet the system remained stable without a BSOD. No change in behavior. It could be the power supply struggling under stress or the board itself. Possibly just a matter of luck with the silicone. I've tested similar CPUs—Athlon 760k and 860k. The 760k didn't perform well for me, but the 860k worked better. Still, I managed only 4.2 GHz with it.