the need for a higher vcore voltage is required at 7.7 9700K to achieve stable OC
the need for a higher vcore voltage is required at 7.7 9700K to achieve stable OC
Hi everyone, I'm just starting out with overclocking and this is my first attempt.
I have an i7-9700K processor, an Asrock z390 Extreme4 motherboard, and 16GB of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-2400 RAM.
I'm facing difficulties in reaching 5 or even 4.8GHz without exceeding a 1.35V VCore. While others seem to hit 5GHz around 1.3V.
My CPU is stable at 4.9GHz but with a voltage of 1.424V. This isn't within the safe range and is far from the 1.3V needed for 5GHz.
I can see my full BIOS settings in the attached pictures.
I also noticed the VCORE setting in BIOS has been raised to 1.370V on CPU-Z and HWMonitor, which is much higher than expected. When I set it back to stock or auto, it drops to something absurd like 2.5V.
Additionally, setting AVX Offset manually causes a blue screen during stress tests.
I'm running out of time to explain everything properly, but I'll share the test results later today.
Thank you for your help!
I'm happy to assist you with this.
It seems there might be an "auto OC" feature available. When using the Motherboard monitoring/Utility, you should find a Windows-based version. I'm most comfortable with Asus motherboard BIOS, though even within that brand the UEFI BIOS can differ significantly.
Inside the BIOS they don't label it as an "auto OC," but instead offer three GHz settings. Their BIOS contains a menu named "Ai Tweaker" where you can adjust memory and CPU overclocking parameters.
Asus also provides another method in the "EZ Mode" which allows "EZ tuning." It appears this is quite similar to an "auto OC" setting. However, you can achieve comparable results through the Ai Tweaker.
The processor you bought comes from the CPU binning process. They are arranged according to performance standards, including overclocking levels ranging from average to excellent. This variation is referred to as the Silicon lottery. Don't worry about what others are achieving; focus on reaching the best possible overclock with a reasonable Vcore. Section 8 outlines the maximum safe voltage for your processor, which is 1.4 V for the ninth generation Intel chips.
During the overclocking phase of the I7-9700K review, achieving AVX at -3 resulted in a maximum speed of 4.8 GHz. It is recommended to use AVX at -2 or keep it enabled automatically.
That is a little too high. The Vcore should be less than 1.4 V. Higher than that could reduce the lifetime of the processor.
Since you are new to overclocking, try using the auto-overclock in your BIOS. And then write down the settings for future reference.
Then watch some overclocking videos on the I7-9700K.
Here is one example.
https://forums.guru3d.com/threads/i7-970...ck.424066/
Here is an overclocking guide for the I7-9700K.
https://www.reddit.com/r/intel/comments/...h=c77f4c38
In short, I'm not very lucky with the silicone lottery. I'd prefer a 4.8GHz or even lower frequency if I can stay under 1.4v. I appreciate that.
Then... why is my VCORE higher than what I configured in the BIOS? Is it the LLC setting affecting it?
Also, I'm confused about why my computer crashes when I change the AVX OFFSET. Shouldn't that improve stability?
I'm not very fortunate with the silicone lottery. I'd prefer a 4.8GHz or even lower, as long as it stays below 1.4v. Thanks.
Then... why is my VCORE higher than what I configured in the BIOS? Could it be related to the LLC setting? Also, I'm still puzzled about why my computer crashes when I enable AVX OFFSET. Shouldn't this improve stability?
If you're using voltage offset mode, the settings can affect performance. For now, keep everything on Auto and try a simpler overclock.
The AVX offset setting can help keep the processor cooler, though it might cause issues if not adjusted properly.
I understand your concern but as shown in the pictures my FIXED voltage is listed at 1.370v in the BIOS, while both HWMonitor and CPU-Z display the VCORE reaching a maximum of 1.424v during load. This level has already been identified as unsafe. I believe this issue stems from the LLC setting; adjusting it to level 1 causes the vcore to rise even further. Thank you for sharing all the details. I’ll definitely consider your advice when I return home after work today.
I returned home and adjusted the default settings, observing the results when everything is set to AUTO by default in my BIOS. The only change I made was the X.M.P. Profile. I ran Cinebench twice to verify the accuracy of the numbers.
In the BIOS, the Auto settings "Prediction" are displayed in Yellow. The target CPU runs at 4900MHz, cache at 4300MHz, BCLK speed is 100.0000MHz, Target AVX2 speed is 4900MHz, and Target Memory speed is 2400MHz.
I've been using this configuration for about a month now. It's stable during gaming and recording, but I'm having trouble maintaining a low temperature (85-90°C) with my Corsair H115i v2 AiO. Since everything is auto or default when flashing the BIOS, the VCore shouldn't be 1.440 at stock settings. This raises the possibility that I might have unintentionally affected the CPU's lifespan without realizing it, assuming it was at stock performance.