This query discusses overclocking the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 with the FX-8350 chipset.
This query discusses overclocking the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 with the FX-8350 chipset.
Hey All,
I recently moved from an MSI 760GMA-P34(FX) board to the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 and am curious about the best way to perform overclocking on this new setup. I've experimented with various approaches—such as using the built-in OC tools and adjusting settings—but so far, I've only managed a stable 4.15GHz. That's not bad, but it falls short of the 5 GHz many others achieve. Instead of pushing for 5 GHz, my goal is to match the performance of my previous board, which was around 4.32 GHz. Any higher speeds would be ideal.
My troubles have been consistent crashes and reboots, a BSOD with the error "WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR" (possibly linked to VCore voltages), or simply refusing to boot past BIOS. I'm relatively new to overclocking, but I think with some guidance I can improve things. Some tutorials seem tailored for the TurboEvo V or the Pro edition of this board, which has its own quirks.
Feel free to share any advice you might have. Thanks in advance!
My specs:
CPU: FX-8350
Cooling: Corsair H55 AiO Water Cooler
Memory: 16 GB DDR3-1600 Patriot
Graphics: Zotac Mini GTX 1060 3GB
Power Supply: Cooler Master MasterWatt 650 Modular
And a lot of disks...
(Note, I might sell this board once I upgrade to a Ryzen system...)
Yesterday I carried out several actions and one of them resolved the freezing problem completely. Currently, I'm running at 4.2 GHz, but I plan to increase the clockspeed to 4.3 or 4.4 GHz later. I left my computer on overnight at 4.21 GHz, and upon checking this morning, Windows remained active, there were no critical errors in the Event Viewer, and all programs functioned properly afterward. I'm puzzled as to why Windows would freeze when idle, but one of the steps I took seems to have fixed it...
i have a comparable but less efficient setup (fx 6100 on m5a78). for overclocking, i enable everything automatically (turbo core, adv calibration, etc.), except the maximum multiplier which changed from 19.5 to 24. this allows my system to idle at around 1.4ghz, and it steps up to 2.4, 3.0, 3.3, 3.6, and finally 4.8 when power is required. under stress it stays at 4.8. the air cooling handles temperatures up to about 65c, though i usually cap it at 4.2 for temps.
So yesterday I completed several tasks and one of them resolved the freezing problem. Currently, I'm running at 4.2 GHz, but I plan to increase the clock speed later to 4.3 or 4.4 GHz. I left my computer on overnight at 4.21 GHz, and when I checked this morning Windows was still active, there were no critical errors in the Event Viewer, and all my programs were functioning properly afterward. I’m puzzled as to why Windows would freeze at idle, but one of these actions seems to have fixed it...
Yesterday I carried out several actions and one of them resolved the freezing problem completely. Currently, I'm running at 4.2 GHz, but I plan to increase the clock speed to 4.3 or 4.4 GHz later. I left my computer on overnight at 4.21 GHz, and upon checking this morning, Windows was still active, there were no critical errors in the Event Viewer, and all programs functioned properly afterward. I’m puzzled as to why Windows would freeze when idle, but one of these steps seems to have fixed it...
Here’s what I did yesterday that resolved the issue:
1. Adjusted the CPU voltage manually to 1.425 V (previously done on an older BIOS, which still caused freezing eventually)
2. Updated the BIOS to the latest version, specifically Rev. 2603 (7/24/15) with stability improvements
3. Added an ASUS driver for my Realtek PCIe GBE Controller and turned off the ability to power it down automatically via Device Manager
I’m not sure which change was responsible for fixing the freezing, but I’d guess the BIOS update was the main factor...
Thanks everyone for your assistance! It was indeed the bios update.
Monitor for CPU throttling, the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 features a limited 4+2 power phase and you're using a 125w CPU, which isn't ideal for overclocking. Luckily the board includes adequate heat sinks on the VRM’s, though they may still become warm during this kind of workload. If your CPU speed decreases when under stress, it's likely the motherboard VRM is overheating.