Unable to achieve a consistent overclock with FX 8370 and Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P due to voltage drop issues
Unable to achieve a consistent overclock with FX 8370 and Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P due to voltage drop issues
Hi,
I wanted to thank you for being such a valuable resource for beginners like me. I've often found really helpful solutions to technical questions by searching online.
I'm attempting to overclock my CPU but haven't been able to achieve stability. Here are my current details:
- Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P, latest revision and BIOS
- AMD FX 8370 (not the E version)
- Hyper-X Fury 32GB CL10
Initially, I turned off the following settings:
- Turbo Boost
- Cool & Quiet
- C6
- C1E
- APM
I kept HPC enabled.
After running Prime95 (Blend) overnight, everything was fine.
I increased the multiplier to 21 (4.2GHz) and Prime95 worked well.
Then I raised it to 22 (4.4GHz) and Prime95 also functioned properly.
Next, I increased it to 22.5 (4.5GHz), but Prime95 stopped working immediately, followed by a screen freeze.
I restarted and adjusted the VCore to Manual, setting it to 1.4V. Prime95 froze again almost right away.
After another reboot and tweaking the voltage a few steps, Prime95 ran for about 10 minutes before crashing. I tried again and got an error on one core after a short time. Eventually, I gave up on troubleshooting and used the machine without issues for a while.
While monitoring with HWMonitor during Prime95 runs, I noticed the VCore dropping to around 1.38V and even lower under load.
I'm struggling to find a way to stabilize the VCore and achieve a consistent overclock. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I continued adjusting the settings, and after switching LLC to Extreme it looks like the VCore is now stable and matches my manual configuration. It's currently operating at 4.5GHz with a voltage of 1.428V. Prime95 has been running for nearly 10 minutes without any issues.
Right now I'm operating at 4.6GHz and 1.452V with the Medium LLC profile. At 4.7GHz I encounter Prime95 errors and occasional blue screens. I was expecting to achieve stable 4.7GHz performance, but it looks like this chip isn't reliable at that frequency. It seems I might have missed the chance with the silicon.
It looks like the machine stopped working after an hour of testing at 4.6GHz/1.452V. I notice a trend—CPU 4 tends to produce odd errors, often with unexpected outcomes. This makes me question whether the 8370 is a bad unit. I’m planning to lower the clock speed to 4.5GHz and voltage to 1.425V, then try again with a 220MHz FSB. Also, I’ll swap my 1600MHz RAM for a 1866MHz one.
I'm experiencing better results now — using a 225 MHz FSb and 1.428 VCore I get a fairly steady 4.6GHz. But Core #4 is still failing with SUMOUT errors. I might need to return it for repair.
I also own the FX 8370, and your Vcore values appear quite elevated for its clock speeds on this chip. While I understand each component is unique, I maintained stability at 4.7Ghz with a voltage of 1.336V. Disabling HPC mode was particularly beneficial—it allowed me to lower the Vcore and achieve stable speeds at a much lower setting. Other boards I've overclocked didn't see similar improvements, but my setup was significantly more responsive. I recommend turning off HPC mode and testing whether you can achieve lower Vcore. My current configuration is around 5.05Ghz and 1.46V.
I also own the FX 8370, and your Vcore settings look quite high for this chip's clock speeds. I understand each component is unique, but I managed stability at 4.7Ghz with 1.336V. Disabling HPC mode really improved things—I had to raise the Vcore, but once it was off, I got stable speeds at a much lower setting. Other boards I've tried overclocking didn't show much improvement, but my setup was a big difference. I’d recommend turning off HPC mode and checking if you can achieve lower Vcore. I’m currently at 5.05Ghz and 1.46V.
Hi and thanks for your thoughts! It seems this particular 8370 might not be the best fit. I’m struggling to maintain stability around 4.5Ghz, even at stock speeds which seem fine at 1.3V. Still, I could push my Phenom II X4 965 on this board—definitely worth a try for better single-core performance.
andrerav :
Come to think of it, I had a shitty Seidon 120V V2 that crapped out on itself only a week after I got the 8370. The 8370 got cooked quite well before I discovered that there was a problem. I have sent a request for an RMA now, hopefully the dealer will be mercyful
Very possible that when your Seidon 120V failed and your temps were dangerously high that your processor was damaged. I know every chip is different, but the FX 8370 has AMDs very best binning and I've never worked with a FX 8370 that needs as much voltage as yours does. It is also possible that if the socket got hot enough you may have even damaged the motherboard.
Oh geez, that would be great. Luckily the motherboard is still new, so I might be able to return it if needed. By the way, turning off HPC didn't help — I forgot to mention that I powered it down after the first few failed attempts.