Upgrade your motherboard for improved overclocking performance.
Upgrade your motherboard for improved overclocking performance.
Hi guys, i was trying some overclocks on my 4690k and managed to hit 4.5ghz with a stable 1.21 voltage. But my Gigabyte Z97 HD3 board is having big issues keeping the voltage steady. I can set it to fixed voltage, but i don’t want it running at full voltage all the time because the heat increases and it could shorten the cpu’s life. I’ve checked the BIOS for adaptive voltage, but there’s no option. I can use offset voltage which reduces the voltage during idle, but when I stress test it, the voltage fluctuates beyond my limit and the pc crashes sometimes. It’s frustrating. I’ve tried many settings, but still can’t get the voltage to drop properly at idle or ramp up correctly. I know this board isn’t ideal, but i was on a tight budget when I bought it. Should I consider buying a better motherboard for stable adaptive voltage?
It doesn't justify the investment since the benefits will be limited.
Increase both the voltage and voltage offset a bit. I don't adjust the offset much since my power plan in Windows is set to balanced mode, giving me 800MHz - 2000MHz core at around 0.1v to 0.8v when idle. I also don't use adaptive settings because some apps can interfere, causing voltage spikes.
I need to adjust the offset, but if I fix the voltage and keep the windows balanced, the voltage won't drop at idle. The clockspeed will still change, but not the voltage. Also, is 75 degrees during the Prime95 stress test too high? I have a 212 EVO cooler.
That's unusual. I use a G3258 at 4.3GHz, it's from the same family but my voltage drops when idle without an offset. A 75°C isn't that high. Just keep under 85°C and it should be okay. 100°C is the max TJ for Haswell anyway.