Using any other voltage setting reduces CB scores by half
Using any other voltage setting reduces CB scores by half
First Post! Recently upgraded to a 13700K during Black Friday to replace my old 12400 in a B660 Aorus Master DDR4. Everything is running fine and stable, however I am unable to lower the outrageous voltage behaviour on the board without literally cutting my CB scores in half. System : Aorus Master B660 DDR4 (latest BIOS), 13700K, 32GB DDR4, 6800XT, AX1200i, H150i Pro (360mm AIO) As a preface, I have made minimal changes in BIOS: set PL1 to 255, removed other power limits, maxed turbo times, disabled energy efficient turbo, VT-D, etc. Most other settings are auto except for XMP and VCCSA and VDDQ, which I had to lower to stabilize Memory (Memtest stable). The board has four options for voltage: Auto , Adaptive , Override and Fixed . There is also a setting for CPU vCore: Auto, Normal and manually entered values. And finally then the option to set DVID/Offset: Auto , Normal and a range of -0.300 to +0.300 . The last option is indicated as only applying them vCore is set to Normal , so I have followed this when trying to set offsets. If I set Auto , it pumps >1.4v into the cpu, and setting any type of manual DVID or Offset is ignored, but I get 27k+ in CB23 although it downclocks due to thermal throttling. If I set Adaptive , it pushes 1.37v into the cpu, and setting any type of manual DVID or Offset is ignored, but I get 27k+ in CB23 and I get mild downclocking due to thermal throttling. If I set Fixed or Ovverride at a reasonable voltage (1.27 - 1.32), I get zero downclocking , great temps with no thermal throttling, but my CB23 scores drop to 14k . With Auto and Adaptive, the chip draws full power - 255W, but at fixed voltages, the chip draws significantly less package power ~140-170W depending on mode. I understand this is a B660 board, but I'd just like to run the chip at max ratio with reasonable voltage 24/7 while maintaining CPU performance and keeping temps in check. Any advice is appreciated!
This technique is referred to as clock stretching. Intel-K series CPUs are recognized for performing this when attempting to lower voltages on a B-series motherboard. You may circumvent it by adjusting the OS settings using XTU, though you might remain limited to default voltages unless you upgrade to a Z-series board. For a single R23 run, the AIO unit should suffice to maintain optimal cooling and achieve 30k performance. I’d inspect your mounting area to ensure minimal dust accumulation, as a 360mm AIO should adequately protect the 13700K from overheating at standard voltages.
I expected there was some voodoo happening in the background. Cooler is set with low fan speed for silence, and I'm running a contact frame as well. Idle is 32C with 22C ambient, and games high 40s - mid 50s. I get 90-95C in CB23 with unlimited PL1 and fans set to a moderate level. My issue with XTU is all the voltage options are greyed out for some reason. Also Easytune ( ) hangs on start no matter what I've tried (diff versions, etc) so I have no way to adjust voltages in windows. Even Throttlestop does nothing when using the FIVR voltage controls. This is on a fresh install of W11 22H2. Quick update after a small test with higher fan speed, Adaptive votlage: With unlimited PL1 the chip draws ~270W and stays locked at 1.37v and gives a 27K in CB23 at 92-95C, NO throttling/downclocking (5.3/4.2) With PL1 set to 200W the chip draws 200W and voltage drops to 1.21v and gives 27K in CB23 at 80-85C, BUT does downclock (4.9/3.8) This behaviour makes zero sense to me - same score with lower clocks?
The reported score-to-score ratio seems reasonable. Based on the 13700K’s specs, it should reach around 30k at that frequency and power level (as seen on the Unify-X). I think there might be an issue with the Intel Management Engine—there were problems with it in early 13th-gen Alder Lake boards—or the BIOS could have odd behavior. You might want to look into a newer 13th-gen BIOS version instead of the latest one, just in case it contains bugs.
Tried a previous BIOS version, outcomes remained consistent. For context, I've struggled to exceed 27,800 in CB23 even with maximum fans (87C peak temp), no throttling or downclocking, and default BIOS settings with unlocked power and voltage on auto/adaptive. It seems a Z690 might be necessary to achieve solid stock performance and custom voltage control.
Consider installing an Intel Management Engine update to improve performance, though I’m not sure there are many other options besides replacing the motherboard.
There was a thread on here, about a month ago, someone with their 13600K hitting 100*C and thermal throttling. However, it was a MSi Z690-A Pro motherboard. MSi has these power/profile (?) "Modes" that range from 1 ~ 12. Each different mode has a different Core Voltage and Power limit setting. Default is Mode 12, and it just mag dumps a bunch of voltage and power. Dropping down to Mode 8 or 9 made a big difference in temperature, voltage, and power. I'm not sure if the Gigabyte B660 Arous Master DDR4 has any similar settings in the BIOS like MSi. I can't tell after going through Gigabyte's motherboard user manual....
Thanks for sharing! I experimented with LLC and AC/DC Loadline, managed to hit 29800k with a decent voltage and low temps around the 90s. It seems like this is the best I can achieve without an upgrade or a new BIOS from GB. Appreciate the support!