Voltage in BIOS doesn't change
Voltage in BIOS doesn't change
Hey guys,
I recently performed a stable OC on my Phenom II x4 965BE at 3.9GHz for several years. I wanted to push its performance further, so I adjusted the BIOS settings. I attempted to reach 4.2GHz but found that increasing the voltage didn’t make any difference. I could set the voltage between 1V and 1.5V, yet the actual value remained unchanged. Even when checking via Windows tools like HWmonitor and CoreTemp, the voltage stayed at the default 1.35V. Any suggestions on what could be causing this issue?
The actual measurement of voltages on the CPU is typically lower than what is manually configured in BIOS. (My VID is adjusted to 1.375V, but it often displays 1.280V under typical loads in CPUz.) The adjustment we make during overclocking concerns the VID, which also represents the maximum voltage for your CPU. There is generally a small reduction from that peak to the processor's idle state. When operating at full capacity, the voltage decreases again, which we refer to as Vdroop. The BIOS voltage (VID) is always higher than the idle voltage and then lower than the load voltage.
The actual measurement of voltage on the CPU is typically lower than the manual values set in BIOS. (My VID is configured to 1.375V, but it often displays 1.280V under typical workloads in CPUz.) The adjustment we make during overclocking concerns the VID, which represents the Voltage Identifier. This value also defines the upper limit of voltage for your CPU. There is generally a small reduction from that maximum to the processor's idle state. When fully loaded, the voltage decreases again, which we refer to as Vdroop. The BIOS voltage (VID) is always higher than the idle voltage and then lower than the load voltage.
During overclocking, you are increasing the CPU's workload, causing it to consume more power in certain areas. This increased power draw results in a noticeable voltage drop. If the CPU receives insufficient voltage, it may produce errors and become unstable. This is why raising voltages during overclocking helps compensate for the reduced voltage under heavy stress, allowing you to adjust the graph (available in the linked resource) to a higher VID.
For further details on voltages and load line calibration, you can visit: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2404/6