What the sudden instability?
What the sudden instability?
Hi guys,
I'm struggling to figure out why my CPU becomes so unstable in just a short time. When I first got the 7700k, I ran it at 4.8ghz with 1.25volts and everything worked fine for weeks. Now, maintaining that speed at 1.36volts with 3000mhz is causing blue screens every time. If I lower the memory speed to the default 2133, it runs without issues. But I still want to use the original RAM speeds from when I bought it. Why has my system become so unreliable in such a short period? My temps are always good, never going over 68-69 degrees, so that doesn’t seem like the problem. Anyone have any ideas? It’s really frustrating to see such a big change in stability so quickly.
Components:
7700k
MSI z270 Gaming m5
Corsair 3000mhz 16gb
EVGA GTX 1080
EVGA 750w P2
It's the voltage I manually adjust in BIOS. That's another factor, though. When I set "AUTO" to voltage in the BIOS, I still experience crashes. How can choosing the voltage as AUTO not be sufficient for the CPU/MBO to understand what is needed so I can apply my settings?
At standard/turbo boost settings with auto voltage in bios, the voltage typically ranges from 1.2 to 1.25 volts. Earlier, I managed a 4.8ghz frequency between 1.25 and 1.275 volts for several weeks after installing the CPU. Now, at 1.36 volts with 3000 memory speed, I’m experiencing instability. I’ve reconfigured and tested multiple times, wondering why the voltage jump is so drastic compared to when I first got the CPU. Also, the system becomes erratic when adjusting RAM speed to 3000mhz. These problems didn’t appear in the initial weeks after installation. I ran an OCCT test for 10 hours at 4.8ghz with 1.30 volts and it completed successfully.
There are two possibilities. Either your motherboard was originally providing the right voltage and now isn’t delivering enough, or the CPU requires more voltage to stay stable. (or it wasn’t as reliable as you assumed). Your voltage should be adequate, so the issue likely lies with the motherboard not supplying it properly. Without real voltage measurements, we can't confirm. Have you checked OC settings first? The LGA guide might help. Have you looked into this before?
components age under stress, I think less chance of CPU issues since the voltage wasn't too high. But was your motherboard that much stressed?
Keep in mind when you install additional RAM there are three factors to consider: the RAM itself (should be fine), the motherboard and its traces, and the memory controller on the CPU—what voltage are you using for the memory?
Reduce the memory OC gradually and check if the CPU OC remains stable. Then reduce the CPU OC and test the memory OC again.
Have you looked through the OC guides?
Components degrade under stress, I believe less likely to affect the CPU since the voltage wasn't excessive. However, was your motherboard that too stressed? Keep in mind that when you increase RAM, there are several factors beyond the base clock speeds—such as the RAM, the motherboard, its traces, and the CPU's memory controller—that you're operating above. Consider what voltage you're applying to the memory. Try reducing the memory overclock first to check if the CPU overclock remains stable, then adjust the CPU overclock accordingly. Test the memory overclock after that. Have you reviewed the OC documentation? I've actually followed both. With CPU and memory overclocked together, I never raised the RAM voltage. And yes, I've read the guides. I'll experiment with some of those tips at home.
So what happens if you run memory at 3000 and CPU at 4.7? You should revisit that optimal balance, since drift has likely started. Early on, some aging might occur, possibly causing the heat sinks over the VRMs to get slightly blocked, leading to higher temperatures. The air temperature could rise, resulting in a minor voltage drop as the VRMs operate less efficiently.
13thmonkey :
if you run memory at 3000 and CPU at 4.7, you should revisit that optimal point again. There might be some drift happening—maybe due to aging during the first weeks or months. The heat sinks over the VRMs could get slightly blocked, causing them to heat up more, and the air temperature might rise, leading to a slight voltage drop as the VRMs work less efficiently. Aging can happen within a short time? That’s really surprising. Switching from 4.8ghz at 1.25 volts with 3000 memory speed to 4.8ghz at 1.36 volts and seeing blue screen at 3000 speed doesn’t seem like aging is the main issue here. I can definitely test that speed you suggested though.