Why is my BIOS attempting to overclock my computer even after I reset the CMOS?
Why is my BIOS attempting to overclock my computer even after I reset the CMOS?
For whatever reason, I’m having trouble running my computer at its original speeds. Usually, when I encounter BIOS or overclocking issues, I just disconnect the battery, put it back in after a while, and the default settings return. But this isn’t happening now. After resetting the CMOS, it asks me to perform a first-time setup, which is normal, but when I go to advanced settings and check the overclock options, the core clocks are already set to 4200mhz instead of the base 4000, and the cache is configured for 4100 rather than 4000. It also lists a target RAM frequency of 2133, which isn’t too concerning since that’s the actual speed of the RAM.
This problem first appeared after a severe BSOD crash that also damaged my Windows OS. SFC scannow found errors but couldn’t fix them. I managed to repair the OS using the command prompt and the Windows online image deployment/repair tool. Now SFC scannow reports everything clean.
After updating the BIOS and clearing the CMOS—either by briefly touching the jumper or removing the battery—I still have no solution. It feels like the BIOS is loading a profile even though there are no saved overclock profiles. Or perhaps the default settings were altered to this overclock level? This could point to a hardware issue. I’m really stuck and would appreciate any suggestions.
Asus z170-a
6700k
ddr4 2133
Windows 10 home
Thanks in advance!
Thank you for your response. I have also sent this message to ASUS and conducted further research on my end. I think I’ve identified the solution—this inconsistency appears to stem from the processor base frequency differing from the "max turbo frequency." By adjusting the BIOS settings through ADVANCED → CPU CONFIGURATION → CPU POWER MANAGEMENT CONTROL → turbo mode, I was able to view the correct target speeds. Switching overclock from automatic to manual and then toggling turbo mode produced the expected stock values in AI TWEAKER. If you follow the opposite sequence—overclock to manual first, then toggle turbo mode—I also achieved the correct results.
On the AI Tweaker tab of the bios, Asus Multi Core Enhancement is set to on. Its default is auto, which means it’s likely the standard setting. Disabled would let you choose the core ratio settings by default. It offers a free speed boost without enabling overclocking; try disabling it to check its impact.
Thank you for your response. I have already sent the message to ASUS and further researched on my end. I think I’ve identified the solution: the issue lies in the difference between the processor base frequency and the "max turbo frequency." By adjusting the BIOS settings through ADVANCED → CPU CONFIGURATION → CPU POWER MANAGEMENT CONTROL → turbo mode, I was able to display the correct target speeds. Switching to manual overclock after disabling turbo gave me the expected stock values in AI TWEAKER. However, if I reverse the process—turning overclocking on first then disabling turbo—I see the frequencies remain unchanged as expected. This suggests my initial target frequencies were incorrect, and the cores were consistently running at 4200mhz until I manually overclocked. It might also be useful to consider Intel SpeedStep or SpeedShift options, though it seems toggling turbo mode off and then using manual AI Tweaker resolved the problem for me. The only unresolved question is why Microsoft Task Manager’s performance tab displays a base clock of 4.01 instead of the anticipated 4.00. For now, my main issue has been resolved, but I’ll update this thread if Intel support provides further clarification.
I'm not sure why you want the CPU to run stock speeds on all cores but okay.
Are you sure the turbo boost speeds are being applied automatically to every core for full core turbo?
You shouldn't depend on the task manager to give accurate information, since even with turbo boost on one core while others run at base speed, the manager will show the CPU's speed as if it were running at turbo due to that single core.
Check HW Info after resetting BIOS to defaults to see which cores are active.
Restore BIOS settings to your profile so you can revert them later if needed before resetting to defaults.
I don't want them running at stock speeds, especially permanently. After the BSOD, I aimed to bring them back to stock while assessing system corruption and recovery, then I overclocked again. When I noticed the defaults still forced an overclock—later found to be automatically applied turbo—I became worried. Also, it seems the setting was affecting all cores, since Asus Multicore Enhancement and CPU Core Ratio are both set to auto by default.
To be clear, I wasn't talking about the speed reported by Task Manager, which fluctuates widely, but the static base speed that shouldn't shift even when SpeedStep and SpeedShift are active, as the CPU adjusts with load and temperature.
I also attempted using F5 to reset to "optimized defaults," followed by jumper and battery resets, but the changes didn't take effect as expected.