ASUS Z97-A and 4790K Overclocking - *Dynamic* CPU Core Multi + Core Voltage ?

[Sasqui]

This is a blast from the past... I'm hoping someone here has a good memory or some recent experience. Sooo, I've got an i7-4790K, and just moved it from an MSI Z97 U3 (it's now dead) ....to an ASUS Z97-A motherboard

My goal is a good stable overclock with CPU clocks using speedstep and adaptive VCore voltages. On the MSI, this was was easy... I set the max CPU core ratio of 47 (all cores) and adaptive Vcore offset of +0.04v. When I loaded the system using AIDA64, the CPU clocks would jump from 800MHz to 4700Mhz and the voltage would jump from 1.181v to 1.224v. When I stop AIDA64, the clocks would return to 800MHz and voltage to 1.181v in idle.

On the ASUS, the CPU clocks are stuck at 4700Mhz and the voltage stays put at 1.200v. That's under load or idle. Speedstep is Enabled. What is the trick to get adaptive CPU core speeds and voltages?

Side observation: The ASUS BIOS is so much more complicated than the MSI was. Plus there are hardware switches that the BIOS manual does a crappy job of explaining, I haven't messed with them, it's not clear in the manual if the switches override the BIOS settings. This thing is driving me crazy.

 

[Deleted member 185158]

It may be from hot swapping the OS drive without uninstalling MSI drivers and software.

Basically if c-states are enabled, the cpu should use all the power states.

I'd try a fresh install of windows and motherboard drivers and see if that helps.

 

[mb194dc]

Have a 4790k in Gigabyte Z97 that uses C states fine. That is golden if those volts are accurate. Need 1.35 on mine for 4700.

Check your bios settings, windows power plan settings.

Maybe you fixed CPU multi at 47 instead of editing only the boost clock to ?

 

[Good Guru]

I have the Asus z97 pro wifi ac motherboard with that cpu. You need to have c-states in the adv cpu options page set to auto or enabled and in windows the minimum cpu usage set to 5%. Dynamic sets the ring or cache bus to 4.4 and all cores also. You want manual x47 also ring or cache needs to be set at minimum 8x for speedstep to work.

On my board although I set manual voltage for the cpu, I turn on c-states and speedstep to lower voltage at idle. If you have adaptive voltage turned on it lowers the volts even more.

 

[kiriakost]

ASUS Z97-A motherboard

My goal is a good stable overclock ..............

Wrong choice of a motherboard, if you plan wild acrobatics.
For 4790K at stock, it will do the job.

 

[Sasqui]

It may be from hot swapping the OS drive without uninstalling MSI drivers and software.

Basically if c-states are enabled, the cpu should use all the power states.

I'd try a fresh install of windows and motherboard drivers and see if that helps.

The SSD I'm using for the ASUS never saw the MSI. But, I do have a spare SSD and could give it a try.

Have a 4790k in Gigabyte Z97 that uses C states fine. That is golden if those volts are accurate. Need 1.35 on mine for 4700.

Check your bios settings, windows power plan settings.

Maybe you fixed CPU multi at 47 instead of editing only the boost clock to ?

This one is doing great with 1.224v @4.7. No throttling, temps now peak in the low 90s. Keeps going down with the paste setting in. I was doing 4.8 at 1.34v, but throttling.

There's only one place that I can see to set the peak multiplier, I've got it set to "All cores" and 47. Is there another place to look?

I have the Asus z97 pro wifi ac motherboard with that cpu. You need to have c-states in the adv cpu options page set to auto or enabled and in windows the minimum cpu usage set to 5%. Dynamic sets the ring or cache bus to 4.4 and all cores also. You want manual x47 also ring or cache needs to be set at minimum 8x for speedstep to work.

On my board although I set manual voltage for the cpu, I turn on c-states and speedstep to lower voltage at idle. If you have adaptive voltage turned on it lowers the volts even more.

Interesting, I'll have to look at the cache setting. I may be sending you a PM The package only pulls 11 watts idle, so something is going right even if the multi isn't dropping. Any I do have the voltage set to adaptive+offset.

Wrong choice of a motherboard, if you plan wild acrobatics.
For 4790K at stock, it will do the job.

This chip +MB got to 4.8 at 1.34v, with air cooling (Scythe Ashura), a few cores were throttling. It's golden at 4.7 and 1.224v

 

[kiriakost]

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This chip +MB got to 4.8 at 1.34v, with air cooling (Scythe Ashura), a few cores were throttling. It's golden at 4.7 and 1.224v

Your Long Service badge, this is should translate, that you are AWARE that 4790K pushed to the end of the road = 6 FPS more than my 4770 with OCed BUS 2400 with the blessings of INTEL Corporation.
My advice, waste your productivity in to something else.

 

[Dr. Dro]

To address your initial question: disable ASUS Multicore Enhancement feature in the AI Tweaker section of the BIOS if you haven't already. This is likely what's causing your CPU to run the 1C turbo boost tables on all of the four cores.

Regarding the 4.8+ GHz OC: I would tend to agree with @kiriakost, the 4.7 GHz @ 1.225V setting seems reasonable enough for this processor, if it can hold that through say, AVX workloads. Gains, if any, will likely not be meaningful against the sheer amount of time you would spend re-tweaking and optimizing everything again.

It's a decade-old quad-core processor, unless the objective is to shatter some vintage benchmarks, it's not worth bothering with trying to push it to the absolute edge any longer, especially if your motherboard is on the lesser end. Seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth to me.

 

[kiriakost]

It's a decade-old quad-core processor, unless the objective is to shatter some vintage benchmarks, it's not worth bothering with trying to push it to the absolute edge any longer, especially if your motherboard is on the lesser end. Seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth to me.

This is no voting thread.
This platform can do at 1080P 90FPS, and if you are talented at first person shooter, youth owns RTX3080 will be full of tears.
Gaming its totally enjoyable, and there is no productivity software that will not feel Snappy, if you are using quality HDD.

If the older quads had AVX, they would be still a good choice.
But I have to admit that having faster SATA controller Z87X and later, this makes SSD to deliver remarkable and respectable bandwidth.

Conclusion:
1) Snappy gaming
2) Snappy productivity
3) Super fast SATA controller, 560MB Read/ Write.
= There is no chance for me to feel that I am driving any antique car

 

[Veseleil]

the clocks would return to 800MHz and voltage to 1.181v in idle.

On the ASUS, the CPU clocks are stuck at 4700Mhz and the voltage stays put at 1.200v

This may sound rude, but why is it so important to have that downclock to 800MHz, and the difference in voltage of 0.019V? This coming from a static OC forever guy's perspective, so I'm just curious. I won't mind if you ignore my question, it's almost rhetorical anyway.

 

[mb194dc]

4790k has AVX2. Interestingly it gets higher score in the CPU Z AVX benchmark than the standard one. My Ryzen machine is the opposite.

Not found a reason to upgrade, yet.

 

[kiriakost]

All Haswell family has AVX2 enabled, at old 3Dmark 11 there is under evaluation the parameter named as Physics Score.
Physics Score = combination of how fast GPU along CPU, they can render 3D environment ( mountains, trees, walls, anything that surrounds the player).
At this parameter alone, Haswell due the AVX2 support it gives double the money VS older Quad core Q9650.

I was unaware that most recent game engines they are so much AVX2 dependent, identical GPU with Haswell = double frame rate at Battlefield V.

 

[Sasqui]

To address your initial question: disable ASUS Multicore Enhancement feature in the AI Tweaker section of the BIOS if you haven't already. This is likely what's causing your CPU to run the 1C turbo boost tables on all of the four cores.

Regarding the 4.8+ GHz OC: I would tend to agree with @kiriakost, the 4.7 GHz @ 1.225V setting seems reasonable enough for this processor, if it can hold that through say, AVX workloads. Gains, if any, will likely not be meaningful against the sheer amount of time you would spend re-tweaking and optimizing everything again.

The Multicore Enhancement is something I'll check, thanks.

The 4.8 was surprising. Yes, there's a point of diminishing returns... and one of the reasons I don't do water-cooling anymore. Overclocking has been part of my PC enthusiasm for decades, so at some point it's more for entertainment than purpose I'm happy with 4.7Ghz.

As I mentioned above, power use drops to 11W when idle (even with cores at 4700). My desire to have clocks drop to 800 in idle is simply because... it should. If I can't find a simple resolution, so be it.

It's a decade-old quad-core processor, unless the objective is to shatter some vintage benchmarks, it's not worth bothering with trying to push it to the absolute edge any longer, especially if your motherboard is on the lesser end. Seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth to me.

Yes. Coupled with an aging Vega 64, I can play games on a 1440p monitor just fine (at least most). Other than that, it's not used for any other heavy tasks, so I'm quite happy with the performance. This will get me through the year and next winter is my planned upgrade cycle.

 

[kiriakost]

My desire to have clocks drop to 800 in idle is simply because... it should.

True when CPU this set at default clocks and only at default.

 

[Sasqui]

True when CPU this set at default clocks and only at default.

On the two MSI Z97 boards I was working with, they ramped up to 4700 under load and back down to 800 in idle. Same with voltage.

 

[kiriakost]

On the two MSI Z97 boards I was working with, they ramped up to 4700 under load and back down to 800 in idle. Same with voltage.

And now they are dead?