Acronyms and newbie questions

[SirJabbar]

I7 6800k
X99 Asus strix
Windows 10

Right now everything is stock and I want to start the baseline testing. I
Tried googling what's Vcore but I'm a bit confused.

Vcore in Hwmonitor says 1.8
Core voltage in cpuz is 1.173

If Vcore was the processor core voltage I'm assuming my processor would've caught fire by now....so what is it?

I see Vcpu in corsair link as well and it's at 1.8

Also, I noticed large differences in temps with speedfan readings around 12c at idle per core while other apps readings are at ~30c.

Please excuse me as I'm a noob! Thanks.

 

[geofelt]

Vcore is the voltage that the cpu is using. Nomenclature differs depending on the motherboard and measuring app.
I find that CPU-Z gives me the appropriate measure.

If you are overclocking, leave all on default and raise the multiplier.
You should stop at about a vcore of 1.3. Your multiplier will likely be in the 4.2-4.6 range.

Do your testing with a reality based app like OCCT. Prime95 and IBT are easy, but use special non typical instructions.
I would believe the apps that show 30c at idle. 10-15c. over ambient tells me your cooler is mounted well.
Speedfan does not seem to give me true cpu temps. I probably need to update it.
HWmonitor seems to be correct.

 

[SirJabbar]

Thanks for your help,

Could you explain these items in HWmonitor?
Cpu Vcore .880
Vcore 1.760 v
I find under Intel i7 6800k > Voltages> VID is 1.173 which matches the Core voltage from CPUZ.

Also, been running prime95 Small FFTs for almost 2 hours now, max temp was 49c. What do you mean by special non typical instructions?

 

[geofelt]

The purpose of prime95 is to calculate prime numbers. It is cpu intensive, but uses only a subset of scientific instructions that are not typical of normal gaming apps. It raises the temperature only in non typical parts of the cpu die.
Normally, the heat generated is not so extreme. Ditto for Intel Burn test.

I think I would use the cpu-z or VID numbers. I am not expert in this, but I think the top number might be what voltage is delivered to the cpu and the other is what is actually used.

What is your multiplier when vcore is 1.173?
From your temperatures, I think you can go higher.
It is the vcore that drives up temperature.
I expect that a stress test will reach thermal limits around 85c.
Do not worry too uch about temperatures, The limit is more like 100c.
That is when the cpu will slow down or shut off to protect itself.

When you reach your limits, you want to implement speedstep and adaptive voltage.
That will reduce the multiplier and vcore when the processor is not under load.

 

[SirJabbar]

Well right now, everything is stock. It's at 3.6ghz with the one core 3.8ghz with turbo boost. Just want to get a good starting point and baseline for everything. I'm using the Asus overclock guide and the i7 6800k overclock article on tomshardware.

What do you think of ASUS realbench?

 

[geofelt]

I have not used ASUS real bench.
Automated overclocking systems are sometimes too aggressive.
I use the BIOS settings.
Once I get a good working OC, I leave it alone and tend to forget how I got there.
Many overclockers are competitive and seeking records. If that is your bent, then lots of study of overclocking guides can lead you to the best possible results for your chip.

OTOH, if you are more of a user, find some OC level that does not cause any problem and leave it be.
For your guidance on what is likely, here are some stats:
I7-6800K overclock potential. @ about 1.3 vcore.
4.2 96%
4.3 79%
4.4 44%
4.5 11%
4.6 2%

 

[SirJabbar]

Man I really tend to overwhelm myself with new endeavors. The 96 percentile is good enough for me, I just want to get there as stable as possible and have a good grasp on overclocking. Thanks for your help!