Getting i7 930 past 4.2ghz safely

vexun11

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Hello, I can't seem to find any information regarding the limit intel would recommend having my cpu vcore voltage set at if it is. Also the limit with my qpi/vtt before it starts to get risky. My motherboard is a ga-x58a-ud3r. My cooling is pretty decent, I can prime 95 at 4.2ghz with temps not going above 75. All I really want to do is see what the highest overclock is before my cpu temps go above 80 so that I can run some benchmarks and save the info and have something to compare things to. Right now I am running at 3.8ghz with turbo on so 4ghz with hyperthreading on with vcore 1.2650. The stock voltage for my motherboard cpu vcore is set to 1.25 yet I can get to 3.8ghz with no ht with only 1.1V Should I not trust the auto settings gigabyte has set standard? That seems a bit high, the stock voltage on auto being enough to overclock my cpu to 4ghz with hyperthreading?

Anyway can I take my cpu vcore above 3.5? and cpu/vtt above 1.3+ ? I wouldn't ever leave my computer running 24/7 with anything higher then what I am running now. I just want to see what this thing can do.

Thanks
 
Solution
Hey vexun, yeah I have HT on.

I checked your batch number and couldn't find much but a few guys that have that batch # at 1.25 for 4GHz. So, that sounds about right in your case, no?

If 4GHz is easy, and the jump to 4.2GHz takes a huge voltage/temp increase, the 200MHz isn't worth it if you're trying to run it on this OC 24/7. I'd stay at 4.0 (although I know it's fun to go further)

redechelon

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I'm not positive, so wait for other opinions, but I'm pretty sure you're totally fine at least up to 1.35v. I've seen much higher... and 930's tend to need less voltage than 920's (at least C0).

So, 1.265 is relatively low for a 4.0GHz OC. Have you tried even lower voltage on your current setting just for fun?

EDIT: Do you know your batch #? I could give you some settings of mine maybe. Also, I have been seeing a few people using 920 voltages as a guide and not getting results, then lowering vcore and finding more stability in a lower voltage.
 

vexun11

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Yea I have spent dozens of hours trying to find out what the lowest voltages are for the highest OC and vice versa, Lots of prime 95 testing. I am curious how much my power bill will go up this month lol.

Anyway I am looking in cpu-z right now, I dont see a batch number, lemme take a screenshot of what im running 100% stable -

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1255845

I have been able to run lower voltages with this overclock I have there but prime 95 eventually crashes after an hour or so, so what I am trying to do is raise it a little bit at a time to see whats stable.

Where can I find the batch number for my cpu? and why does it show a lower voltage in windows then it does in the bios?

Thanks
 

redechelon

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Your batch number will be on a sticker on your original box. Or printed on your cpu I think...

It's probably showing lower voltages in windows because you have vDroop on?
Check to see if you do in BIOS, and just turn it off if you do.. Maybe your stability will increase.

For reference, I have a 930 running at 4.0 with 1.2v in BIOS and click on my signature banner to see current settings in windows. (it's slightly higher) Oh and this is 24/7, it runs very stable.

Here's my settings in BIOS right now:

Frequency--------4011 MHz
vDroop-----------Disabled
BCLK-------------191
CPU Multiplier---21
vCore------------1.2v
CPU PLL----------1.85v
QPI--------------1.35v

MAX--------------70 C
Idle-------------41 C
Room Temp--------23 C
(These temps are with a CCF, so yours should be very similar, if not slightly better.)

And just in case... my memory, although I have no idea what 1600MHz memory you have so don't use these:

Frequency--------1528 MHz
Timings----------8-8-8-21
VDIMM------------1.65v

So, I dunno... maybe give my CPU settings a try, then change the vcore around to suit your individual chip's needs. Maybe other areas will need more too, who knows.
 

Mugz

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1.45V ABSOLUTE maximum, and ONLY with cooling of the most impressive sort.

You also should not allow it to go over about 60ºC at 100% loading - electromigration really is not fun.

The batch number is usually etched onto the CPU case itself - correct me if I am wrong, but it is normally a 5-character string starting with an 'SL' - e.g. SL75P, or SL7TW. It also appears on the retail box for the CPU, on the same sticker as the barcodes and specs.
 

redechelon

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Actually, the batch numbers look something like this:
3001A187 or 3951A691 or 3002B013

And 60C is really LOW for an i7... a stock cooler at stock clocks, loads higher than this. Most say staying under 80C is reasonable, but I like to stay around 70C give or take.
1.45v would create temps WAY further than 60c, even with water cooling. Even so.. OP, you shouldn't need to go higher than 1.325v for any of your needs, I'd think.
(BTW, when I'm talking about load, I'm talking about Prime95, LinX, Intel Burn Test... not max load at gaming.) If your rig gets 75C in Prime95, it will sit a good chunk lower in games.

Batch Number Example:
SunFeb14171143PST2010.jpg


 

vvhocare5

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You can get to 4G pretty easy with little to no increases in voltage with an i7. But after 4GHz you need to begin feeding lots of voltage to get smaller and smaller gains in frequency. Dont just believe me, just read the reviews. As voltage increases, heat increases quickly as well. And each CPU motherboard combination over clocks differently as well. What one person gets may not be repeated with others.

I have found personally that the limiter is heat - and your own limits on how far you want to push that overclock - voltage wise.

4.4 to 4.5GHz is going to want 1.45v to 1.5v (again, your mileage may vary) but you are going to be generating lots of heat. When it comes to overvolting different people have different views. I dont care about electromigration if Im overclocking. Im hoping for one year of life because if it goes bad, the replacement will be cheap. And after a year, Im moving on to another cpu anyhow. But some people do not have that same view - and thats ok. and my other issue is while I enjoy overclocking my equipment, I dont like a lot of noise - so fan noise becomes a limiter as well.

I think you got a lot of increase for very little voltage gain. I might say that was good enough for an overall balanced system.
 

vexun11

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Thanks everyone for the feedback!

I don't have vdroop on, and with your oc to 4ghz @ 1.2V is that with hyperthreading on? because I can get to 4ghz with 1.2 with no ht which isn't too bad.

My room temp is usually around 28-30C which is very hot. My idle temps range from 43-50 for core temps depending on ambient temps, I am steady at 3.5ghz with hyperthreading on at 1.15V, I can run it lower but eventually prime 95 will crash so I gave it a little bit extra voltage because I can handle the temps. I have taken my cpu up to 1.35V and my cpu temps idle were 55-60 so I am sure I could handle a realistic load with 1.4 but not prime 95 at all.

You were saying something about not caring about electromigration, I however am worried about that because I just put this system together and am hoping for it to run for 5+ years. I will keep my voltage lower then 1.25 in the long run, if I keep it under 1.25 will the life of the cpu degrade? cooling is not an issue with my megahalems push pull.

Is it not safe at all to take the cpu above 1.35V? Also what about cpu/pll?

The product numbers on my i7 930 box including batch # are:

MM#
FPO/Batch # 3002A586
 

dvtran93

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I'm sure your cpu can easily get past 4.2. You don't need to overvolt that much to get to 4.2 (may vary from PC). I'm using a 1.25 vcore (the minimum my mobo will allow) for a stable 4.2 gHz. My temps are usually around 75-77*C for 100% load. PC degradation will only really matter depends on temps. Over 80*C will lead to minor degradation, over 85*C will lead to moderate degradation and would guess that 90*C leads to major degradation if your cpu at that temp for a long time. Honestly, nobody really uses their PC to full throttle load constantly. The only time this will be reached is in a stress test and even then you know you can't go higher. If you can prime for about an hour and not go over 80 by too much, I'd say you are good.
 

vexun11

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I cant easily get past 4.2, I can easily get to 4.0 with hyperthreading on @ 1.26 ish but in order to get to even 4.1 I have to up everything to the point where my temps go up 10C Its extremely easy to get to 4.0 but to 4.1 its as hard as getting to 3 to 4ghz lol.

Is your cpu thats overclocked to 4.2ghz have hyperthreading?
 

vexun11

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Ok I just tried something new, I wanted to see if I could get past 4.2ghz so I upped the voltage to 1.375 and went into windows, everything was fine, then I went to 1.4 and my system reset, so as usual I go and press the "clear cmos" button on the back of my motherboard and normally it clears it and I can change whatever to fix it, now it will not let me change anything, if everything isnt set to auto it will restart over and over until I press the reset cmos buttom, so I am stuck now with default settings. Should I be worried? everything seems fine, like nothing has changed, other then my bios not letting me do anything anymore.. Do I physically need to reset the bios?
 

sepayne21

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why are you trying to get past 4.2? If you're trying to just get there for the sake of getting there, that's kind of pointless since someone else will always be able to get past what you have. If there's no real reason, I suggest being happy with that *good* overclock.
 

redechelon

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Hey vexun, yeah I have HT on.

I checked your batch number and couldn't find much but a few guys that have that batch # at 1.25 for 4GHz. So, that sounds about right in your case, no?

If 4GHz is easy, and the jump to 4.2GHz takes a huge voltage/temp increase, the 200MHz isn't worth it if you're trying to run it on this OC 24/7. I'd stay at 4.0 (although I know it's fun to go further)
 
Solution

vexun11

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I just want to do it to benchmark and see what I can do, It sounds interesting and because I spent a good amount of money on my cpu cooler and want to see what it can handle, but if it's risky I wont do it. I think I messed up my motherboard by setting the voltage at 1.4, It seems like I now need more voltage to get to 4ghz usually I can get there with 1.25, it reboots unless I take it to like 1.275
 

vexun11

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Any idea what might be making my cpu need higher voltage to overclock? Its not a ton but I have tons of different setups memorized for overclocking and to 4ghz I now need a bit more voltage to handle it stable im prime 95
 

redechelon

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If you run a CPU at a high voltage consistently over a long period of time, sometimes you'll need to add a tad more... But you haven't done that.

Going to 1.4v was probably not very wise on air, but I don't know if it would've harmed anything for such a short period of time.

Idling at 60C doesn't sounds like a good idea to me. Neither does 1.4v, but it's too late for that.
1.27v is still good for 4Ghz, so you're fine.
 

vexun11

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I havent ever let my cpu go above 80C, when I was at 1.4V for the short amount of time, I was idle at 60, that was just for a little bit, hopefully that high voltage didnt mess anything up.