High Voltage (VID and VCore) stock 6700k

[PierreLTrili]

Hello everyone,

I recently started a discussion in the Motherboard thread about another problem :

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3576251/homebuilt-computer-freezing-lagging-xmp-profile-working.html#20417973

I think that the freezing issue comes from my GPU/Riser as it doesn't happen when I'm using Onboard Graphics (and also the fact that even if the PC froze, with no screen/keyboard/mouse not responding, music was still playing in the background, without bugging).

Now I face a new " issue ", I am not sure. I have a i7-6700K watercooled with a Kryonaut Thermal Paste, and I'm experiencing high voltage and sometimes what I consider high temperatures for small loading.

My VID often goes to almost 1.4V and my VCore 50% of the time does follow to 1.35, 1.37 or even more (below 1.4V) even if I'm only doing small tasks (Spotify + Google Chrome + another task like that). Temperatures at idle are between 17-23 degrees (or let's say 17-27 degrees) and sometimes go up to 55 degrees even if there is no heavy loading.

Is this normal ? I'm using HWMonitor to get these results, in the BIOS the Vcore is set to 1.248V and everything runs in Auto. What should I do ? Use the offset mode ?

The fact is that with my Asrock z270 Taichi I'm not really sure on how to do it (in OC Tweaker I can change the parameters of CPU Voltage but it's not the same as on Asus Motherboard). In the BIOS I can switch from Auto Mode to Fixed Mode (where I enter a fixed value) or Offset Mode (where I enter a value in mV). The problem is that Offset mode was more like a " Advanced Fixed Mode " where I could say " I want 1.25V but you can go up/below by 0.05V ". But the only thing I can enter is a mV value. I also read some things on Offset Mode for other motherboards but everytime there is a +/- for offset, here there is not.

So to resume this, my questions are : Are my voltage (VID and Vcore on HWmonitor) normal and should I do something with the offset ? if yes, what ? I'm going to play with this computer, but I don't want to OC it or " damage " the processor at all, that's why I would rather just use a " normal " voltage.

Here are my components :

CPU : i7-6700K (non-OC)
Motherboard : Before = z170-A (Asus) / Now = z270-Taichi (Asrock)
RAM : Corsair DDR4 Platinum 2*8Gbs 3000Mhz (they are actually in A2/B2)
GPU : Galax HoF 1080
PSU : Before = 850 M2 Silent Pro / Now = 1050W Snow Silent Seasonic
SSD = Samsung SSD 850 Pro
HDD (the new one) = Toshiba 2TB

Everything mounted on a Core P5 with a WC system. I have the BIOS updated by the way.

Thank you !

 

[lumineZ]

Set Vcore manually in bios.

Running on auto can create high Vcore.
Reason for this is that it is the motherboard manufacturers who decide what kind of Vcore you CPU should have not Intel. And they normaly set that higher than you normaly need just to be on the safe side, that every CPU that gets dropped into the socket will work.

 

[PierreLTrili]

Alright then, so my " issue " is a normal one because of the manufacturers ? But should I use the Fixed mode or the Offset mode ? As with the Fixed mode even in Idle Mode the Core will be at 1,25V which is kind of high for Idle no ?

 

[lumineZ]

Fixed mode.

Then set Vcore

What you should set your Vcore at all depends on your clock speed and how YOUR CPU behaves. (like have you overclocked the CPU or not)

 

[PierreLTrili]

No I haven't OC it at all, it's running at stock speed. By putting 1.248V it means that no matter what the proc' will get 1.248V right ? So the average temp and V will rise compared to what it is now ?

Is there not a way to say " do whatever you want BUT do not exceed this value " ? Like the " Offset Mode " isn't doing that ? I feel like I didn't get what it meant.

 

[lumineZ]

If you put it to Vcore 1.248 then that is what it should get max no matter what. And I belive that should be "fixed" and not "offset" since that is something to you set for AVX instructions. And no need to mess with that since you are running stock.

 

[PierreLTrili]

Alright thank you. Just to be sure as you didn't confirm this but, by setting it to 1.248 in " Fixed " mode, even if it could run with a lower voltage (during idle or small load) it will take 1.248V ?

Another thing, it may sounds weird to ask that but.. are 17-23 degrees in idle good ? I mean isn't it " too low " ? Like when it goes up and then go down, there can't be like a " thermal choc " because of the too high difference ?

One more question, is this normal that during small tasks (Google Chrome, Spotify, etc.) sometimes the core reachs 55 degrees then goes down 2/3 seconds later to 17-23 degrees ? I mean 55 degrees isn't a " heavy load " temperature ? Why is this happening ?

 

[lumineZ]

For Intel thermal questions I would say sit back. Grab something to drink and read this one :
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1800828/intel-temperature-guide.html?_ga=2.8635957.1205101901.1500754556-529710141.1499996457

I am not familiar with Asrock motherboards, but it should go to the volts you have set as max. Then trottle down when at idle etc.

Idle temps is down to your CPU, what cooler, ambient room temp, case temp, how clean your system is, airflow.
But 17 - 23 is nice. The lower you can go the better it is. And dont worry about thermal chocks as you call it

The jumps in temps up and down is down to the fact that your thermal probes cant keep up. Simple as that and dont worry about it. The CPU can go from 0% load to 100% load and down to 0% again faster than the thermal probe can read the temps. Thats why you sometimes can see "strange" temp readouts.