I7 8700k XTU benchmark

[clyde777]

I have an i7 8700k and I have mce on and sync all cores so all 6 cores run at 4.7. I was using intel XTU to benchmark and while bench marking the current limit throttling kept lighting up yellow and saying yes. The CPU stays under 70c usually around 65c. When I run the cpu at the stock 4.3 its fine and even if I put it at 4.5 its fine. Bios is the latest version as well.

System specs
GPU:1080ti
CPU: i7 8700k
CPU COOLER: Noctua u14s
RAM: Corsair ddr4 3200
PSU: Corsair RM1000x 1000 watt
MOBO: Asus prime z370-a

 

[Darkbreeze]

So what is the question?

Of course Intel's benchmark or any Intel utility is going to tell you that. XTU and the Intel CPU diagnostic utility are mainly for THEM to determine if a CPU has been used outside warrantable conditions. And to let you know that you are exceeding what THEY think should be the safe zone for long term longevity. If your thermals are fine and you can pass 8 hours of Realbench with half your RAM selected in the settings, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[clyde777]

Yeah its stable I just didn't know why it says that it is current limit throttling with only the XTU benchmark. Every other benchmark and game its fine. I have the Asus mce on to run all cores at 4.7. When I do the test with my other pc which has a i7 7700k at 4.5 on all cores with mce it doesnt throttle in XTU.

 

[The Original Ralph]

in XTU go to Advanced Tuning > All Controls, and increase "Processor Current Limit" - mine's set all the way to the right, showing 1023.875A which was apparently default for my system (not the one in my sig below)

increase it in increments until it stops showing that yellow highlight

it used to be, in benchmark tests, at the end it would ask if you liked to upload your score (and settings) to HWBOT, intel's site. If you did, you then had the option to compare only to scores from users running the same cpu and mobo as you. If you would move the cursor over the dots of other users it would show their score and the compatibility of those user's settings. Anything over 95 or 96%, i'd select to download and then load into my XTU profiles and try them out on my computer. The last few times i've benchmarked in XTU though, the HWBOT wouldn't show any other users, so it may not be working

hope that helps

 

[Darkbreeze]

Changing the current limit doesn't change the fact that XTU is telling you you are exceeding Intel's recommended current limit. Of course, their current limit is based on a stock configuration and the default current limit settings in XTU don't change simply because you are running a CPU that is clocked higher. Therefore, it's GOING to tell you that every time you run full stress.

Changing the current limit warning threshold isn't going to change anything except turning the light off so to speak. Like pulling the bulb for the check engine light on your car after you've ditched the catalytic converter. Car still runs fine, probably better, but your computer is going to believe there is a problem which, aside from emissions reasons, there isn't.

 

[clyde777]

Its doing more than just telling me it is throttling my cpu down to 4.5

 

[Darkbreeze]

Are you overclocking USING XTU?

 

[clyde777]

No all I did was go into bios and enable xmp and MCE with sync all cores.

 

[The Original Ralph]

Changing the current limit doesn't change the fact that XTU is telling you you are exceeding Intel's recommended current limit. Of course, their current limit is based on a stock configuration and the default current limit settings in XTU don't change simply because you are running a CPU that is clocked higher. Therefore, it's GOING to tell you that every time you run full stress.

Changing the current limit warning threshold isn't going to change anything except turning the light off so to speak. Like pulling the bulb for the check engine light on your car after you've ditched the catalytic converter. Car still runs fine, probably better, but your computer is going to believe there is a problem which, aside from emissions reasons, there isn't.

on the intel forums, when i experienced current limit throttling for my i7-4790, they (intel) recommended i set my processor current limit up above 256A, and that cleared my issue. Are you saying that's only a limit warning, and not how much current is allowed to flow to the cpu?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Actually, I was totally on a different page on that. Apologies. Obviously there IS a current limit setting in the bios, probably in XTU as well, but since I don't use it and rarely have played around with it since I've always done all my overclocking in the bios, manually. I don't use MCE because I manually configure every system, including my own, to the settings it's stable at just below it's actual plateau.

I think MCE and other "automatic" types of overclocking, and yes, MCE IS a form of overclocking since you are forcibly configuring the CPU to maintain clock speeds higher than what it's default configuration is, are foolishly dangerous and and if not dangerous, at least they are certainly not the better option since you are allowing the system to control all manner of core behaviors such as core voltage, system agent voltage, VCCIO voltage, load line calibration settings and more.

The end result is a configuration that pretty much always uses more voltage across the board than what's required to be stable at that clock speed, without regard to current limits, core temperatures or how the increased thermals might affect other components like the memory controller or VRMs.

So no, I'm not saying that, not in that way at least. Again, apologies, as I know that's what it sounded like.

If you wish to leave your configuration this way though, then you actually MAY want to fiddle around with the current limits. I've never found I had a need to do that, because none of the systems I've configured or tuned ever had an issue with current limits, even at very high overclocks. Admittedly though, I have not worked on Coffee lake yet so the additional cores might definitely be an added factor in this regard.

 

[The Original Ralph]

No need to apologize, i was trying to make sure i wasn't wrong in what i had been told over on the intel forums

to the OP, my only warning on XTU is, for me it's a great tool to make adjustments to BIOS settings from within windows, but whenever i use it, if i leave it installed, it seems to corrupt my BIOS settings unpredictably. When i use it, i'll make note of my BIOS settings once tweaked, and un-installed XTU

FWIW

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yeah, I'd definitely never recommend using anything in Windows to make configuration changes. It is ALWAYS 200x better to do that IN the bios, and the current limit can be changed in the bios as well. I've never understood the need to make changes IN Windows anyhow. There is practically no way to know if a change has affected the ability to POST or boot without a restart anyhow, so what gain by doing it in Windows rather than simply taking the three minutes it takes to exit Windows and go make changes in the bios.

 

[clyde777]

Yeah I uninstalled it and managed to get it to be 4.5 reliably. I have another question. When it runs at 4.5 all my benchmark scores are higher but my in game fps is 5 fps lower then when it is at the intel stock 4.3. Is it normal to get higher benchmark scores but less fps in game?

 

[mdd1963]

Stock will run most cores at 4.3 GHz, but, one single turbo core at 4.7 GHz, clearly making the difference here...

 

[Darkbreeze]

^^^This. IF the game is primarily single core usage you'll get slightly better FPS with the single core turbo. If it's optimized well for multi core support then the manual, all cores at 4.5Ghz will outperform the stock configuration. It will probably vary from title to title. Split the difference, if thermals and stability allow it, and go full time 4.6Ghz OC.