[SOLVED] Overclocking my i7 9700k. Is 4 hours of prime95 enough?

[yyukar]

prime95 is still running. when should I finish the test?
-i7 9700k /msi mpg z390 gaming pro carbon.
-prime95 v29.8 build 6 (non-avx).
-1.3v 4.9 ghz all core

 

[yyukar]

Small FFT is not for testing stability. Small FFT is for testing thermal compliance. Totally different things. For stability using Prime95 you want to run either plain Jane Blend mode, or this, which will really hammer the memory configuration but also the CPU, and pick up a lot of instability that is not found in Memtest86.

Final testing with Prime95

It is highly advisable that you do a final test using Prime95 version 26.6 or the latest version WITH AVX and AVX2 disabled, and run a custom configured Blend test. You can also use the Blend mode option as is, but after a fair amount of personal testing, asking questions from some long time members with engineering level degrees that have forgotten more about memory architectures than you or I will ever know, and gathering opinions from a wide array of memory enthusiasts around the web, I'm pretty confident that the custom option is a lot more likely to find errors with the memory configuration, and faster, if there are any to be found.

Please note as this is rather important, if you prefer, or have problems running version 26.6 because you have a newer platform that doesn't want to play nice with version 26.6, you can use the latest version of Prime95 with the Custom test selected but you will need to make the following change.

In the bottom of the Torture test selection popup menu there will be some options for disabling AVX. I recommend that you do so, not because we are doing thermal testing and require a steady state workload (Which AVX wouldn't affect anyhow, as Computronix explained to me), but because the last thing you need during memory testing is having to worry about CPU temperatures, and you will, with AVX enabled.

So, uncheck the option for AVX2. That will un-gray the option for AVX, and uncheck that box as well.

Now open Prime95.

Click on "Custom". Input a value of 512k in the minimum FFT size field. Leave the maximum FFT size field at 4096k. In the "Memory to use" field you should take a look at your current memory allocation in either HWinfo or system resource monitor. Whatever "free" memory is available, input approximately 75% of that amount. So if you currently have 16GB of installed memory, and approximately 3GB are in use or reserved leaving somewhere in the neighborhood of 13GB free, then enter something close to 75% of that amount.

So if you have 13GB free, or something reasonably close to that, then 75% of THAT would be 9.75GB, which, when multiplies times 1024 will roughly equal about 9984MB. You can average things out by simply selecting the closest multiple of 1024 to that amount just to keep it simple, so we'll say 10 x 1024= 10240mb and enter that amount in the field for "Memory to use (MB)". We are still well within the 13GB of unused memory BUT we have left enough memory unused so that if Windows decides to load some other process or background program, or an already loaded one suddenly needs more, we won't run into a situation where the system errors out due to lack of memory because we've dedicated it all to testing.

I've experienced false errors and system freezes during this test from over allocating memory, so stick to the method above and you should be ok.


Moving right along, do not change the time to run each FFT size.Leave that set to 15 minutes.

Click run and run the Custom test for 8 hours. If it passed Memtest86 and it passes 8 hours of the Custom test, the memory is 100% stable, or as close to it as you are ever likely to get but a lot of experts in the area of memory configuration suggest that running the extended Windows memory diagnostic test is also a pretty good idea too.

If you get errors, (and you will want to run HWinfo alongside Prime95 so you can periodically monitor each thread as Prime will not stop running just because one worker drops out, so you need to watch HWinfo to see if there are any threads not showing 100% usage which means one of the workers errored and was dropped) then you need to either change the timings, change the DRAM voltage or change the DRAM termination voltage, which should be approximately half of the full DRAM voltage.

There are also other bios settings that can affect the memory configuration AND stability, such as the SOC, VCCIO and system agent voltages, so if you have problems with stability at higher clock speeds you might want to look at increasing those slightly. Usually, for Intel at least, something in the neighborhood of 1.1v on both those is pretty safe. There are a substantial number of guides out there covering those two settings, but most of them are found within CPU overclocking guides so look there in guides relevant to your platform.

As a further measure of assurance that your WHOLE configuration is stable, you can download and run Realbench for 8 hours. If the system freezes or fails when running Realbench with your full memory amount set, try running it again but select only half your amount of installed memory.

Can you confirm my settings? I don't want to do something wrong.
prime95 v29.8 build 6
set to custom
torture test settings
min fft size :512 max fft size:4096
memory to use: 9216 mb
time to run each fft size (in minutes):15
disable all avx
and start test.
Can I say cpu oc stable after 8 hours ?
wait for answer.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I'd just put 9216mb in the amount of memory to use setting field and go with that.

 

[yyukar]

I'd just put 9216mb in the amount of memory to use setting field and go with that.

And disable all avx ?

 

[yyukar]

8 hour small fft(non avx) passed. 8 hour asus realbench passed and 1 hour prime95 blend(non avx) CRASHED.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Tell us more about the crash.
One thread stop?
Whole test stop?
Or full computer crash?

 

[yyukar]

my computer was frozen(unresponsive). I increased the voltage (1.30 to 1.31 v). prime95 has been running for 2 hours.I'll make it this time ^^

 

[yyukar]

I think I'm stable.would you share your opinion ? Thanks for all answers and help.
Test;
Prime95 v29.8 blend mode(non-avx) 8 hour passed. Max 86c
My pc specs;
Cpu: Intel® Core™ i7-9700K Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.90 GHz)
-Cpu Cooler: Hydro Series™ H115i PRO RGB 280mm Liquid
-Mobo: MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON AC Intel Z390 1151 DDR4 4400MHz(O.C.) RGB
-Memory Kit: VENGEANCE® RGB PRO 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16 — White
-Psu: RMx White Series™ RM750x — 750 Watt 80 PLUS® Gold Certified Fully Modular
-Case: NZXT H500i Black Tempered Glass RGB Smart ATX
My bios settings;
Xmp: on
Oc mode: expert
Cpu ratio: 49
Cpu ring ratio: 46
Vcore: 1.31v
Cpu ratio mode: fixed mode
Cpu ratio voltage: override mode
Cpu loadline calibration: mode 4
İntel c-state: disable

 

[Unolocogringo]

Sounds like you found your "Sweet Spot" All processor /memory/motherboard combinations are different and picky some times when tuning.

Now try a few games, a couple of your programs , , YouTube, Skype,spotify, etc......
Give it a good array of programs and tasks. My old Phenom2 X6 would give artifacts in Netflix movies, youtube , video playback above 3.6ghz.Never know?
If all is good Enjoy the fruits of you overclocking experience.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, that looks better. As loco indicated, there can be different things in different programs and games that aren't specifically tested for in utilities so do as he mentioned and run through a variety of things you normally do to see if an issues pop up.

 

[yyukar]

Apex crashed in a way usually caused by a cpu that is overclocked or overheating...
apex legends using avx. My new cpu ratio:48 cpu ring:45 vcore:1.3v im testing now p95 blend avx: on

 

[Unolocogringo]

Overclocking can be an addiction.
So you are not stable gaming with AVX.
Try a lower AVX ratio could be overheating or unstable at that speed.

Overclocking to the limit of your hardware is disappointing and fun at the same time.
Till you get it just right.
Which take lots of time and patience, but you will soon figure it out.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Usually, for me, I like to overclock to the maximum stable configuration that is comfortably within thermal tolerance, and then back off the multiplier by 100mhz while leaving the voltage where it is. If it was stable at a given clock and voltage, and was thermally compliant, then backing it off by 100mhz should not only increase the stability but also reduce the thermal peak at least a small amount, which generally decreases the probability of premature degradation and gives somewhat of a cushion for unexpected instability in something off the wall.

 

[yyukar]

1.31v 4.8 ghz stable.
Prime95 v29.8 avx: on blend mode 8 hours passed. But ı have problem my motherboard mos: avg 87c max 111c .Should ı go to lower voltage ?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Safe temps for mosfets/VRMs varies depending on the components used. This thread might shed some light BUT you need to look into it yourself or post the actual part numbers of the parts involved since they are different for different parts.

High VRM temps?

Hello. I was wondering, what is considered as "high VRM temps" on MOSFETs and VRM Controller. My board is Gigabyte AORUS Gaming K3 and when i set LLC "High", next level Turbo didnt tried, yet - so my temps on VRMs RAISE in LinX temps (i know its kinda extremely loadout and almost unreallistic...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[yyukar]

Safe temps for mosfets/VRMs varies depending on the components used. This thread might shed some light BUT you need to look into it yourself or post the actual part numbers of the parts involved since they are different for different parts.

High VRM temps?

Hello. I was wondering, what is considered as "high VRM temps" on MOSFETs and VRM Controller. My board is Gigabyte AORUS Gaming K3 and when i set LLC "High", next level Turbo didnt tried, yet - so my temps on VRMs RAISE in LinX temps (i know its kinda extremely loadout and almost unreallistic...

forums.tomshardware.com

111c when the cpu speed is 3600mhz turn stock

 

[yyukar]

My new target 4.7 ghz. I share my experience.

 

[yyukar]

1.25v 4.7 ghz best for me i passed 8 hours prime95(max 85c) and play apex legends 4 hours . Im going now 24 hours prime95 but... do ı need ?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Have you run 8 hours of Realbench with that configuration?

 

[yyukar]

12 hours prime95 v29.8 build 6 blend mode passed.I'll do 8 hours of aida64 and 8 hours of realbench.in my experience, prime95 is a much better test than the Realbench. realbench = cinebench quick stability test.

 

[Darkbreeze]

No. Not the Realbench benchmark. The Realbench stress test. There are options to do separate tests in Realbench and they do entirely different things. Well, same things, to a degree, but in different ways.

I assure you, there are a bunch of EXTREMELY experienced engineers and world class overclockers out there who whole heartedly disagree with your assessment that Realbench is nothing more than a Cinebench equivalent and that Prime95 is a better metric. Prime95 is superb for testing memory configurations, and to a smaller degree the CPU stability, and is THE best test if you run the Small FFT option, for thermal compliance testing, but it is not a better stability metric than Realbench. "Better" or any other term that suggests one thing is better than another for testing stability is highly misleading because the fact is that depending on WHAT it is you do on a given machine, ALL tests might be not only useful, but recommended, or specific tests might be better suited for ensuring that the kinds of instructions you'll be primarily working with are the focus.

There is no overkill when it comes to stability testing, not really. People who say you can just run IBT for five minutes and OCCT for ten minutes, or any similar nonsense, are fracking idiots and are the same people who, three or four months later, are having to reinstall Windows and download all their game files over again because they corrrupted all those files because they don't "really worry about that because I just game". Yep, you just game alright.

 

[yyukar]

12 hours prime95 v29.8 build 6 blend mode passed ,8 hours realbench and 8hours aida64 passed.cinebench r20 score:3724
My bios settings;
Xmp: on (msi bclk set to 100.8)
Oc mode: expert
Cpu ratio: 47 (4740 mhz)
Cpu ring ratio: 44
Vcore: 1.25v
Cpu ratio mode: fixed mode
Cpu ratio voltage: override mode
Cpu loadline calibration: mode 4
İntel c-state: disable
My pc specs;
Cpu: Intel® Core™ i7-9700K Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.90 GHz)
-Cpu Cooler: Hydro Series™ H115i PRO RGB 280mm Liquid
-Mobo: MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON AC Intel Z390 1151 DDR4 4400MHz(O.C.) RGB
-Memory Kit: VENGEANCE® RGB PRO 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16 — White
-Psu: RMx White Series™ RM750x — 750 Watt 80 PLUS® Gold Certified Fully Modular
-Case: NZXT H500i Black Tempered Glass RGB Smart ATX

---personal experience; 6 hours prime95 blend mode is enough.

 

[yyukar]

No. Not the Realbench benchmark. The Realbench stress test. There are options to do separate tests in Realbench and they do entirely different things. Well, same things, to a degree, but in different ways.

I assure you, there are a bunch of EXTREMELY experienced engineers and world class overclockers out there who whole heartedly disagree with your assessment that Realbench is nothing more than a Cinebench equivalent and that Prime95 is a better metric. Prime95 is superb for testing memory configurations, and to a smaller degree the CPU stability, and is THE best test if you run the Small FFT option, for thermal compliance testing, but it is not a better stability metric than Realbench. "Better" or any other term that suggests one thing is better than another for testing stability is highly misleading because the fact is that depending on WHAT it is you do on a given machine, ALL tests might be not only useful, but recommended, or specific tests might be better suited for ensuring that the kinds of instructions you'll be primarily working with are the focus.

There is no overkill when it comes to stability testing, not really. People who say you can just run IBT for five minutes and OCCT for ten minutes, or any similar nonsense, are fracking idiots and are the same people who, three or four months later, are having to reinstall Windows and download all their game files over again because they corrrupted all those files because they don't "really worry about that because I just game". Yep, you just game alright.

It didn't sound believable until about 5 minutes ago, but I totally agree. It's best to test it with the applications we use daily. Asus realbench is the best.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Looks very stable to me.

 

[yyukar]

My bios settings;
Xmp: on
Bclk:100.0
Oc mode: expert
Cpu ratio: 49
Cpu ring ratio: 46
Vcore: auto
Cpu ratio mode: dynamic mode
Cpu ratio voltage: adaptive mode
Cpu loadline calibration: mode 4
İntel c-state: disable
Windows;
power mode : balanced
Test;
8 hours asus realbench passed and ı didnt see any crash my games.