[SOLVED] Stable - yay or nay?

[WeatherCastCastCastCast]

Hello.

Im kinda new to OCing

My specs are :

i79700k
Asus Prime Z390M plus
Dark Rock 4
32gb 3000MHz Ram

Settings are :

Core voltage : 1.29V
ASUS MCE : OFF
Svid behaviour : auto
LLC : Level 6
CPU Current capability : 140% (Doesnt go to 170 for some reason)
CPU Core cache current limit : 255.7
Both Short Duration and Long Duration Power Limits to max (4095)
BLCK aware adaptive voltage off

everything else stock/auto


I did a 30 min realbench test followed by 4 cinebench r15 runs. It managed remain stable until blue screen on 4th cinebench run.

So would you say this is decently stable? What are your thoughts?

I know its better to spend hours running tests but the PC is mainly for gaming and i cant imagine any game puts anywhere near the load realbench does.

Im thinking of upping to 1.3V and calling it a day. Please give me any suggestions for how i could refine this OC. Id like to keep 5GHz for every workload so NO AVX offset stuff pls.


NOTE: Doing 1.275 crashed 10mins into realbench. 1.285 passes but its on the cusp of stability which im not comfortable with. So i cant really go any lower in voltages.

Thanks.

 

[Phaaze88]

1)Too short on both ends. The longer, the better.
-Realbench 8hr, half of ram total. Run it overnight, and more than 1 run, if need be.
-Cinebench R20 > File > Preferences > Minimum Test Duration(seconds) = as long as it needs to be. If I recall correctly, R15 doesn't even use AVX.

2))LLC 6 is a little higher than needed. 5 if you have fairly active cooling over the VRM, 4 if not.

3)"CPU Current capability : 140% (Doesnt go to 170 for some reason)"
Possible bios bug? Perhaps another setting somewhere is preventing you from selecting it? I don't know.
A bios update, or resetting CMOS may fix it.
You may not be able to finish stability tests without that; AVX has higher power and voltage demands Vs the normal SSE instructions, and if 140% isn't high enough for what you want to do...

4)"I know its better to spend hours running tests but the PC is mainly for gaming and i cant imagine any game puts anywhere near the load realbench does."
Battlefield V and Watch Dogs: Legion come to mind... they run AVX. Obviously, there's other titles out there too.
Ultimately your call, but ensuring one is as close as possible to 99.99%, is part of the battle. No overclock is 100% stable.
It's entirely possible to do an 8hr Realbench or R20 run, and have the bloody thing fail within the last 10 minutes. Speaking from experience. Refine settings and retest.

5)It's simply not possible with some samples, aka silicon lottery - not the company. Plus, you're likely not using enough Vcore either.

Coffee Lake Refresh	All Core SSE Frequency	All Core AVX2 Frequency	BIOS Vcore	% Capable
9700K	4.90GHz	4.70GHz	1.337V	100%
9700K	5.00GHz	4.80GHz	1.350V	Top 90%
9700K	5.10GHz	4.90GHz	1.362V	Top 38%
9700K	5.20GHz	5.00GHz	1.375V	Top 9%
9700K	5.30GHz	5.10GHz	1.387V	Top 1%

Source: https://siliconlottery.com/pages/statistics
At the same frequencies, AVX is faster, but the power draw and voltage demands are higher. Even if you disregard the SSE Frequency column...
Most 9700K's can do 5.0ghz(SSE) without AVX with a sane 1.35Vcore or lower. To include AVX, AND with no offset?
You're a ways down the voltage mountain at just 1.30v.

I do wish you luck in your endeavor!

 

[Karadjgne]

As above, but I'd set a AVX offset 2. That'll maintain regular SSE speeds and voltages, but when the cpu detects it's using AVX, it'll drop speeds 200MHz.

Theres no such thing as a 'mostly' stable OC. It's either stable, or it isn't. And yours isn't. There's nothing worse than being 4 hours into a dungeon crawl, just started fighting the Last Boss, and bsod. By the time you get back in, fight is over, you lost, and the dungeon is reset. And you are dead, your corpse and all your equipment stuck in that last room, your teammates angry at loosing and broke up. Epic fail.

Common tactic in OC is when you think you have hit your target, and all things seem good, drop the speed 100MHz. That extra 2% fps is next to meaningless.

 

[WeatherCastCastCastCast]

1)Too short on both ends. The longer, the better.
-Realbench 8hr, half of ram total. Run it overnight, and more than 1 run, if need be.
-Cinebench R20 > File > Preferences > Minimum Test Duration(seconds) = as long as it needs to be. If I recall correctly, R15 doesn't even use AVX.

2))LLC 6 is a little higher than needed. 5 if you have fairly active cooling over the VRM, 4 if not.

3)"CPU Current capability : 140% (Doesnt go to 170 for some reason)"
Possible bios bug? Perhaps another setting somewhere is preventing you from selecting it? I don't know.
A bios update, or resetting CMOS may fix it.
You may not be able to finish stability tests without that; AVX has higher power and voltage demands Vs the normal SSE instructions, and if 140% isn't high enough for what you want to do...

4)"I know its better to spend hours running tests but the PC is mainly for gaming and i cant imagine any game puts anywhere near the load realbench does."
Battlefield V and Watch Dogs: Legion come to mind... they run AVX. Obviously, there's other titles out there too.
Ultimately your call, but ensuring one is as close as possible to 99.99%, is part of the battle. No overclock is 100% stable.
It's entirely possible to do an 8hr Realbench or R20 run, and have the bloody thing fail within the last 10 minutes. Speaking from experience. Refine settings and retest.

5)It's simply not possible with some samples, aka silicon lottery - not the company. Plus, you're likely not using enough Vcore either.

Coffee Lake Refresh	All Core SSE Frequency	All Core AVX2 Frequency	BIOS Vcore	% Capable
9700K	4.90GHz	4.70GHz	1.337V	100%
9700K	5.00GHz	4.80GHz	1.350V	Top 90%
9700K	5.10GHz	4.90GHz	1.362V	Top 38%
9700K	5.20GHz	5.00GHz	1.375V	Top 9%
9700K	5.30GHz	5.10GHz	1.387V	Top 1%

Source: https://siliconlottery.com/pages/statistics
At the same frequencies, AVX is faster, but the power draw and voltage demands are higher. Even if you disregard the SSE Frequency column...
Most 9700K's can do 5.0ghz(SSE) without AVX with a sane 1.35Vcore or lower. To include AVX, AND with no offset?
You're a ways down the voltage mountain at just 1.30v.

I do wish you luck in your endeavor!

Thanks for response

- CPU current capability topping out at 140 seems to normal on some BIOS versions. Some people say its fine but again because im sorta new i dont know what role it plays exactly, and i dunno if 170 is best instead.


- Not really sure how to determine my VRM has active cooling? Are you referring to general case airflow? Or if the VRM has heatsinks around it? or the CPU heatsink?

Could you just explain what the different levels of LLC do exactly?


So based on that table, its not possible for a stable 5GHz for both SSE and AVX at reasonable voltages? So if id like to do 5GHZ, either i do 5.2GHZ w/ AVX offset of 2 or 5GHz w/ offset of 2 ? It triggers my OCD a little not having it all at 5GHz but i guess can live with it for stability's sake.

One thing about the voltages though, iam a little anxious to try 1.35V. I would like to make this CPU last for at least 6-8 years and i worry 1.35V 24/7 will degrade it, especially considering this is a constant voltage being applied.

From your experience, what does CPU degradation look like? It just the OC becoming unstable or will the whole thing suffer as well?


So you guys are suggesting:
LLC - 4 or 5
VCore - 1.35V
Core frequency : 50 w/ -2 AVX offset
Curret capability - 170 (if possible)



Thanks again

 

[Phaaze88]

- CPU current capability topping out at 140 seems to normal on some BIOS versions. Some people say its fine but again because im sorta new i dont know what role it plays exactly, and i dunno if 170 is best instead.

I don't know what to tell you here.
My Asus board has: Auto, 100%, 140%, and 200%. Why they skipped 170%, I have no idea.
What I do know, is that for my 7820X at 4.4ghz and 1.13Vcore trips the 140% current limit, so I HAVE to set it to 200% - but a 7820X to a 9700K is apples to oranges.

Not really sure how to determine my VRM has active cooling? Are you referring to general case airflow?

Yes.
Air coolers provide more direct cooling over VRMs, and hybrid cooling less so.

Could you just explain what the different levels of LLC do exactly?

LLC counteracts voltage droop, a mechanism implemented in Intel's cpus by design.
It would be better if you watched this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMIh8dTdJwI

So if id like to do 5GHZ, either i do 5.2GHZ w/ AVX offset of 2 or 5GHz w/ offset of 2

Nononono... just 5.0(SSE)/5.0(AVX). No 5.2 or 5.1 with an offset.
If most 9700K bins can run 5.0ghz reliably with ~1.35v, to run the same frequency with AVX WILL require more.
As said in my last post: at the same frequencies, AVX has higher power draw and voltage demands to SSE.

One thing about the voltages though, iam a little anxious to try 1.35V. I would like to make this CPU last for at least 6-8 years and i worry 1.35V 24/7 will degrade it, especially considering this is a constant voltage being applied.

From your experience, what does CPU degradation look like? It just the OC becoming unstable or will the whole thing suffer as well?

How To - Intel CPU Temperature Guide

Update: February 9th, 2025 Preface The topic of processor temperatures can be very confusing. Conflicting opinions based on misconceptions concerning terminology, specifications and testing leaves users uncertain of how to properly check cooling performance. This Guide provides an...

forums.tomshardware.com

It would be best if you gave the guide a read, but... refer to Section 8: Overclocking and Voltage.

 

[WeatherCastCastCastCast]

I don't know what to tell you here.
My Asus board has: Auto, 100%, 140%, and 200%. Why they skipped 170%, I have no idea.
What I do know, is that for my 7820X at 4.4ghz and 1.13Vcore trips the 140% current limit, so I HAVE to set it to 200% - but a 7820X to a 9700K is apples to oranges.


Yes.
Air coolers provide more direct cooling over VRMs, and hybrid cooling less so.


LLC counteracts voltage droop, a mechanism implemented in Intel's cpus by design.
It would be better if you watched this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMIh8dTdJwI



Nononono... just 5.0(SSE)/5.0(AVX). No 5.2 or 5.1 with an offset.
If most 9700K bins can run 5.0ghz reliably with ~1.35v, to run the same frequency with AVX WILL require more.
As said in my last post: at the same frequencies, AVX has higher power draw and voltage demands to SSE.

How To - Intel CPU Temperature Guide

Update: February 9th, 2025 Preface The topic of processor temperatures can be very confusing. Conflicting opinions based on misconceptions concerning terminology, specifications and testing leaves users uncertain of how to properly check cooling performance. This Guide provides an...

forums.tomshardware.com

It would be best if you gave the guide a read, but... refer to Section 8: Overclocking and Voltage.

i see. thank you. After consideration, I think its best if i went with 5GHZ 1.35V w/ -2 AVX offset then ; dont feel comfortable going higher volts than that. Ill run some tests tomorrow when i find the time.

But what LLC should i go with ?4 or 5? My case is a silverstone primeria PM01 - Its got 3x 140mm intakes and 2x 140mm + 120mm exhausts, all running at high ish speeds. So its got a quite bit of air flow, therefore i should lean to LLC 5 right?

 

[Phaaze88]

LLC 5 should be fine.

 

[WeatherCastCastCastCast]

LLC 5 should be fine.

Okay thanks.

Just one last thing, if i change my mind later and decide with 5GHZ with no AVX offset. What voltage and LLC would you recommend? The table says 1.375V but only the top 9% can actually do that ?( if ive read it correctly) So it would be higher than 1.375 then?

 

[Phaaze88]

No need to change the LLC - it's not magic.
The higher settings will just pump needlessly more voltage through the cpu and make it run hotter.
With air and hybrid cooling, stick to the middle levels. The higher levels should be reserved for liquid cooled VRMs and LN2.

Voltage: Between 1.35 - 1.40v. The rest is on silicon lottery.