VCore extremely low

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redeyedskink

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Jan 19, 2019
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Hi everyone,

I posted this thread on the GPU forum because I thought it might be a gpu issue, but I may have been wrong.

My computer will randomly blackscreen and restart at times. I've tested nearly everything and then found a weird issue with my voltages.

My voltages tend to fluctuate, especially my vcore. Now i know due to speedstep that a vcore should change, but my min and max value are along the lines of .14 and 1.152. .14 seems extremely low to me and was wondering if this might be a cpu issue or a psu issue.

Thanks for your help.
Specs:
I5-6600k
gtx 960
z170 gaming 5 motherboard
2x8 2200mhz ram
seasonic 550w psu
 
Solution
Cool! No problem.

Still wonder what the problem is. Manual voltage is a good workaround, but it doesn't solve the issue completely.

But hey, at least there is a workaround LOL.


Interesting. I didn't catch that. I just looked in bios and XMP is disabled and my frequency is 2133mhz it says
 
could my blackscreening and restart issue be caused by the issues seen with my vcore voltages? I understand that voltages can change, but based off of the picture I linked above, a low of .14 seems EXTREMELY low compared to where is should be
 
Yes, for sure. Bluescreens, black screens and any other kind of instability can all be due to too low of voltage or any problem with voltage really. That is why for overclockers testing is crucial to make sure the voltage is high enough to be stable but low enough to exceed thermal specifications. In cases where the voltage is not behaving normally at the stock configuration, and the bios has been updated and the power supply is good, and all chipset drivers are fully up to date based on what is available from either Intel or AMD for that specific chipset, I usually recommend an RMA if the behavior remains because you should not have to manually set the voltage if you have not changed the default CPU clock speed or made other performance enhancing changes. Certainly not to the LOW end of things, as Techy mentioned earlier.
 


If I continue to have blackscreen issues, you recommend I RMA the board? I can try and replace the PSU before hand but if you believe no matter what it's a board issue, then I can do that and hopefully get a new one.

 
No, it could still be a PSU issue, so I'd want to look at some readings for the PSU voltages first. You can download and install HWinfo, which is the only utility I recommend using anyhow for full system sensor readings, and look at the 3v, 5v and 12v system voltages at idle and then under a load running either Prime95 version 26.6 (ONLY version 26.6) running the Small FFT option or Realbench running the stress test option and see what those system voltage values do.

Click the spoiler box below for more information about using HWinfo and posting results here. Ignore the parts that don't apply to your situation. Also, I'd use HWinfo for looking at the core voltages as well. Other utilities including HWmonitor are often not accurate, or are at least less accurate than what HWinfo usually is:

HWmonitor, Open hardware monitor, Realtemp, Speccy, Speedfan, Windows utilities, CPU-Z, NZXT CAM and most of the bundled motherboard utilities are often not the best choice as they are not always accurate. Some are actually grossly inaccurate, especially with certain chipsets or specific sensors that for whatever reason they tend to not like or work well with. I've found HWinfo or CoreTemp to be the MOST accurate with the broadest range of chipsets and sensors. They are also almost religiously kept up to date.

CoreTemp is great for just CPU thermals including core temps or distance to TJmax on AMD platforms.

HWinfo is great for pretty much EVERYTHING, including CPU thermals, core loads, core temps, package temps, GPU sensors, HDD and SSD sensors, motherboard chipset and VRM sensor, all of it. Always select the "Sensors only" option when running HWinfo.

In cases where it is relevant and you are seeking help, then in order to help you, it's often necessary to SEE what's going on, in the event one of us can pick something out that seems out of place, or other indicators that just can't be communicated via a text only post. In these cases, posting an image of the HWinfo sensors or something else can be extremely helpful. That may not be the case in YOUR thread, but if it is then the information at the following link will show you how to do that:

*How to post images in Tom's hardware forums



Run HWinfo and look at system voltages and other sensor readings.

Monitoring temperatures, core speeds, voltages, clock ratios and other reported sensor data can often help to pick out an issue right off the bat. HWinfo is a good way to get that data and in my experience tends to be more accurate than some of the other utilities available. CPU-Z, GPU-Z and Core Temp all have their uses but HWinfo tends to have it all laid out in a more convenient fashion so you can usually see what one sensor is reporting while looking at another instead of having to flip through various tabs that have specific groupings.

After installation, run the utility and when asked, choose "sensors only". The other window options have some use but in most cases everything you need will be located in the sensors window. If you're taking screenshots to post for troubleshooting, it will most likely require taking three screenshots and scrolling down the sensors window between screenshots in order to capture them all.

It is most helpful if you can take a series of HWinfo screenshots at idle, after a cold boot to the desktop. Open HWinfo and wait for all of the Windows startup processes to complete. Usually about four or five minutes should be plenty. Take screenshots of all the HWinfo sensors.

Next, run something demanding like Prime95 version 26.6 or Heaven benchmark. Take another set of screenshots while either of those is running so we can see what the hardware is doing while under a load.

*Download HWinfo


For temperature monitoring only, I feel Core Temp is the most accurate and also offers a quick visual reference for core speed, load and CPU voltage:

*Download Core Temp

"IF" temperature issues are relevant to your problem, especially if this is a build that has been running for a year or more, taking care of the basics first might save everybody involved a lot of time and frustration.

Check the CPU fan heatsink for dust accumulation and blow or clean out as necessary. Avoid using a vacuum if possible as vacuums are known to create static electricity that can, in some cases, zap small components.

Other areas that may benefit from a cleaning include fans, power supply internals, storage and optical drives, the motherboard surfaces and RAM. Keeping the inside of your rig clean is a high priority and should be done on a regular basis using 90 psi or lower compressed air from a compressor or compressed canned air.

Use common sense based on what PSU your compressor is set to. Don't "blast" your motherboard or hardware to pieces. Start from an adequate distance until you can judge what is enough to just get the job done. When using canned air use only short blasts moving from place to place frequently to avoid "frosting" components.
 
12v being under 12v, doesn't NECESSARILY mean anything, nor does 5v being UNDER 5v, but it might, considering that it was not under a load. Usually those tend to be higher than that when at idle with no significant load. Check the BIOS for those same readings as well just to verify as software readings aren't always 100% accurate, but they usually do give you an IDEA of where you are at.

Test under load, and if necessary, test using a multimeter. If you don't have one, you can usually get one fairly cheap at most home centers or places like Walmart. Hardware stores and electronics stores generally carry some kind of cheap version too. Or borrow one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac7YMUcMjbw
 


I'll have to test all this tomorrow unfortunately so bear with me. I also got a new PSU in the mail today so I can always test the new psu if need be in order to see if it's my PSU that's the issue
 


Haven't installed it. I can put it in and see if there are still issues though
 


I checked out a tier list and went with a seasonic 650w focus plus gold
 
You always have the right to select or unselect a solution at any time based on whether you feel the primary issue you posted about has been solved or not.

I feel like maybe Techy's answer was the best solution, based on the original question, but that is clearly up to you and you should also be aware that just because there is a solution selected has no bearing at all on whether or not the discussion can continue if there are relevant questions to still be answered. You also always have the option of creating a separate new thread if the issue you are still trying to determine is largely distinctly different than what the original topic was. All things are up to you. There is nothing to say that you can't talk about fifteen different problems you have in any one thread though, so long as somebody is willing to continue helping you. Which in this case, we obviously are.
 


Thank you for the response! I gave Techy's answer the best solution again. I just didn't know if a thread would be closed or shut off if a solution was picked. I appreciate all the help you guys are giving me and hope to fix my pc. I know quite a bit about computers, but as you can see, not everything. This can make me pretty dangerous when it comes to PC repairs lol
 
You sure you didn't get the two PSU screenshots mixed up on the HWinfo load screens, because the new PSU on the screenshots two posts up sure looks worse than on the old one if those are correct.

I'm thinking you mixed up the screenshots and posted the old PSU screenshots under the new PSU listing and visa versa.

Otherwise, if it works the way it should with the new PSU then I don't know what else we could want?
 


They look right to me. I took another look at the saved information I had on my PC and they match up
 
Well, according to those pictures, your old PSU under load had a 12.024v 12v reading, while the new on has only 11.88v. That means either they are mixed or the new PSU has a lower voltage under load than the old one, which I can tell you, ain't good. 11.88v is not an acceptable 12v reading for a brand new power supply, especially a VERY good model like that Seasonic.

But like I said, if everything is working normal, then I probably wouldn't worry about it.
 
I don't use OCCT at all. Ever.

If you want a steady state (Which is KEY when trying to diagnose thermal compliance or full load voltage issues) load you NEED to run Prime95 version 26.6 and choose the Small FFT torture test option. Run HWinfo WHILE running Prime95 version 26.6 Small FFT and monitor any readings you wish to see under load conditions. You can also run Realbench with HWinfo, but you will not get a steady state load.


Yes, regardless of architecture. P95 v26.6 works equally well across all platforms. Steady-state is the key. How can anyone extrapolate accurate Core temperatures from workloads that fluctuate like a bad day on the Stock Market?

I'm aware of 5 utilities with steady-state workloads. In order of load level they are:

(1) P95 v26.6 - Small FFT's
(2) HeavyLoad - Stress CPU
(3) FurMark - CPU Burner
(4) Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool - CPU Load
(5) AIDA64 - Tools - System Stability Test - Stress CPU

AIDA64's Stress CPU fails to load any overcloked / ovevolted CPU to get anywhere TDP, and is therefore useless, except for giving naive users a sense of false security because their temps are so low.

HeavyLoad is the closest alternative. Temps and watts are within 3% of Small FFT's.