Vcore LLC on Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3

[ObsidianObelisk17]

Hello, I've been overclocking basic things using software for a few months now, and I've recently started overclocking using the BIOS, as I heard that it's better, whether for customization options, or for the computers health. My question here is about Loadline Calibration, but specifically about the settings/presets that come with my motherboard, a Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 rev 4.1. Before anyone tells me "if you don't know these things, you shouldn't be overclocking," I know what LLC is and I can see its uses, but I've seen conflicting information and outcomes because of different preferences, hardware configs, etc. The presets that come in LLC on my mobo are Auto, Normal, Extreme, Medium, Low, and Standard, and I've found the numbers that correspond with some of them, such as 0 being Extreme, ~10-60 being Medium, ~70-80 being Low, ~90-100 being Standard, and by default, it is at 100, while the box next to it says Auto. I have researched these, and it seems that some settings lower the vcore voltage as the CPU usage rises, and I experimented with some settings, finding vcore lowered as CPU usage increased. Some graphs I've seen show a default or reference line going up in Vcore as it goes right in Ghz/usage, and the idle line and the load line are under or over the default line, sometimes the idle line is higher, sometimes the load line is higher, and I presume that, by default, my LLC full load line would fall under the default line, lowering voltage as the usage increased, but I am unsure how that would benefit the performance besides preventing overheating, an electrical surge, and preventing the death of components. I understand that when Vcore is raised, it just raises the reference line, and if the idle or load line passed it, it could kill the components because it is delivering more power than the CPU expects. I have Cool & Quiet, C1E, Core C6 State, APM, and Turbo disabled, and I have HPC and CPU Unlock enabled.

Another thing to add is that I can see from tests others have done that LLC, being a setting that changes depending on data input and output from graphs, is different from a graph modifiable by a slope, such as fan controls, going by PWM over degrees Celsius, as LLCs graphs have a static slope.

My motherboard, as said previously is a Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 rev 4.1 with the most recent BIOS
Processor: AMD FX 9590
CPU Cooler: Lepa Aquachanger 240
PSU: EVGA Supernova 1300 G2
Default/current Vcore: 1.5375v
My motherboard and CPU are receiving plenty of power to run (I assume(because of 1300 watt psu)), idle temps hover around 20-30 Celsius and under full load the CPU never passes 60 Celsius, and the PSU is plugged directly into a wall socket and not a splitter, hub, or anything that may redirect power. In the past this computer has been able to run weeks on end without crashing or freezing, and it still holds up to this statement. The case has multiple dust filters, surplus intake and exhaust fans, and I clean the filters and components regularly. I have been using computers since I was 6, and modifying hardware and building them for the past 4 years or so. I am of college age, in case anyone thought,"This guy could be 10 by his statements."

TL;DR Could someone break down how the different settings in LLC change compared to the default line defining voltage-to-performance ratio, and offer a suggestion? In the meantime, I will be doing trial and error.

 

[scuzzycard]

Mid-High settings on LLC usually counteract Vdroop without overvolting too much. I would start with a setting of 30-40 with your motherboard and then monitor voltages at idle and with various loads using my preferred program, adjusting up or down as needed. You'll want an LLC setting that causes you to end up with voltages as close to your target setting as possible, without ever dropping below. It's better to slightly overcompensate for vdroop than to undercompensate, because CPUs need the most voltage at 100% load anyway. You may have to lower your Vcore setting just slightly once you find the ideal level of LLC.

 

[ObsidianObelisk17]

First, let me say thanks for not being a generic patronizing poster. I've tried upping things up in small bits since I posted this. I have been trying different settings, and I've reached 4.8Ghz with an LLC of 50, and it doesn't crash, but it throttled down to under 1Ghz. The temperature stays under the thermal margin, but I wouldn't mind some extra fans to keep a higher stable temperature. I'll try lowering the Vcore and the LLC, like you said. I think if I get some extra fans I would have a better chance of a higher clock with stability, but currently the temperature isn't a problem.