What is wrong with my FX 8320

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Hi guys,
Im having trouble with my fx 8320 for a long time. My PC always seems to be underperforming, other people with the same specs get way better fps. I ran a 3d Mark 11 benchmark, and i scored 10200, well, other people score around 14500, for example one guy, he scores also around 14000, but he has a rx 480 whilest I have a gtx 1060. My CPU is also overclocked to 4.2 ghz. I dont even know what to do anymore... Any ideas?


Specs:
OS Win10
FX 8320 @4.2ghz
Gtx 1060 3gb OC to around 1700 on base and 1950 on boost
8 gb ddr3 1333 mhz
Some 2tb hdd
M5A97 R2.0 motherboard
800 watts psu

Dont mind my bad english its not my first language.

 

[Darkbreeze]

They probably have 1866mhz memory modules for one thing. For another, they likely have 16GB of memory installed, not 8.

Possibly more important may be the fact that you really don't know what their CPU is overclocked to AND you have a 3GB version of the GTX 1060, which means it's hamstrung right from the start.

I also don't see any mention of what model number and brand of power supply you have, because the capacity of the power supply is mostly irrelevant if the quality is not high. If it's a cheap 800w unit, it's probably lucky if it can do 500w, which should still be enough capacity for your configuration, but the fact is that a cheap power supply probably has problems with high levels of electrical noise, ripple, fluctuating voltage regulation and not relevant but equally important, may be group regulated and/or not have very good protections in place.

If you have a model with poor quality then it's possible the VRMs are getting hammered with all these poor qualities and that the system COULD potentially be experiencing some stability issues.

Plus, on a board that's been in service as long as that one likely has, it's also possible that there may be some minor failings happening due to capacitor or VRM aging. I'd run HWinfo while putting the system under a full load using Realbench or Prime 95 version 26.6 (Small FFT option) and see if the system is throttling the CPU at all.

Knowing your PSU model and brand might be helpful as well. On top of all that, 3DMark isn't really the most reliable when it comes to comparisons. There are too many variables involved for it to be a true indicator of performance. Your system might have a lot of applications and garbage installed while somebody else might be running a clean install. They will not have the same result, even with exactly the same, brand new hardware.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

They probably have 1866mhz memory modules for one thing. For another, they likely have 16GB of memory installed, not 8.

Possibly more important may be the fact that you really don't know what their CPU is overclocked to AND you have a 3GB version of the GTX 1060, which means it's hamstrung right from the start.

I also don't see any mention of what model number and brand of power supply you have, because the capacity of the power supply is mostly irrelevant if the quality is not high. If it's a cheap 800w unit, it's probably lucky if it can do 500w, which should still be enough capacity for your configuration, but the fact is that a cheap power supply probably has problems with high levels of electrical noise, ripple, fluctuating voltage regulation and not relevant but equally important, may be group regulated and/or not have very good protections in place.

If you have a model with poor quality then it's possible the VRMs are getting hammered with all these poor qualities and that the system COULD potentially be experiencing some stability issues.

Plus, on a board that's been in service as long as that one likely has, it's also possible that there may be some minor failings happening due to capacitor or VRM aging. I'd run HWinfo while putting the system under a full load using Realbench or Prime 95 version 26.6 (Small FFT option) and see if the system is throttling the CPU at all.

Knowing your PSU model and brand might be helpful as well. On top of all that, 3DMark isn't really the most reliable when it comes to comparisons. There are too many variables involved for it to be a true indicator of performance. Your system might have a lot of applications and garbage installed while somebody else might be running a clean install. They will not have the same result, even with exactly the same, brand new hardware.

Well yes i know that he is using the rx 480 and the fx 8320 @4.3 ghz. The board and cpu arent that old, i bought it 3 years ago. Ive even seen someone that has a r9 290 and has 1000 points more than me, the psu is the rombutek or something with 800 watts, its on amazon and pretty cheap. Couldnt this also be a windows issue? My PC is slow af and the last updates didnt really work well and caused a lot of trouble. Thanks for you answer anyway

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, it could be a Windows issue, and if you're that worried about the benchmark then I'd suggest doing a clean install, followed by the installation of the latest drivers from the motherboard and graphics manufacturers websites, making sure you have the latest bios update installed and then running the benchmark again. Likely, your score will be higher.

Also, you have a mechanical 2TB hard drive. If they are using a much faster SATA SSD, then they are going to automatically have a higher score without question. Two identical systems, one using a mechanical spinning hard drive and the other using practically any modern SSD, will always show better scores for the system with the SSD. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going to game any better except where loading textures or maps are a factor.

More important, that PSU is terrible. I'd highly recommend replacing it with something better. A low quality power supply affects ALL other hardware that is a part of the system.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Yes, it could be a Windows issue, and if you're that worried about the benchmark then I'd suggest doing a clean install, followed by the installation of the latest drivers from the motherboard and graphics manufacturers websites, making sure you have the latest bios update installed and then running the benchmark again. Likely, your score will be higher.

Also, you have a mechanical 2TB hard drive. If they are using a much faster SATA SSD, then they are going to automatically have a higher score without question. Two identical systems, one using a mechanical spinning hard drive and the other using practically any modern SSD, will always show better scores for the system with the SSD. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going to game any better except where loading textures or maps are a factor.

More important, that PSU is terrible. I'd highly recommend replacing it with something better. A low quality power supply affects ALL other hardware that is a part of the system.

Ok thank you. Im pretty broke so i cant afford a new psu currently. Yes i agree, an ssd would get higher scores, but not << language please >> 4000 points. And a pc that is a lot worse than mine shouldnt get 1000 points more than me. I mean come on r9 290, that thin is 60 % worse than my gpu

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Yes, it could be a Windows issue, and if you're that worried about the benchmark then I'd suggest doing a clean install, followed by the installation of the latest drivers from the motherboard and graphics manufacturers websites, making sure you have the latest bios update installed and then running the benchmark again. Likely, your score will be higher.

Also, you have a mechanical 2TB hard drive. If they are using a much faster SATA SSD, then they are going to automatically have a higher score without question. Two identical systems, one using a mechanical spinning hard drive and the other using practically any modern SSD, will always show better scores for the system with the SSD. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going to game any better except where loading textures or maps are a factor.

More important, that PSU is terrible. I'd highly recommend replacing it with something better. A low quality power supply affects ALL other hardware that is a part of the system.

I just did a userbenchmark, my cpu is fine, but youre right my hard drive is terrible, and also this test shows that i only have 4 gb of ram, eventhough my task manager and my bios show that i have 8gb?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Download HWinfo, install it, run "sensors only" option. See how much RAM is reported there.

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

 

[COLGeek]

Watch the f-bombs, please. Thanks.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Download HWinfo, install it, run "sensors only" option. See how much RAM is reported there.

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

Okay, first of all, thank you. Ill try this today and post it in this thread.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Download HWinfo, install it, run "sensors only" option. See how much RAM is reported there.

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

So I was dumb so I took 5 screens at first but here they are

Idle:
http://i66.tinypic.com/2u9sec9.png
http://i64.tinypic.com/x6j9j.png
http://i66.tinypic.com/tak1ec.png
http://i65.tinypic.com/2qvh0es.png
http://i64.tinypic.com/5b3giw.png

Load:
http://i63.tinypic.com/dczoz6.png
http://i63.tinypic.com/2lwkhdu.png
http://i65.tinypic.com/2agjnur.png

Heaven Benchmark 4.0 on ultra, extreme tesselation and 2x antialising, hope this helps

 

[madmatt30]

^ an r9 290 is a lot closer performance wise to your 1060 3gb than 60% - not,sure where you pulled that figure from at all.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

^ an r9 290 is a lot closer performance wise to your 1060 3gb than 60% - not,sure where you pulled that figure from at all.

Well before i bought the 1060 i had a r9 280x and I had an improvment of ca 50%

 

[madmatt30]

Yep but you're not using percentages correctly here.

A 50% improvement,from a 280x to a 1060 3gb means the 280x is 66% as powerful.

A 290 was a way better card than the 280x , some models overclock to 290x performance levels & they will generally close to match a 1060 3gb.

Not saying your performance isn't off kilter but just putting the gpu difference into perspective.

 

[Darkbreeze]

First thing you need to do is get a new power supply. If you look at the system voltages in your under a load screenshots, you'll see that your +12v minimum voltage is 11.3v. That is getting very close to "it's gonna shut itself off" and is already past the voltage specification at which I personally would discard a power supply or send if for RMA if it was a unit under warranty and worth bothering with, which that unit is not.

Granted, that's a sensor reading and not a direct reading of the PSU using a multimeter, but I'd be willing to bet that it's fairly close to accurate given the power supply model.

I would be very surprised if some of your graphics card performance issues weren't directly related to the weak 12v output from your power supply. And that wasn't even under a full load, as your core usage is only above 50% on two cores, the rest are all well below 50%. If you were to run Prime95 or another stress utility that puts the system under a full load I'd be willing to bet your PSU would simply shut off.

This might not be all of your problem, but it IS a BIG problem regardless.

 

[dudeman509]

M5A97 is known to throttle 8-core CPUs from crappy VRM cooling. Put a case fan or small fan over the VRMs and it may help, but although they are "supported", those boards were never really meant to run the 8-cores.

 

[Darkbreeze]

He has the R2.0 version, so yes, it is fully 8 core capable, and is a decent board. The 1.0 version and the LE versions, are not good enough for FX8.

Tier One-Class A: Very High quality. Great boards for OCing, have optional SLI capability but more importantly can OC FX 8 well, if you have to get a 970 chipset board, these will be your top choice. High quality, and no overheating issues.


No SLI capabability:

GA-970A-UD3P
M5A97 EVO, PRO or R2.0
GA-970A-UD3


SLI capable:

970 GAMING
970A SLI Krait (USB 3.1 supported)



Tier One-Class B: High quality. Good board for OCing FX 6, fine for mild OC on FX 8, don't expect extreme OC due to moderate power phases design, but is a good overall board quality wise, better than any Tier Two board.

Extreme 3 R2.0

NOTE: Regardless of SLI capability, all MoBos are fit for OCing FX 8. All MoBos from here in this chipset can only contain FX 8 on stock speeds or are good for upto FX 6.

__________________________________________

Tier Two: Good quality. These MoBos are NOT FIT to be paired with FX 8, with OCing in mind. And if a Motherboard is not good enough for OCing a particular CPU, is always good to NOT get that MoBo for that CPU. But besides that, they’re fine for FX 6 or lower. Quality is decent, a couple MoBos have some issues, so be careful and look around for labels.

Not SLI capable:

970 Extreme3
M5A97 and M5A97 LE R2.0
970 Pro3 (R2.0 as well, this MoBo is good for OCing FX 6)
970A-G43 (See NOTE1 below)
GA-970A-DS3P
GA-970A-DS3
GA-970A-D3 (See NOTE2 below)
GA-970A-D3P

SLI capable:

970A-G46 (See NOTE3 below)
970 EXTREME4 (See NOTE3 below)


NOTE1: G43 is known to NOT OC FX 6 well, due to no heatsinks on VRM and known overheating issues. Avoiding this board is HIGHLY recommended.


NOTE2: D3 (r1.0/1.1/1.2) do NOT have heatsinks on VRM so they should be avoided for OCing FX 6. R1.3 and 1.4 are heatsinked so they’re fine for OCing FX 6.


NOTE3: G46 and EXTREME4 are known to have overheated VRMs with 125W CPUs, so do not expect high OC with FX6 on these boards. 970 GAMING is a much better option in this regard.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Also, the HWinfo screenshots show that the system DOES have 8GB installed and in use, so I don't believe that your other tests were accurate. If HWinfo is showing 8GB present AND available, and Windows system resource monitor shows the same thing, then there is 8GB present and available and being used. The test you used must be faulty OR perhaps one stick of DRAM is dropping out under a load due to lack of voltage.

Seems like that would create errors, but who knows. Might be a good idea to download and run Memtest86. Run all 13 tests (Only 11 tests on the free version) for two full passes. If there are ANY errors at all, then there is a problem. You will need to create bootable USB media in order to run Memtest and you will need to change your boot order in the bios so that it can boot from the USB media you created.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Okay wow ahm sorry for not saying anything but i hoped i get notified for every answer per email. Soo the thing with the case fan is, that i had one but it didnt spin anymore, so i bought a new one, its coming this week, my board is fine btw, ive read reviews to my psu, and wow its horrible, but when i bought the pc the last thing i wanted to spebd much money on is the ps. This thing is china crap, yes, but can it really affect the whole system that much, that its getting slowed down that much? For example, i cant even play AC Origins on 45 fps on medium, but there are people on yt who have the same specs and clocks but have no problem running it on high with 60fps. If the psu could really be the origin of my bad performance, id absolutely buy a new one. If so, how much watts would I need, id buy like a be quiet one or so.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, it can. The power supply is THE MOST IMPORTANT part in any system. Think about it. EVERY SINGLE piece of hardware relies on the power supply. Without GOOD, CLEAN power, your graphics card, motherboard, memory, CPU, storage drives and fans, most of which employ PWM switching devices, capacitors and some kind of memory chips, cannot perform up to their optimum performance level.

Bad power that includes high levels of ripple, electrical noise or wildly fluctuating voltage will seriously affect the performance of graphics cards and to some extent, depending on how high the quality of the motherboard is, the CPU performance as well. Especially on overclocked systems.

Your hardware can only run as well as the power it receives. If the PSU is struggling to sustain the power necessary, or if it is riddled with wild fluctuations and heat inducing ripple spikes, the hardware is going to perform poorly. ALL systems should be built AROUND the power supply, not the other way around.

To be honest, I'm HIGHLY surprised your system is not shutting down with voltage that is dropping to only 11.3v when it should NEVER be below 11.7v and on a good power supply would never drop below 12v, at all. Nothing else can be determined until you have a good, reliable power supply installed or else you are just chasing ghosts that may not exist, except due to poor power delivery.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Yes could be, not an expert. But before buying something, id rather do a clean install of windows. Havent done that since the upgrade to win 10, and i might also have not reinstalled windows after i boight new cpu, mobo and psu. Really stupid if i think about it. And if a clean install doesnt do a thing, then ill take buying a new psu into consideration. Ive read a bit online, some people on some sites statinf that a clean OS install worked like a miracle, hopefully mine will also have a happy end, otherwise my wallet has to suffer

 

[Darkbreeze]

Your sensor readings don't lie. Not when they are that far off. Even IF the PSU isn't at the root of the problem you are having right now, it is STILL a BIG problem because at 11.3v your hardware is operating at voltages it was not designed to be operated at. This is likely to incur damage. So while things might still be working now, they may not be before long.

Doing a clean install is a good idea, and one I highly recommend. But you need to replace that power supply. I've honestly never seen anybody with a voltage that low that wasn't experiencing either very clear cut problems or had a system that was simply shutting down and refusing to perform while running anything even halfway demanding.

If you wish to do a clean install, make sure you do it the correct way, as outlined here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-3567655/clean-installation-windows.html

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

Your sensor readings don't lie. Not when they are that far off. Even IF the PSU isn't at the root of the problem you are having right now, it is STILL a BIG problem because at 11.3v your hardware is operating at voltages it was not designed to be operated at. This is likely to incur damage. So while things might still be working now, they may not be before long.

Doing a clean install is a good idea, and one I highly recommend. But you need to replace that power supply. I've honestly never seen anybody with a voltage that low that wasn't experiencing either very clear cut problems or had a system that was simply shutting down and refusing to perform while running anything even halfway demanding.

If you wish to do a clean install, make sure you do it the correct way, as outlined here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-3567655/clean-installation-windows.html

Allright. How much power should my psu have if i buy a new one then? Not overkill, but what do i need to also run a decent oc

 

[madmatt30]

^ a decent 550w will the job fine with plenty of headroom.

& if that Windows install,was,from previous hardware you should 100% try a fresh install.

 

[nilsderkerkhoff]

^ a decent 550w will the job fine with plenty of headroom.

& if that Windows install,was,from previous hardware you should 100% try a fresh install.

Thanks, doing the free install now while in school

 

[Darkbreeze]

IDK, with an overclock on a 125w CPU and an overclock on a GPU card known to potentially peak in the neighborhood of about 140w at the stock configuration, plus maybe another 100w for the system, I think maybe I'd feel better with about a 650-750w unit. Certainly a 550w unit will be enough to marginally cover the total demand, but considering we like to allow about an extra 40% overhead for unforeseen spikes, and to allow the unit to run in it's comfort zone where you are less like to see increased ripple, noise, heat and a quieter fan, I'd like a slightly larger unit if it were me.

If the CPU and GPU card were all running at stock clocks, then certainly 550w would be plenty. Not sure that's appropriate when both are overclocked though. I like to tend to the side of caution when in doubt and to allow for a PSU that is likely to last a lot longer than if you are getting fairly close to it's maximum sustained capacity. 125w CPU overclocked can likely easily pull down 175-200w depending on the level of OC. Graphics card assumed peak per TH testing was 140w at stock, so let's say 180w for mild OC. 100w for the rest of the system. That's 440w, not counting any spikes. If a bigger card is added at some point, it could even change the metric further in the wrong direction. Same goes for increasing the CPU overclock.

I like options. Choosing a unit that is rather close to what the system actually needs doesn't leave many options.

While not the best option out there for certain, this would do well enough and is a much improved unit from past CX models. Something from Seasonic, or a higher tiered Corsair unit like the TX or RM series, or EVGA G2, G3, or Antec High current gamer, would all be better, but this will do and is not unreasonably priced.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: Corsair - CX (2017) 750W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($53.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $53.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-04 02:08 EDT-0400

There may be different, better, same options if you are anywhere other than the US, and if so, we can look at that as well.