adaptive Vcore question

pc-guy · 16 Dec 2014 at 16:23

I am hoping this is more of a generic question as opposed to motherboard/bios specific one.

I want my 4770K to lower the voltage when it is not doing much in the similar fashion as it is lowering the multipliers. However I do not want it to go pass the voltage which I have used to achieve my overclocks, because I don't want it to cook the CPU.

So at the moment, I have all the C-states enabled as well as step speed. CPU Fixed mode (multiplier) is disabled so the step speed is lowering and increasing multiplier depending on the load.

But the Vcore is constant in CPUz no matter what the overall CPU frequency is. Currently I have my Vcore set to "Override" or "Manual" and have specified a value for Vcore.

Now I am thinking that it needs to be in "Adaptive" for the CPU to adjust voltage along with multiplier. But the BIOS information says "Additional Voltage" if I choose a value other than "AUTO". I also have a second option for OFFSET Vcore.

so my question is if I want a maximum voltage to be specified in Adaptive mode, do I put this value into the box?

pc-guy · 16 Dec 2014 at 21:33

I think my motherboard's adaptive Vcore is not working or rather it is just a null value.

basically whatever value i set the Vcore shots up to the default 1.28V. also I disabled PPL Overvolt or any other kind of overvolting. in order to get the volt i want i needed to dial in -ve value (quite a lot) which means my CPU is unstable when it is idling...

mobo is Asrock Z97m Pro 4, might need to raise an issue with Asrock.

pc-guy · 17 Dec 2014 at 13:22

yes. Bios 1.4

pc-guy · 17 Dec 2014 at 21:19

yes, i have C-states all enabled which as I understands it allows the CPU to lower voltages and reduce operating current.

step-speed controls the multipliers which is definitely working. turbo had to be turned on enable >35x multiplier.

yes I am a bit stumped as well. I might do a clear CMOS and see how it plays out.

but gonna stay with constant voltage for now until i get an answer from asrock...

pc-guy · 28 Dec 2014 at 15:28

problem solved!

I disabled intel TURBO BOOST, now the adaptive voltage is behaving "normally".

well the Vcore doesn't go above my set voltage, matter of fact it is seriously undervolting by .065V which I had to dial in on the offsets...

the Intel TURBO BOOST was overiding all the adaptive settings and basically making the CPU default to maximum Vcore it can take.

pc-guy · 29 Dec 2014 at 22:07

actually without turbo my clocks won't go beyond 3.5GHz which probably explains the undervolting.

so not entirely working atm.

Asrock has not got back to me on this either and it has been a while

i also use the xmp profile from CPU and the board does the same thing. adaptive voltage is unregulated ie it defaults to the maximum voltage the CPU is allowed

pc-guy · 9 Jan 2015 at 18:23

i had another quick fiddle. I realised my problem...

rather it is Prime95's problem. it draws additional volts to CPU regardless.

So now the adaptive is working as it should, I put offsets to increase the top volt to the desired and the volt drops under idle or light load.

when stress using RoG RealBench and OCCT, the volts are behaving as it should.

Very happy now. It's the VX something instructions in prime that is causing the issue. Also the load is more evenly spread and the CPU is running 150C cooler in stress as Prime was hitting mid 90sc now it is around 70C.

but only able to get 4.3Ghz on 1.2V so will see what water cooling can do and what volt this chip needs to get 4.6+