cpuz and OCCT

Soldato
Joined
22 Mar 2009
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right, well whilst stress testing, i have noticed that both these apps say the vcore is 1.23V under load, i have the vcore in the bios set to 1.300v at the moment until im 100% sure im stable. does the vcore shown in these apps relate to how low i can go?
 
Yeah it could have something to do with how low you can go.4.0Ghz is achievable on most i7 920 with 1.20-1.25v.I think you should try with 1.23-1.24v.Mine is at 4.0Ghz with 1.21v.
 
Just done some stress testing today and noticed that during the test the vcore changed from 1.21v to 1.19v and 1.20v so I think it has something to do with the info the monitor apps get from the sensors on the mobo.Yeah there are other factors that can affect at which voltage is your CPU 100% stable.It depends on the combination of the BCLK+multiplier and on the motherboard as well.You should also flash the BIOS to the latest version.Since the UD3R is a low-end sk1366 mobo you can't expect it to run your 4.0Ghz 920 at 1.20-1.25v like the more expensive ones do.Just done some research and it seems that the optimal voltage for a 4.0Ghz 920 on your mobo is between 1.3v and 1.35v.
 
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That's not even slightly what it is. Vcore drops under load, it's called vdroop. This is meant to happen, it's related to the psu not being a perfect current source. The bios value is a maximum voltage.

If you enable load line calibration the power circuitry tries to thwart this effect, allowing you to set a lower voltage in the bios. The stable voltage under load will be the same as with llc disabled however, leading some to feel that llc is pointless.
 
soo much to learn :(

so turning on llc will give the impression everything is working properly, where as in effect its exactly the same as it was when it was turned off, just the values dont show it?
 
Depends what your idea of properly is really. If you feel load and idle voltages should be the same, then llc will do its best to make this so. If you feel it's better to follow the intel guidelines and let voltage drop under load, then llc doesn't appeal as much.

It's a pretty heated topic though, as it has an unproven ability to put massive voltage spikes through the cpu, and there is disagreement over the size of the spikes and over whether they matter or not. I don't want a lower idle voltage, as voltage while idle just doesn't matter. So I don't use llc. Other people seem very keen on it, as they feel better setting a lower voltage in the bios (or it makes them feel comfortable pushing much higher voltages than they would otherwise do).

Either way, enthusiasts complained about vdroop for years, motherboard manufacturers did what their audience asked. I'm glad I can choose to follow intel's spec instead of what the majority wanted. Feel free to google it before making up your mind though, there's convincing arguments for and against it.
 
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