First time overclocking; speeds, ram, cooling

[MDian]

Haven't built a PC in a few years, really enjoyed it, but not so much the setup afterwards, tweaking etc.

I have a Asus Maximum X Hero board with 8700k CPU, 16gb (2x8gb) DDR4 3,600 ram.

All setup, I've run the basic bios overclocking option to ramp up 29% at 4.8 (voltage 1.1); it was quite comfortable running 37% up at 5.0 but I doubt I'd notice a difference. I've managed to increase the ddr4 to 2,400 from 2,133 stock, but if I go as high as 3,600, it won't boot and I have to start again.

Not sure what XMP profile is, but that is off. When I turn on, it boost everything and doesn't post.

Do I need to do more than what I've done. Cinemark shows a result of 1554 for CPU stress test, though I suspect that isn't a very conclusive test.

One thing I'm struggling with is cooling. I'm using a H115i on the standard setup (two fans into the extender, then connected to the CPU_FAN, leaving both AIO_PUMP and CPU_FAN_OPT blank). I never seem to find the fans spinning up much (just showing around 1000rpm), even under a stress test (the temps were around 80c on full stress load, generally run 25c in normal operation, with the occasion individual core increase to 50c).

Should I be controlling AIO fans from Corsair Link, or from Bios (do they conflict). I also have case fans from Be Quiet! with PWM support, but can't control them within Corsair Link. No idea what is controlling what!

Any general guidance appreciated.

 

[djkav]

I have a h100i with 2 PWM (4pin) fans. The fans are connected to the h100i fan cable. There is a separate fan connector from that cable that I plugged into the CPU_FAN motherboard connector. Connected the h100i SATA to the SATA power. Everything is controlled from Corsair Link 4.

Have you checked to see if your h115i is recognised by Link?

Sometimes they're not, and you need to reconnect the internal USB connector, so Windows will recognise it.

 

[MDian]

Thanks for the reply. OK so since my post, I've installed Corsair Link and the pump and fan is showing. I can control the speed of the fan (custom) and have set the pump to 'quiet' as 'performance' is too noisy for day to day. I've found that Corsair Link cannot manage my PWM case fans, but they seem to ramp up and down as required, so I guess my 'turbo' setting in the Qfan bios is working.

Just wondering if there is anything to gain from using the AIO_PUMP and CPU_FAN (x2) plugs separately. Am I right to assume by doing so the pump will get all the power it needs (and can still be set to 'quiet') and that instead of just one fan showing in Link, I can individually tailor the two h115i fans as currently only one shows, as they (like you) are piggy backed per the h115i instructions.

In terms of the clock, I have the ram on slightly faster now, but no where near the 3,600 they are capable of. Probably won't matter!

 

[djkav]

The Link software will only manage what's connected to it. Case fans, can't be managed by Link, but can be monitored. I use Speedfan for case fan profiles, and Link to manage the rad fans. The AIO pump will get all its power from the SATA connector. The single CPU_FAN connector on the AIO is to report back to the BIOS a fan speed. So the BIOS doesn't have a hissy fit, about not having a CPU fan connected. I just use 1x AIO rad fan cable to connect my 2 rad fans to. They have 2 AIO fan cables, so you can mount 4 rad fans to 240mm rads, and have them all managed by Link.

I can see and manage both rad fans in Link, that are connected to the single AIO rad fan cable. Strange that you're just seeing the one fan. I assume that the 2 fans are connected to each fan connector on (each cable has 2 fan connectors on it) that special black cable that connects to the side of the AIO?

 

[MDian]

So the AIO has 4 cables, the Link USB, the sata, the connector for CPU_FAN and the piggy back lead that connects both fans; that is what I have as my setup. I can't see both fans in Link, not unless one is marked as "H115i Fan" and the other as "MB Fan #2" which is the only one I can figure out (as I don't have anything connected to FAN_2 on the motherboard. That one doesn't allow me to customise so assume it isn't the one!

 

[djkav]

My fans we're called by some generic names. I had to identify which they were, by setting one to quiet and the other to full. So I could name them correctly.
Are you using a fan splitter cable, or are the 2 fans connecting direct to the special AIO fan cable?
The special AIO fan cable has 2 fan connectors, one connector for each fan.

 

[MDian]

I'm using the AIO fan cable to connect both fans to. I seem to be only able to control the one fan, and both run at the same speed set by that one. Doesn't seem to cause an issue to be honest, just like to be able to control everything.

 

[danny77]

it only states one fan as there is only one cable coming from the pump which is split, both fans run as one