i5 2500K on MSI Z77 MPower

[Gurt11]

Hello everyone!

To change my activity between modding, I started to try and overclock my i5 2500K. Following Tom's guide, I'll keep you guys up to date on how it's going ^^

CPU: i5 2500K
Mobo: MSI Z77 MPower
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 ; fans: 2x enermax cluster 120mm
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LP 9-9-9-24-1T 1600mhz 1.35v
PSU: Corsair AX850 (custom sleeved )

This is what I'm up to now.
- I set the RAM timings, voltage and speed to the ones specified above.
- EIST is turned off. C1E is disabled. (couldn't find load line calibration or the turbo thingies Tom showed in the video) I think the MSI bios is quite confusing btw.
- When I tested it on stock, the cpu voltage went to 1.232v to support the turbo clock of 3.7ghz. This in mind, I set the voltage to 1.2300v in the BIOS.
When testing, cpu-z is showing 1.208v -> why?
- After the above, I set the frequency to 4.0ghz. That's what it's testing now ^^

Fingers crossed...

updated/

- 4.2ghz at 1.23v (in bios) passed the 30 min OCCT test.

temps: 47-51-52-55

- 4.4ghz at 1.23v (in bios) also passed perfectly. (also disabled 'enhanced turbo' after reading M&P's guide ^^)

temps remained the same.

- 4.6ghz at 1.23v (in bios) gave me a freeze after a minute in windows.

-> upped voltage to 1.25v (in bios), cpu-z now giving me 1.232v ... Curious.
I found the 'vdroop' (which is the same as load line calibration). I left it at auto for the time being. I can only change it in steps from 12,5% to 100%.

This is idle now, ready for testing:

/UPDATE

- Freezes for 4.6ghz at 1.23v, 1.25v, 1.26v.

- Succes! 4.6ghz at 1.27v (in bios) , cpu-z showing 1.248v. (set vdroop/llc to 100%)

Temps were: 52-57-58-60

To be continued...


/UPDATE

Stable overclock of 4.7ghz at 1.31 volts (bios) ; cpu-z showing 1.288v.

temps: 53-60-61-62

/UPDATE

4.8ghz at 1.34v (in bios), cpu-z showing 1.320v.

Temps: 57 - 63 - 64 - 66

/UPDATE

4.9ghz is a fact! Needed 1.38v in BIOS (cpu-z showing 1.35-1.36)
Changed CPUIO voltage from auto to a stable 1.15v too, seemed to help

Let's see if this chip is 5ghz-worthy on air.

 

[airdeano]

This is what I'm up to now.
- EIST is turned off. C1E is disabled. (couldn't find load line calibration or the turbo thingies Tom showed in the video) I think the MSI bios is quite confusing btw.
- When I tested it on stock, the cpu voltage went to 1.232v to support the turbo clock of 3.7ghz. This in mind, I set the voltage to 1.2300v in the BIOS.
When testing, cpu-z is showing 1.208v -> why?

because of the load line calibration is on AUTO.

andrevautour is a member an had a overview of the MPower BIOS.
LINKY

click OC for overclock setting-> click enable (and select disable) on the Intel Turbo Boost
that should take care of the turbo thingie #1..

same OC setting scroll to Hybrid Digital Power (click) takes you to the CPU
Core VDROOP OFFSET (move from auto to 100%) LLC thingie #2

give a watch to that first video in his thread.

 

[Gurt11]

Found it ^^ thank you! Took me a while to realize that llc and vdroop meant the same thing.

All turbos turned off.
Vdroop set to 100%. Cpu-z still giving me other voltages then the Bios though.

Due to freezes I'm now at 1.27v set in the bios , cpu-z showing 1.248.

Testing...

 

[airdeano]

there will be differences in BIOS setting and actual. depending on latency of refresh
and general load. if it constantly having to raise the voltage from setting in BIOS
you are prolly a bit low in BIOS voltage.

just keep sneaking up on the voltage in .005v increments.

id set a 2550k 4.6GHZ on 1.215vcore and the OCCT voltage was up and down..
reset to 1.225vcore and OCCT now steady with no spike adjustments.

 

[Gurt11]

Milestone reached !

5.0 Ghz @ 1.39v is a fact. (1.41v in bios)

temps: 64-65-69-70

What do you think? Capable chip? *-) Should I wait until I get watercooling to go any further?

So far 4.6 Ghz seems like a nice point to run 24/7 ^^

 

[FTLN]

At those temps and volts I would do 24/7 @ 5ghz.. Nice Chip

Just to be sure everything is stable though I would run Intel Burn Test for at least 30 runs on high..

If this temps rise above 80 then youll need to stop IBT and back of with the volts and clock a little..

I always use IBT to make sure my clocks are 100% stable

 

[Gurt11]

Thanks for the advice!
IBT is running...

Seems ok so far ^^

 

[FTLN]

How did you get on ?

 

[Gurt11]

How did you get on ?

Got a blue screen after 20 tests I'm going to test further later today or tomorrow. However benchmarks and battlefield etc run perfectly fine ^^ but we wouldn't want it to not be 100% stable now would we

 

[FTLN]

If your temps are good then bump your voltage slightly...

 

[Gurt11]

5.0 ghz at 1.42v in the bios (cpu-z showing 1.39-1.40)
+ turned CPUIO voltage back to auto.

Temps are 73°C on the hottest core, 65°C on the coolest.

30 mins OCCT was stable. 40 test of IBT were ok.