Overclocking i7-3770k, question about speedfan

DonNagual

Posts: 2,385   +5
I overclocked to 4.5ghz, and the intelburn test passes.

However, in speedfan I am a bit confused on the temperatures it is showing me.

Specifically the CPU temp vs the Core 0 temp.

The cpu temp stays nice and low during stress test (47c), but the Core 0 temp jumps to 87c.

What's the difference in those two readings and am I running too hot?
 
I wouldn't even use speedfan to monitor temps. Download real temp or core temp and report back.
 
CPU temp is the reading of the IHS on the CPU. CPU core 0, 1, 2, etc is the reading directly from the core and will be quite a bit higher.
 
I wouldn't even use speedfan to monitor temps. Download real temp or core temp and report back.


I downloaded real temp, and it was up in the 90s. Dropped the OC down from 4.5Ghz to 4.2Ghz and the temps are back to 40s. I'm fine with that.

The intelburn test said the cpu passed the test without errors, but I'm assuming I don't want to be in the 90c-100c range.
 
90C is OK on that stress test. It's still well within the throttling envelope, and it's also a synthetic worst-case scenario.

Up to you. Unless you have a need for the +0.3GHz or you're bottlenecked by CPU in games, not much point.
 
Your case and CPU cooler are great. You shouldnt worried about temperatures. If the temps do begin to get a bit high, you may need to clean out the Hyper 212s fins and reapply thermal paste.
 
Went back up to 4.4Ghz, and I am getting 105c using intel burn test and monitoring with real temp.

Do I need to drop it a bit more? From the googling I have done, most say that is too high.

The 'TJ max' on real test says 105c.

While gaming (metro last light) not hitting 60c.
 
Went back up to 4.4Ghz, and I am getting 105c using intel burn test and monitoring with real temp.
Thats using an extreme benchmarking tool. As long as you have a stable over-clock and your temp stay down during normal operations, I wouldn't worry about the extreme benchmarking temps too much.
 
Went back up to 4.4Ghz, and I am getting 105c using intel burn test and monitoring with real temp....
IBT (or any Linpack based test) isn't a great stress test imo. Great for heating up a CPU, but not a reliable stress tester. You're better off using Prime95 (small FFT), or better still a complete core system test such as a Crysis gaming run which will show you have system stability - I.e. the motherboard/PSU supplying adequate power not just to the CPU and RAM, but with a stable PCI-E supply also.

I'd say the Hyper 212 is very much borderline for OC'ing a 3770K to any great degree, especially if you're using an automatic software based overclocking utility that in almost all cases will add more voltage than required to ensure a "stable" OC.
 
Running Prime95 now, temps around 105c using realtemp.
85c using Asus AI suite temp monitor.
105c using CPUID

CPU: 1.376v
105x41
4.3Ghz

With prime95 I can hear my cpu fan on high, as expected, but they are not this high when gaming (Metro last night).

How long do I run it for? Been going for 20mins now.
 
At those temps, I'd pretty much stop as soon as possible. That temp isn't conducive for a long CPU life.
If you're looking at keeping that OC 24/7 I would definitely look at upgrading that CPU cooler to either an all-in-one watercool kit or a high end air cooler. At the very least run two high airflow fans in push-pull - although I'm not entirely sure that the 212 has enough cooling area to make that much more effective.

The voltage looks a little high for the OC, but not too excessive. Where is the voltage reported from? VID or from monitoring software (I.e. CPU-Z) ?

Your gaming temp looks fine given the cooling you're using. I'd steer clear of IBT and Prime95 (and OCCT etc.) for the time being. All these utilities are using AVX instruction sets which really turn up the burner on the CPU.
 
No worries.
I'd trust CPU-Z over AI Suite (TurboV Evo ?). What is the vCore set as in the BIOS. It will probably just read a very unhelpful "Auto" if you're using software to overclock.
 
Bios reports 1.280v - 1.288v (fluctuating), but I'm guessing that's because the software only ups the voltage when the turbo kicks in?

And yes, it is the TurboV Evo used for the O/C.
 
Yup.
If you're happy with the OC you have, I'd probably keep it as it is and see what an extended period of normal usage (esp. gaming) shows. If you have no lockups or boot cycling you should be good to go. I would keep RealTemp (or CoreTemp) running if you use any heavy CPU intensive apps (Handbrake for instance) for any length of time, but 70C is pretty acceptable for gaming, and you probably won't go much higher -if at all- with Handbrake or any other high-load CPU application.
 
As the system is stable, would you recommend I take the settings that the TurboV evo has set, and plug those into the bios so it's not software overclocked? I kind of like the idea of software overclock so the CPU is not having to work hard when not gaming, but admit I'm not educated in overclocking at all.
 
As the system is stable, would you recommend I take the settings that the TurboV evo has set, and plug those into the bios so it's not software overclocked? I kind of like the idea of software overclock so the CPU is not having to work hard when not gaming, but admit I'm not educated in overclocking at all.
BIOS overslocking is my personal preference, but that stems from years of seeing disastrous software solutions (Hi there Gigabyte EasyTune !) attempt and fail at providing a good basis for overclocking. The TurboV Evo is probably more robust than those early attempts, and if it's working then I'd keep with it since it gives you the opportunity to start/not start on Windows startup depending upon usage at the time.
Personally, I'd so with setting up a number of profiles in the BIOS (stock, mild OC, heavy OC if the cooling can handle it) and just boot into whichever is appropriate for the tasks needed. For gaming I usually stick with stock (power saving disabled), for general usage - stock with power saving enabled, and high OC reserved for extended encode/transcode sessions.
If you're going to transfer the settings to the BIOS I would save to one profile and tinker with the settings - lowering vCore, adjusting LLC, offset etc. to see how low you can go whilst still maintaining system stability. Once/if you find you can operate with lower voltage values and fine tune the settings you then have a good basis for a cooler running system (not only CPU but VRM and mobo surfaces particularly those where you may have heat rising off the back of a graphics card), or raising the multiplier higher with a smaller voltage increment than the software based OC utility would set.
 
Using the Metro Last Light built-in benchmark, I am hitting 74 - 81c @ 4.4Ghz. Liveable I think.
Metro+Benchmark.png
 
Ehhhhh 81 degrees on the 3770k is pushing the edge of safe range on that chip at least for gaming and 24/7 use. For that type of chip you might wanna consider bumping it down a notch and keeping it around 75 at most under load to keep for harming or reducing the life of the chip. If your getting that in hte Metro Last Light benchmark, you might wanna consider bumping that down or upgrading your cooler to handle that overclock a bit better.

I believe the Ivy-Bridge temp Throttle limit is 105c so your fine as far as that goes, but if your going to be gaming and keeping it in that temp range, it might be better to cool teh overclock a notch.
 
I think a big piece of the puzzle is the cooling I am using as well. This CM hyper 212 evo is good for the money, but just doesn't have the oomph.

Looking at the monster Noctua NH-D14 (which I am having a hard time finding in Japan), or maybe even closed loop liquid (eyeballing the Corsair H100i).
 
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