2500k Strange Core Activity

[AKASchwanksta]

Hey,

I just got a new 2500k with the BIOSTAR TP67XE. I've been dabbling in some overclocking but have noticed some strange behaviour with the chip. When I play games a I get a lot of micro-stuttering to point that I really can't play them any more. I've gotten a new 650W psu and a 5770.

Usually I'll see 50 fps and then have the smallest little stutters, especially when moving the camera around. It's very jarring and now I can't stop noticing it. I had thought it was a PSU or GPU issue but now I think it might be CPU. When I run prime95 and the TMonitor Sandy Bridge tool kit I notice strange things in the readings.

At full small FFT torture test in prime 95, the multiplier in CPU-z jumps around between 35-37 and the individual core clocks never sustain a full clock, they jump randomly between full clock and lowest, sometimes just for second and sometimes for a while. The temperatures are also strange, cores 0-3 ramp up like 5 degrees for each core (core0: 39C, core1:44, core2:49, core3:50C. Maybe this is normal, maybe not, but even when I'm not overclocked at all I experience the stuttering. Feel free to make me feel stupid but this seems irregular, even w/ turboboost stuff.

(it never fails prime95 btw)

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Disable Speedstep and put your power savings mode to minimum power savings

 

[AKASchwanksta]

But I've heard that SB can be overclocked AND work w/ TurboBoost + C1E stuff. Either way, none of that should affect the cpu when I'm on full prime95 load....If i'm not mistaken.

I also see this type of stuttering w/o overclock so I'm not sure what the deal is.

 

[Hogan773]

Do NOT disable speedstep and all the other stuff......from my experience and other posts, there is no need to do so.

I had "throttling" (maybe your term for stuttering) before I adjusted my Short and Long Duration Power Limits in BIOS. In the OC I think I was bumping up against those limits so the mobo was automatically throttling back one or two steps.

I have an ASRock and not a BioStar, but I'd see if you have a setting of Short Dur Pwr Limit and Long Dur Pwr Limit and bump those up. Mine came stock at 95W on the Long, and I bumped it to 110W. Others have just changed the number to 255 or 500 or something meaningless, which means they are completely opening up that aspect and relying on voltage and current control settings elsewhere in BIOS to act as safety buffer.

Not sure but that might fix your problem

 

[AKASchwanksta]

THIS is the type of answer I'm talking about. I'll look into that and now that I think about it I think you're right. I'm a little sick of OC boards constantly insisting that speedsteep and powersaving options are the devil. Yes, it is easier to get stable 5.0 ghz on sandy bridge w/ speedstep, etc. disabled but it's not necessary.

 

[Dadofamunky]

I disable them. I don't think it matters much either way. Set PLL to 1.9V as well if it isn't already.

 

[Kenmitch]

Intel took all the fun out of SandyBridge overclocking already. Keep speedstep and energy stuff enabled for somewhat of a challenge.