Bloomfield i7 920 multiplier frustration

[xylem]

I am using a P6T Deluxe motherboard, with forced 21x multiplier. For some reason, in Windows 7, it is being forced back down to 20x. POST confirms multiplier of 21 (21 x 133 MHz = 2.8 GHz), Mini XP from boot disk confirms multiplier of 21 using SIW (System Information for Windows), yet in Windows 7, SIW and CPU-Z are showing a multiplier of 20. This is boggling me, and I'd rather not poke around the web for hours trying to figure it out, if someone knows a cause and/or solution.

I don't have any software overclocking utilities installed, and I've been playing with all of the Intel power-saving features (enable/disable) to see if one of them is causing it.. no luck so far.

 

[itsmydamnation]

with a 920 you will be thermal limited way before anything else so just Up bclock to get to target clock.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm an i7 owner here but it's all kinda fuzzy. Isn't there also some sort of turbo boost thing that boosts you to 22x? Maybe that's what's happening. I think you have to turn off turbo boost. I'm running 191 x 21 for 24/7 operation.

 

[xylem]

Thank you for your input and ideas.

There is no thermal limitation, and no throttling happening. The multiplier is simply being reduced to 20x, straight up, in Windows 7. This is at basically stock settings in prep for overclocking, and the board is flashed with a (well-tested) special Asus bios that eliminates throttling which is usually triggered by exceeding intended power levels.

I am using a lapped CPU with a lapped Corsair H70 (The original model with a thicker 50mm radiator than the current 37mm models).

The 21x multiplier will allow me to hit the frequency I want without fussing with the complications introduced by high bus clocks.

Any other ideas?

 

[xylem]

I should have quoted.. DLeRium, you snuck your post in while I was replying to itsmydamnation. Thanks for your input.

@DLeRium: 21x is a 'turbo' multiplier for the 920 (which is what I'm using and should have mentioned initially), and I'm trying to get the 21x multiplier to show up in W7, like you are doing.. 20x is the stock multiplier, as you probably know.

I've run this chip at 21x before, on a different motherboard, but it throttled speed at high clocks, which is a usual side-effect of using the 21x multiplier.. so at the time I just used 20x.

 

[john3850]

Try using cpu tweaker.
In order for highest boost multiplier to work on my i7 930 turbo boost must be on and only one core must be at high load.
While running super pi for a week which is single threaded the highest multiplier worked at 204x22 = 4488 for me.
In any application were all the cores were used like ibt or prime it would not allow the highest boost multiplier to work for me.

When intel turbo is off the mb bios controls the multipliers.
When tubo is on intel or the cpu controls the multipliers.
At one time there was a good read at intel web page about how turbo works.

 

[Ben90]

For starters CPUz and Windows don't actually know anything. CPUz thinks and validates my 920 running a x22 multiplier (lol) and windows thinks its running at x20. People put waaay too much faith into software programs (especially CPUz), look at how many still report mathematically impossible temps in *C when PECI is right there.

I would believe BIOS first if you have power saving features disabled. If they are enabled, you can try benching it at a 20/21 to see if there is a difference.

Tried to get a 12Ghz (66x191) validation, but my reflexes aren't good enough.

 

[itsmydamnation]

Thank you for your input and ideas.

There is no thermal limitation, and no throttling happening. The multiplier is simply being reduced to 20x, straight up, in Windows 7.?

I didn't say it was throttling, I said I7 920's are themally limmited, you wont hit a cpu multi * bclock limitation before you hit Tmax, so stop worrying about the CPU mutli and just jack up the Bclock.

 

[xylem]

@John3850: 21x is a well-established top lockable "turbo" multiplier, even for multi-core operation.

@Ben90: I have been running IntelBurn/Linpack and a few synthetics in the latest Sisoft Sandra. There are no measurable differences that suggest a different frequency between the 20x and 21x settings, which further suggests that 21x isn't happening in the W7 environment.

Also, my experience with CPU-Z and SIW with X58 have been pretty good in terms of reporting correct multipliers and frequencies (SIW on a per-core basis only).

@itsmydamnation: Thank you again.. and I appreciate your point, which you stated earlier. It's true that the Bloomfield i7s do generate a lot of heat at high frequencies.. which is why I'm using this CPU cooler. I'm not hitting thermal wall at 4.0-4.2 GHz, but I am seeing instability due to bus frequency. As a result, I am trying to use a 21x multiplier, to minimize that instability.

It's true that you didn't mention throttling. I brought it up to more fully explain the situation for anyone else who might have helpful insight.



I have had this chip running at a 21x multiplier on an ASRock x58 board, in Windows 7, but it throttled the multiplier.. Any other ideas out there about what might be going on in W7 to cause the multiplier to revert to 20x?

 

[Ajay]

I have to Asus P6T Deluxe V2 and I'm running Win7 Ult. x64. I can run up to 21x200, but run at 20x200 to keep the temps down a bit lower. I recall some people being unsatisfied with the original version (I don't recall the specifics,but that's probably the reason for the V2). Which version of the board to you have (It's printed in large letters right on the front of the mobo)?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I'm not 100% sure but I think when it's at 21, only one of the cores is at that multiplier.

 

[xylem]

@ Ajay: It's V2 of the board. It's a fine board, but this issue still has me puzzled. I'm going to do a quick xp installation on a different hard drive, just to test it.. unless this is resolved by the time I get around to it.

@ BTRY B 529th FA BN: The 21x multiplier lock is good for all cores.. With that setting, it will actually bump a single core up to 22x in turbo mode on some boards.


Thanks for the input.

 

[xylem]

I just installed Vista to double check.. It is indeed my Windows 7 installation that's causing the problem. Any suggestions on where to dig? I'd really like to avoid performing a new installation..

Windows 7:

Vista:

Edit: If i go to Power Options and select a different plan (during full load in IntelBurn), the multiplier jumps up to 21 for about half a second, then back down to 20.

 

[tarmc]

will it run at 200x20? i cant get mine to run with the multi at 21 either, dont know if its a windows this or bios. mind you i do have a c0 so hitting 4.0+ a pain in the butt.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclock-core-i7,2268.html
personally i find 3.8 is most ideal

 

[Ajay]

I just installed Vista to double check.. It is indeed my Windows 7 installation that's causing the problem. Any suggestions on where to dig? I'd really like to avoid performing a new installation..

Windows 7:

Vista:

Edit: If i go to Power Options and select a different plan (during full load in IntelBurn), the multiplier jumps up to 21 for about half a second, then back down to 20.

I'm a bit confused here by the screen shots. I'm not sure if both are at full load, but if they are, and the temps are the same; the only difference is in what is reported by windows, the actual multiplier is the same.

 

[xylem]

@ tarmc: This is a D0, and yes, it will run at 20x200 without any trouble. The 21x multiplier does work.. It's just not working in my (admittedly somewhat aged) Windows 7 installation.

@ Ajay: The screenshots are taken during the second or third work unit of an IntelBurn run. The multipliers are being reported correctly by the software.

CPU-Z does correctly report a multiplier range of 12x-22x in Vista and Windows 7 (12-21 for multicore, 22 for single core), and it was behaving correctly in Vista (21x multiplier in Vista for multicore, 22x for a single core), as reported by monitoring software (CPU-Z, SIW, and Speccy).

Any other thoughs?

 

[mindbomb]

i had the same issue with my i7 930 and the 22x.

I ended up sticking with the 21x multi because it stuck during all the stress tests.

 

[xylem]

I used to have the load throttling issue with my ASRock board, so I just used 20x. Right now I'm using a bios that prevents throttling on the Asus board (In other words, 21x will stick once I can get it to work right in W7).

 

[FaaR]

I'm not as hardcore as you guys, I run my old i7-920 C0 nehalem at 170MHz BCLK under win7-x64 and it turbos up to 21x. Mobo's an ASUS Rampage-II Gene with a Noctua NH-C12P cooler on it (although upgraded to 140mm fan, also which helps cool my DIMMs better.)

CPU-Z reports 22x as available, but the CPU doesn't actually seem to go there, or I haven't found the right tool to coax it that high. 7-Zip's built-in benchmark set to use one core only will result in 21x and not 22, although I seriously doubt I'm missing all that much really...

I'm wondering what to do with the QPI link. It's running at 3066MHz right now, is there really any point in trying to push it further? What's typically the max, safe speed one can get out of it?

 

[xylem]

I reinstalled Windows 7, and now the 21x multiplier is working correctly. It's a relief that it's working, and incredibly frustrating to need to do a complete reinstall of a lot of software. I'd still very much like to know what was causing it....

@ FaaR: It's probably not worth trying to push the QPI clock. The Rampage II Gene should have the permanent turbo 21x option, but I don't think it has a bios available that disables throttling.. so it probably isn't worth messing with that either.

 

[FaaR]

I reinstalled Windows 7, and now the 21x multiplier is working correctly.

Good for you. Windows issues can be extremely cryptic and frustrating sometimes, in a "WHY is it doing this to meeeeee?!!!!?!?!!" kind of way. ...And in the end, there just isn't an answer. Gah!

@ FaaR: It's probably not worth trying to push the QPI clock. The Rampage II Gene should have the permanent turbo 21x option

Oh, I'm sure I can get it to stick to 21x permanently, I should just have to disable some power saving stuff, but I don't really see any point in having the CPU idling at almost 3.5GHz; that's not my goal. All it would do is wait as nothing happens faster, drawing more power and producing more waste heat.

Since it readily turbos up to 21x instantly whenever I load the cores, I'd rather save some 'lectricy instead, especially as it's a C0 core, it's summer now and I don't have AC. (Ugh!)

I heard QPI could have some impact on 3D framerates, but I never really bothered to investigate. Thought just asking here might be an easier solution...hah! (Yeah, I'm a bit lazy, and also without a backup, I'd rather avoid risking registry corruption etc by having the QPI link wonking out during bootup etc.)

Actually I'm hoping to upgrade this aging beast soon, maybe as early as next week after haswell launches, if the chips and mobos (another Gene uATX methinks) are in stock.

 

[Makaveli]

I have to Asus P6T Deluxe V2 and I'm running Win7 Ult. x64. I can run up to 21x200, but run at 20x200 to keep the temps down a bit lower. I recall some people being unsatisfied with the original version (I don't recall the specifics,but that's probably the reason for the V2). Which version of the board to you have (It's printed in large letters right on the front of the mobo)?

Yep there was an issue with the first revision board that would drop the multiplier to 20 from 21 when the system was under heavy load. I believe they released a bios update to fix that.

I'm on the V2 board and 21 works fine here.