Vcore Fluctuation

[HeaterCore]

I've hit a wall with a watercooled Barton at 12.5x200 @ 1.95v on an NF7-S Rev.2. I think I might be able to push it a little farther, but that my PSU might be holding me back. It's a 380W unit ripped out of an old Sonata, and though I don't think I'm loading it much -- one Raptor, one 7200RPM drive, a 9800 Pro @ 460/370, 4 120mm fans, a DVD/CD-RW, and that's it -- I'm seeing some Vcore fluctuation in both Winbond's Hardware Doctor and CPU-Z. The former flips between 1.92 and 1.95, the latter between 1.93 and 1.89.

First, why the discrepancy between the two? Aren't they using the same meter provided by the mobo? Second, would a beefier PSU make any tangible difference in the overclock?

Also, I've seen some things about a modded BIOS from some guy named Tictac that, among other things, stabilizes the Vcore. Anybody know anything about that?

-HC-

 

[Jeff7181]

I get the same thing with my A7N8X Deluxe and a TruePower 550... so I definately don't think it's power supply related in my case, but it's possible in your's since your CPU is using more power and your video card is overclocked pretty high. My motherboard doesn't have that extra 4 pin 12V connector, so I'm guessing that's the problem with mine... can't suck enough juice through the motherboard to keep the voltage really stable.

 

[perillo34]

what chip do you have in that board,
Also i have the same setup with a 2600m, running 12x215, i have ran some of tic tacs bios, if I were you I tried flashing wiht his d26 mantaray xt, with cpc on, and see if that helps , if anything it will give you some performance increase maybe 5%, but hey its free. Also running a 350 enermax.

 

[perillo34]

how many amps on the 12v rail do you have and also what are your 12volt rails doing voltage wise, fluctuating or anythng.

 

[Fern]

I've had two Bartons in my NF7-S, both fluctuate a little bit.

Inbetween the 1st and 2nd chips I upgraded my PSU from a generic (Turbolink) to an Enermax. There is still some flucutaion in my vcore. The rails on my Enermax are very solid. The 12v rail is pretty much pegged at 12v (I used the sys log feature in MBM5). IIRC I've got 28amps on the 12v rail.

I don't beleive the slight fluctuations have caused me a stability prob in OCing. I'm guessing that the flucuations are somewhat normal - as the cpu loads up it draws a bit more current etc.

Fern

 

[HeaterCore]

Thanks for the advice. It's an unlocked non-mobile 2800. The Sonata PSU puts out 22 amps on the 12v rail, but it's stuck at about 11.66 idle and 11.60 load, and I'm running hardly anything off of it.

I guess I'm just a little tweaked because I expected a little more out of a $250 watercooling setup. Luck of the draw, though.

-HC-

 

[Fern]

2500mhz for a desktop sounds pretty good to me. I went over the OCer database to see what others had posted, but they changed the dam thing and looks like I can't get to that data. Oh well!

11.60v is too low. It's outta spec (lowest s/b 11.64v) and I wouldn't be surprised if it caused you probs.

Fern

 

[Gamingphreek]

Your PSU hasn't hit a wall. That PSU has more than enough power for your computer. If you need that much voltage to reach that clockspeed your chip is pretty much maxed. In fact i would HIGHLY recommend you dont run over 1.8 non stop. Anything over that and you are asking for problems, nothing wrong with putting it up there occasionally though.

I would recommend checking voltages with a multi meter as that seems off for a TRUEPower PSU running that system.

-Kevin

 

[zakee00]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I get the same thing with my A7N8X Deluxe and a TruePower 550... so I definately don't think it's power supply related in my case, but it's possible in your's since your CPU is using more power and your video card is overclocked pretty high. My motherboard doesn't have that extra 4 pin 12V connector, so I'm guessing that's the problem with mine... can't suck enough juice through the motherboard to keep the voltage really stable.

same, im using an antec truepower430 and here are my voltages (taken from corecenter)
3.3v=3.25v
+5v=4.92v
+12v=11.78v(goes to 11.84-11.90)

those are all on the lower end of the swing, aka thats the lowest they get. i have no stability problems, but i would expect more from antec

 

[HeaterCore]

In fact i would HIGHLY recommend you dont run over 1.8 non stop. Anything over that and you are asking for problems, nothing wrong with putting it up there occasionally though.

So, you're saying this voltage might blow my chip at any time? Oh, no! Then I might be able to convince the wife that I need a 3200 Winchester and Neo2 Platinum....

-HC-

 

[Gamingphreek]

Well this is one of the places that YMMV (Your Mileage may Vary) applies.

Sounds like a good excuse to me

-Kevin

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

don't worry about the high core voltage, its nothing to fret over.

as for the fluctuating voltages, its perfectly normal with the Nforce2 chipset, every Nforce2 i've seen has the same nominal undervolting and bit of fluctuation.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: zakee00

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I get the same thing with my A7N8X Deluxe and a TruePower 550... so I definately don't think it's power supply related in my case, but it's possible in your's since your CPU is using more power and your video card is overclocked pretty high. My motherboard doesn't have that extra 4 pin 12V connector, so I'm guessing that's the problem with mine... can't suck enough juice through the motherboard to keep the voltage really stable.

same, im using an antec truepower430 and here are my voltages (taken from corecenter)
3.3v=3.25v
+5v=4.92v
+12v=11.78v(goes to 11.84-11.90)

those are all on the lower end of the swing, aka thats the lowest they get. i have no stability problems, but i would expect more from antec

My setup ate two 430's so I sprung for the 550 and haven't had any trouble... yet (crosses fingers).

 

[zakee00]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: zakee00

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
I get the same thing with my A7N8X Deluxe and a TruePower 550... so I definately don't think it's power supply related in my case, but it's possible in your's since your CPU is using more power and your video card is overclocked pretty high. My motherboard doesn't have that extra 4 pin 12V connector, so I'm guessing that's the problem with mine... can't suck enough juice through the motherboard to keep the voltage really stable.

same, im using an antec truepower430 and here are my voltages (taken from corecenter)
3.3v=3.25v
+5v=4.92v
+12v=11.78v(goes to 11.84-11.90)

those are all on the lower end of the swing, aka thats the lowest they get. i have no stability problems, but i would expect more from antec

My setup ate two 430's so I sprung for the 550 and haven't had any trouble... yet (crosses fingers).

mine have been fine, except when i daisy chained 4 fans on the fan only connectors.
dont do that. trust me.

 

[HeaterCore]

Hmm. I just remembered I'm running the 7v mod on two of the 120mm fans, and given how few components I'm running I guess it's possible -- unlikely, but possible -- that the 5v line is actually feeding power back into the PSU -- which is a bad thing. Or so I've heard. Or maybe I'm just paranoid, and need to buy a fan controller and a new PSU just for sh1ts and giggles.

-HC-

 

[Accord99]

Originally posted by: HeaterCore
I'm seeing some Vcore fluctuation in both Winbond's Hardware Doctor and CPU-Z. The former flips between 1.92 and 1.95, the latter between 1.93 and 1.89.
-HC-

It's probably more measurement noise than vcore fluctuations.