Would like some help getting voltage down on mild overclock of E8400

[dadams312]

I've been running my E8400 (BX80570E8400) @ 3.6GHz for quite a while now, which is a fairly simple OC as I just set the FSB to 400 and manually set my RAM 1:1 (5-5-5-15). In the BIOS I just left everything set at Auto and let the mobo decide on the best voltage, but would like to lower it if possible and I'm stuck.

CPU-Z shows Core Voltage at 1.280V (which seems awfully high for 3.6). I'd like to lower it a bit closer to 1.225 but am having no luck

I've tried manually setting the CPU Voltage Control to 1.225 (and all the way up past 1.28x), and can't get it Prime95 stable. If I set it at 1.36 in the BIOS then CPU-Z will show 1.28 (vdroop?).

I've also tried bumping the RAM voltage +.1 and +.2, tried bumping the FSB voltage and Northbridge voltage, but nothing will run stable beyond what the mobo sets it at on auto.

Any help at all getting the voltage down a bit at this OC would be greatly appreciated. I'll post some screen shots of the BIOS and CPU-Z if it helps any.

http://i47.photobucket.com/alb...79/dadams312/BIOS1.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/alb...79/dadams312/BIOS2.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/alb...dams312/Untitled-1.jpg

 

[OCGuy]

1.225 may be dreaming....not every chip is going to give you that.

Mine was at 1.27 for 3.6ghz in CPU-Z @ idle.

 

[dadams312]

I don't necessarily want/need 1.225, but something lower than what it is perhaps. I've read on here and elsewhere that when it's set to auto that the mobo usually sets it pretty high.

I've got a lot of reading to do on overclocking, but I am just trying to get a grasp on why/why the mobo is setting it to 1.28, and why I can't get it stable at any point below that.

I'll stick where it is for 3.6 if it's not possible to lower it anymore, but was wondering where I could start to find out because upping the voltage on the other settings did me no good. I did get it stable at 3.8, but I had to up the voltage to 1.4 in the BIOS (1.36 in CPU-Z)

 

[Gillbot]

My old E3110 (same as the E8400) took 1.35v to get to 4GHz but it took GOOD ram to get there.

 

[dadams312]

Originally posted by: Gillbot
My old E3110 (same as the E8400) took 1.35v to get to 4GHz but it took GOOD ram to get there.

Is the difference between the voltage set in BIOS, and what it shows in Windows (CPU-Z) the vdroop? Also, which one do you go by when determining a safe voltage for overclocking?

I can get it to 3.9GHz @ 1.36 (CPU-Z...1.4V set in BIOS).

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: dadams312

Originally posted by: Gillbot
My old E3110 (same as the E8400) took 1.35v to get to 4GHz but it took GOOD ram to get there.

Is the difference between the voltage set in BIOS, and what it shows in Windows (CPU-Z) the vdroop? Also, which one do you go by when determining a safe voltage for overclocking?

I can get it to 3.9GHz @ 1.36 (CPU-Z...1.4V set in BIOS).

I've heard conflicting stories about safe voltages. Some say 1.4-1.45 in bios, some say that's after droop. Personally, I ran mine as high as 1.475 in bios. I'm not worried about degrading the chip, I'll have upgraded long before it would matter anyway.

 

[Smidget85]

I'm pretty much in the same predicament, I cannot set my voltage manually for 3.6GHz using a E8400 without it failing in Prime95 but if I set it to auto in my bios (Gigabyte mobo too from what I can tell) it goes way too high....

 

[dadams312]

Originally posted by: Smidget85
I'm pretty much in the same predicament, I cannot set my voltage manually for 3.6GHz using a E8400 without it failing in Prime95 but if I set it to auto in my bios (Gigabyte mobo too from what I can tell) it goes way too high....

Yeah, forgot to mention the mobo in the post.

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R
G.Skill 4GB DDR2-800

 

[Ariste]

If you're worried about hurting your CPU, you should be fine at 1.28v. Any increase in voltage/heat will shorten the lifespan of a CPU, yes - but it may lower it from 10 years to 8 years, or something like that. For most overclockers, that kind of degradation is irrelevant.

What you do want to avoid is giving the chip anything much past 1.4v. I've heard of people giving far more than that with no problems, but I've also heard of chips set above 1.4v rapidly degrading to the point where they will no longer run at stock speeds/voltages.

By the way, 1.28v for 3.6GHz doesn't seem all that excessive to me. My E8400 takes 1.36v to hit 3.825GHz. That's a CPU-Z reading, by the way - my motherboard (same as yours) undervolts pretty substantially.

 

[dadams312]

Originally posted by: Ariste
If you're worried about hurting your CPU, you should be fine at 1.28v. Any increase in voltage/heat will shorten the lifespan of a CPU, yes - but it may lower it from 10 years to 8 years, or something like that. For most overclockers, that kind of degradation is irrelevant.

What you do want to avoid is giving the chip anything much past 1.4v. I've heard of people giving far more than that with no problems, but I've also heard of chips set above 1.4v rapidly degrading to the point where they will no longer run at stock speeds/voltages.

By the way, 1.28v for 3.6GHz doesn't seem all that excessive to me. My E8400 takes 1.36v to hit 3.825GHz. That's a CPU-Z reading, by the way - my motherboard (same as yours) undervolts pretty substantially.

Thanks for the reply. I got back at it today trying to find out the lowest voltage I can run 3.6 at, am currently at 1.264 (CPU-Z). Ran OCCT for 2 hours with no problems.

I'd like to see if I could safely run it at 4GHz.