Bought an OCUK '4.8Ghz' chip, can barely get to 4.6Ghz.

joxang · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:09

So bought one of these http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-374-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=2020.

Wanted to run at 4.8Ghz with less than 1.4V, and didn't want to risk getting a rubbish chip. I installed it yesterday and overclocked it straight to 4.5Ghz, which it could do on 1.35V. Tried lowering the voltage to see if I could keep it stable at 4.5Ghz but it would fail prime in less than a minute.

4.6Ghz? 1.36V it can boot but isn't prime stable, needed about 1.365 to pass an hour of prime and a dozen linx passes.

4.7Ghz - now we're struggling. 1.385V allows boot but fails prime very quickly. I thought I got it stable after raising and turning on PLL overvolting and raising QPI/VTT, but it failed after a couple of hours of prime (BSOD 124). 1.39V for this is stable.

4.8Ghz - I can't boot unless vcore is 1.415V. Even then, it might take three attempts to boot, after which it fails prime in seconds. Haven't tried a higher voltage than this.

I've tried contacting OCUK support through forums, asking for help with bios values and for comments on my hardware. Unfortunately all I've gotten back in two attempts is (1) seek help in the forums and (2) we test all our chips so they will run at the rated values, it's not the chip's problem.

My components: GA-P67A-UD4. 2x2GB Corsair 1600Mhz TW3X4G1600C9D RAM running at 1.64V.
What I've tried: going to max PLL, or PLL with overvolting, raising VCCIO/ QPIVTT more, increasing PCH voltage by a tiny amount. Underclocking RAM to 1066Mhz and running at 1.5V seems to improve stability slightly (slightly longer in prime?) but this is subjective.

So..any idea guys? Apparently 'it's not the chip' so it's probably going to be my settings

.

The only thing I think I haven't tried is messing around with my RAM timings. I'm not sure what I should be doing here though. Also going to try with a new bios, but reading up on it the newer UD4 bioses seem to need even more voltage to get the same clock

.

Help would be greatly appreciated here, thanks!!

phil128 · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:21

When did you buy the chip?

Plus, I doubt OcUK test their chips fully as in using stress tools like Prime 95 (for 12/24 hours) IBT, or OCCT.

sk82jack · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:23

Have you got PLL overvoltage enabled? if not try enabling that as sometimes that helps with stability.

www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/4

check out thy link for help overclocking with a gigabyte board

joxang · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:32

phil128 said:
When did you buy the chip?

Plus, I doubt OcUK test their chips fully as in using stress tools like Prime 95 (for 12/24 hours) IBT, or OCCT.

Bought it on Tuesday I think.

Have you got PLL overvoltage enabled?

Yes, it's in my post

. Was following that guide for my initial overclock.

Rroff · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:34

Given the way voltages work what registers as 1.4v on their motherboard might not register as 1.4 on yours - you made need to go the next "divider" up voltage wise (which might be 2-3 entries higher on the voltage list). Can't say I'd want to be running a SB over 1.4v tho.

sk82jack · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:38

missed it first time round lol sorry.

is there an option for offset voltage rather than fixed voltage because that's what I'm using on my asrock board, helped me get stable at 4.7

joxang · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:43

It's just pretty annoying that I paid this much extra for it to hit 4.8 under 1.4V, and it only carries a 1-year warranty. I will enquire more forcibly about the 'guarantee'.

@sk82jack yeh, I can set it to a base voltage with an offset, I'll go exploring that but I suspect all it means is whenever the cpu is loaded the vcore will go up really high, as high as the offset value allows it to go.

Martini1991 · 27 Jun 2011 at 17:44

DSR it tbh.

DavyBoy · 27 Jun 2011 at 18:01

I don't understand how they can even offer chips for sale like this, seeing how it all depends on which mobo and RAM they did their testing with.

For instance, my old UD5 board was capable of running my D0 920 at 4.4GHz 24/7, but then I decided to buy a new board (RIIE) which as everybody knows is a motherboard that is designed for overclockers, yet I struggled to get 4.2GHz stable with the same chip.

But when I put the chip back into my partners UD5 the chip is still able to run at 4.4GHz without any issues at all.

I personally would return the chip and just buy a standard retail version instead.

At least you get 3 years warranty directly with Intel if anything was to go wrong with the chip.

Obviously I'm comparing two different platforms here, but I'm fairly positive that the same rules would apply when it comes to overclocking.

Even their guaranteed overclocked mobo/ram/cpu bundles have had their fair share of problems as well.

DavyBoy · 27 Jun 2011 at 18:05

joxang said:
I suspect all it means is whenever the cpu is loaded the vcore will go up really high, as high as the offset value allows it to go.

Yep this is exactly how this works.

joxang · 27 Jun 2011 at 18:22

DavyBoy said:
I don't understand how they can even offer chips for sale like this, seeing how it all depends on which mobo and RAM they did their testing with.

For instance, my old UD5 board was capable of running my D0 920 at 4.4GHz 24/7, but then I decided to buy a new board (RIIE) which as everybody knows is a motherboard that is designed for overclockers, yet I struggled to get 4.2GHz stable with the same chip.

But when I put the chip back into my partners UD5 the chip is still able to run at 4.4GHz without any issues at all.

I personally would return the chip and just buy a standard retail version instead.

At least you get 3 years warranty directly with Intel if anything was to go wrong with the chip.

Obviously I'm comparing two different platforms here, but I'm fairly positive that the same rules would apply when it comes to overclocking.

Even their guaranteed overclocked mobo/ram/cpu bundles have had their fair share of problems as well.

Yeh agree, though I think SB overclocks are a lot less mobo dependant, which is why I was confident in getting this. I've tried with a new bios and nothing's changed. There's no way I'm pushing this chip to 1.42V just to boot at 4.8Ghz so I'm going to ask for a return or a swap for a retail chip.

Surveyor · 27 Jun 2011 at 18:25

As has been said, send it back under the Distance Selling Regulations.

You'll get a full refund (including postage) and all it will cost you is a few quid to send it back.

You'll more than make the return postage costs back by buying a "normal" 2500K.

You'll have just as much chance of overclocking it and if you get a retail version it will be in a sealed box so it can't have been messed about with.

OcUK DSR procedure:

Under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) you have the right to cancel the contract relating to your order at any time up to the end of 7 working days after the goods are delivered. To exercise your right of cancellation, you must give written notice to Overclockers UK by letter, fax or RMA WebNote giving details of the goods ordered and date received. Notification by phone is not acceptable. If you exercise your right of cancellation under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) after the goods have been delivered to you, you will be responsible for returning the goods to Overclockers UK at your own cost. The Distance Selling Regulations (2000) places a duty on you to take reasonable care of the goods once you have exercised your right to cancel. Returned items must be packaged properly and shipped in a plain outer box. Please try to include all internal packaging, cables, manuals, drivers and protective bags, however small. Overclockers UK will refund you within 30 days for any sum that has been paid by you or debited from your credit or debit card for the goods. If after exercising your right under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) you do not return the goods as required, Overclockers UK may charge you a sum not exceeding the direct costs of recovering the goods. When exercising your right to cancel under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) please return goods to Overclockers UK (Esnet Ltd), 4 Axis, Millenium way, High Carr Business Park, Newcastle-under-lyme, ST5 7UF.

DrBombcrater · 27 Jun 2011 at 18:41

DavyBoy said:
Obviously I'm comparing two different platforms here, but I'm fairly positive that the same rules would apply when it comes to overclocking.

The socket 1155 platform is every bit as variable. My i5-2500K would do 4.5GHz @ 1.29v easily on a P8P67, on my new Z68X-UDH3 it isn't stable past 4.3GHz even with vcore pushed up to 1.35v.

joxang · 27 Jun 2011 at 18:43

Webnote submitted. Thanks guys!

sk82jack · 27 Jun 2011 at 20:05

joxang said:
@sk82jack yeh, I can set it to a base voltage with an offset, I'll go exploring that but I suspect all it means is whenever the cpu is loaded the vcore will go up really high, as high as the offset value allows it to go.

Unless I'm mistaken, using offset voltage sets the voltage at a certain max and then you adjust how much to add on or take off this max so you control how much the voltage can go up to, so it won't go up really high as long as you set the voltage offset to ensure that it doesn't.

At the moment I've been running Prime95 for an hour (not long enough yet I know lol) but my vcore hasn't gone above 1.344V with a 4.7GHz overclock (with an offset of +0.045, gonna be trying to bring that down though if I can), but with a fixed voltage I couldn't even boot up a 4.7GHz overclock @ 1.38V and couldn't even get 4.6GHz stable at 1.38V.

You may as well give it a try before you send it back, nothing to lose really lol

Orcvader · 27 Jun 2011 at 20:38

Have you tried LLC level 6 yet?

joxang · 27 Jun 2011 at 21:39

Cheers, I'll give the offset levels a go.

Orcvader said:
Have you tried LLC level 6 yet?

No LLC levels on my board, just on and off.

sk82jack · 27 Jun 2011 at 21:52

Also if your getting BSODs then check the error number and check it against this list

BSOD Codes for SandyBridge
0x124 = add/remove vcore or QPI/VTT voltage (usually Vcore, once it was QPI/VTT)
0x101 = add more vcore
0x50 = RAM timings/Frequency add DDR3 voltage or add QPI/VTT
0x1E = add more vcore
0x3B = add more vcore
0xD1 = add QPI/VTT voltage
“0x9C = QPI/VTT most likely, but increasing vcore has helped in some instances”
0X109 = add DDR3 voltage
0x0A = add QPI/VTT voltage

Orcvader · 27 Jun 2011 at 22:29

Googling around it seems the UD4's latest BIOS can cause problems with the LLC. This perhaps could be the reason why the chip is unable to go to 4.8ghz? Apparantly the original F6 BIOS had no problems with LLC. But these sounds like the B2 revision of the boards, so perhaps you should try out different BIOS revisions to see if that helps.

koooowweeee · 27 Jun 2011 at 22:35

Sounds like you got a normal chip just like mine. Most need 1.4 for 4.8