Hi, I've built my el-cheapo gaming/multipurpose rig over the past year adding stuff as my tight budget allows and I've ended up with this:
ASUS M5A97 R2.0 mobo
FX-4350 CPU
Thermalright True Spirit 120 CPU cooler with a modified AM2 backplate added (works really well, got me through one summer with the CPU below 55C at stock speed, but WTF?! no backplate?)
2x4GB Kingtron HyperX Beast 1600 RAM (I got this as a present otherwise I would have gone with 1833)
ASUS R9 270 DC2OC Graphics Card (Overclocks nicely)
Sirtec High Power Element 500W Bronze (EP-500 BR) (I still have a 460W one still working after 8 years, fan started being a bit rattly, powered this rig without a problem for about 1 year)
Silverstone RL01 Case with 2 120mm fans
2x WD 320GB AAKS series - 8 years old, to be replaced soon
Now the questions:
Ive been able to get the CPU to run at 4750MHz but it always stayed at that while at stock speed (4200MHz) it would change the multiplier (between 7x 14x 18x 21x) and core voltage to save power. How can I keep that feature and overclock?
Changing the bus speed (200MHz stock) also changes the RAM speed (obviously) and with my memory I got to about 1800 without problems but it doesn't get any higher while being stable. Should I lower RAM frequency or increase the timings? (currently running at 9-9-9-27 @ 1.65V - XMP profile)
So far I'm at 4.4GHz (220x20) and everything works as intended.
I have a machine running the le vaiant of that exact board. It has a power efficient mode and a performance mode so just make sure its just not on the power efficient mode and that should stop happening. My roomate and I got a 4350 to 4.7Ghz on that same board with an arctic alpine 64 cooler so you should be even better off.
I'll try a few more multiplier values when I get bored (18x might work well), so far I've managed to go to 4.8GHz. It even booted at 5GHz but it crashed when it reached the windows desktop. I'll run Prime95 when I'm happy with the OC results, as well as some benchmarks.
Power saving mode (EPU) and Turbo Core are both disabled, as well as CPU clock spread spectrum.
So you want it to throttle down to stock 4.2ghz when not at load? Okay in that case in the Bios leave the turbo on and set the turbo multiplier to x21 or what ever got you your highest stable overclock.
If you want it at maximum attack all the time do the same but on the base multiplier and turn turbo off.
Usually people want a max OC all the time so they turn off turbo at a 4.8 OC will turbo up to something that would kill a CPU. In you case you just want to higher turbo? Just making sure.
Oh don't use Prime95 any more it is just not made for modern CPUs, AIDA64 I think is much better/safer.
What I'm actually trying to say is that I want to keep the automatic multiplier switching while overclocked.
That multiplier switches between 7x/14x/18x/21x (core voltage also changes) depending on the CPU load at stock speed and I want it to work also when overclocked. It does to work with a 4400MHz overclock (220MHz x 20).
Just trying to figure out what disables the automatic multiplier switching. Apparently it doesn't work with a 19x multiplier (250MHz x 19 = 4750MHz). However 18x works just fine...
Looks like I got up to 4.8GHz and so far it's stable. Dialed in all the settings in the bios except for the multiplier which I changed using ASUS TurboV in windows. 200MHz x 24 @ 1.425V
CPU temperature never got above 55C. Room temperature is increasing...
Looks like the multiplier switching depends on whether CPU Spread Spectrum is enabled or not which makes perfect sense.
CPU Load Line Calibration is also enabled so the CPU voltage is more stable under load.