I7-920 High Temps (Solved)

[Glenn]

New I7 920 I just picked up from NewEgg last week. Leaving all voltages at auto and only changing bclk to 180 (3.6 GHz) I get idle temps of high 50s and around 90 running Prime 95. Ive tried it at 18x200 and it does the same. Stock clock at defaults is around 45c and still hits high 70s, low 80s under prime.

I'm using a Coolermaster V8 and I have removed and reinstalled to make sure Im getting good contact and I am.

Is this common or is this just a bum chip? Its stable even with the higher temps but dang, those are cigarette lighter temps! Anyone else run into this?

 

[exar333]

Don't set the voltage to auto. Try to get the lowest voltage to achieve the overclock you need. 3.6 is very easy to get on ~1.2v for most i7s...once you get above that, the voltage does increase fairly dramatically, depending on the chip. I don't like to go above 3.8 myself, as I need significantly more voltage to do so, and thus the temps get a little too warm for my taste. Check a few of the other i7 OC threads, they have some pretty helpful guides relating to what voltages to set (core, uncore, and dram).

 

[dmens]

I get idle temps of high 50s

that means you have a leaky 920, unless your cooling is busted. turn down the voltage and you should still be able to hit a good o/c.

that's the funny thing about 920, they have two flavors. low VID + leaky or high VID + not leaky. the former will overclock, the latter not so much. you got lucky, congrats.

 

[Glenn]

I just set it at 1.2v and ran about 30 minutes of Prime. Now getting mid to high 40s idle and mid 70s to 80 stressed. Thanks for the advice! I was able to run 3.4 at 1.1v and temps were low 40s idle to 70 stressed. I suppose I need to read up on overclocking these new beasts because they are definately different than anything I've dealt with in the past. Thanks again!

Originally posted by: ExarKun333
Don't set the voltage to auto. Try to get the lowest voltage to achieve the overclock you need. 3.6 is very easy to get on ~1.2v for most i7s...once you get above that, the voltage does increase fairly dramatically, depending on the chip. I don't like to go above 3.8 myself, as I need significantly more voltage to do so, and thus the temps get a little too warm for my taste. Check a few of the other i7 OC threads, they have some pretty helpful guides relating to what voltages to set (core, uncore, and dram).

 

[Elganja]

Originally posted by: Glenn
New I7 920 I just picked up from NewEgg last week. Leaving all voltages at auto and only changing bclk to 180 (3.6 GHz) I get idle temps of high 50s and around 90 running Prime 95. Ive tried it at 18x200 and it does the same. Stock clock at defaults is around 45c and still hits high 70s, low 80s under prime.

I'm using a Coolermaster V8 and I have removed and reinstalled to make sure Im getting good contact and I am.

Is this common or is this just a bum chip? Its stable even with the higher temps but dang, those are cigarette lighter temps! Anyone else run into this?

that idle temp and load temps are high IMHO. I know you said you reseated the heatsink a few times, but maybe you should reapply the thermal paste (make sure you clean up the old stuff). May want to check out your case ventilation... something is causing the high temps (at stock speeds).

Just for a frame of reference, my i7 920 @ 3.78Ghz idles ~29C, Prime95 ~64C, LinX ~66C (with the configuration in my sig). And that is with my chip going up to ~1.33V at full load.

Just curious, what batch is your chip? Even though your temps are high, I am jealous of your 200BCLK... my chip gets unstable once i get past 183Mhz or so... I guess it is the luck of the draw.

 

[exar333]

Originally posted by: Elganja

Originally posted by: Glenn
New I7 920 I just picked up from NewEgg last week. Leaving all voltages at auto and only changing bclk to 180 (3.6 GHz) I get idle temps of high 50s and around 90 running Prime 95. Ive tried it at 18x200 and it does the same. Stock clock at defaults is around 45c and still hits high 70s, low 80s under prime.

I'm using a Coolermaster V8 and I have removed and reinstalled to make sure Im getting good contact and I am.

Is this common or is this just a bum chip? Its stable even with the higher temps but dang, those are cigarette lighter temps! Anyone else run into this?

that idle temp and load temps are high IMHO. I know you said you reseated the heatsink a few times, but maybe you should reapply the thermal paste (make sure you clean up the old stuff). May want to check out your case ventilation... something is causing the high temps (at stock speeds).

Just for a frame of reference, my i7 920 @ 3.78Ghz idles ~29C, Prime95 ~64C, LinX ~66C (with the configuration in my sig). And that is with my chip going up to ~1.33V at full load.

Just curious, what batch is your chip? Even though your temps are high, I am jealous of your 200BCLK... my chip gets unstable once i get past 183Mhz or so... I guess it is the luck of the draw.

LOL, you must have the same chip I do Elganja...my BCLK tops out right at 183-185 as well. I have tried any number of ways to get it around 190, with no success.

 

[Glenn]

Well, after spending several hours reading posts here and elsewhere, I believe I have found my sweet spot. I got great advice here about fixing the voltages in bios instead of auto and it has helped my temps tremendously. I still am running warmer than I would like but for 4Ghz, I'll take it! This is batch number 3839A632 and is a CO/C1 Stepping.

Here are my current settings

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R Bios F5B
Core Speed- 4009 (19X211 Bclk)
Core Voltage 1.325
QPI VTT 1.335
IOH Core 1.140
QPI Link 36X
UnCore 17X
2:6 SPD Ram
7.7.7.24 Timings on Ram

VCore in CPU-Z in Windows shows 1.280 Idle and 1.232 under Prime 95. Temps avg mid 40s idle and high 70s stressed for several hours under Prime 95. I realize there are higher stress programs out there but I wont be doing any dist computing or anything that will stress this system as much as Prime. I do intend to run Prime for 24 hours to make sure its stable. I haven't attempted higher clocks yet and probably won't since this is more than satisfying for now. Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Good golly, these i7 920's are beautiful overclockers... makes all the geeks

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: dmens

I get idle temps of high 50s

that means you have a leaky 920, unless your cooling is busted. turn down the voltage and you should still be able to hit a good o/c.

that's the funny thing about 920, they have two flavors. low VID + leaky or high VID + not leaky. the former will overclock, the latter not so much. you got lucky, congrats.

If I had to guess I'd bet there are two fabs sourcing the i7's and one fab is responsible for generating the majority of the chips that fit the "low VID + leaky" distribution and the other fab is responsible for the majority of chips that fit the "high VID + not leaky" distribution.

 

[HunterDT]

Originally posted by: Glenn
Well, after spending several hours reading posts here and elsewhere, I believe I have found my sweet spot. I got great advice here about fixing the voltages in bios instead of auto and it has helped my temps tremendously. I still am running warmer than I would like but for 4Ghz, I'll take it! This is batch number 3839A632 and is a CO/C1 Stepping.

Here are my current settings

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R Bios F5B
Core Speed- 4009 (19X211 Bclk)
Core Voltage 1.325
QPI VTT 1.335
IOH Core 1.140
QPI Link 36X
UnCore 17X
2:6 SPD Ram
7.7.7.24 Timings on Ram

VCore in CPU-Z in Windows shows 1.280 Idle and 1.232 under Prime 95. Temps avg mid 40s idle and high 70s stressed for several hours under Prime 95. I realize there are higher stress programs out there but I wont be doing any dist computing or anything that will stress this system as much as Prime. I do intend to run Prime for 24 hours to make sure its stable. I haven't attempted higher clocks yet and probably won't since this is more than satisfying for now. Thanks for everyones help.

I have that same board. Its funny, last night I did the same thing as you, left Vcore on Auto and was wondering why my temps were high! I set mine to 1.1875 and upped my BCLCK to 150. Idle 29, Prime95 54. Looks like I have some room to go.

Anyways, about the Vcore. Why does it report differently in CPUz that what is set in the BIOS? (Yours goes DOWN when under load, huh??)

 

[Glenn]

Originally posted by: HunterDT

Originally posted by: Glenn
Well, after spending several hours reading posts here and elsewhere, I believe I have found my sweet spot. I got great advice here about fixing the voltages in bios instead of auto and it has helped my temps tremendously. I still am running warmer than I would like but for 4Ghz, I'll take it! This is batch number 3839A632 and is a CO/C1 Stepping.

Here are my current settings

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R Bios F5B
Core Speed- 4009 (19X211 Bclk)
Core Voltage 1.325
QPI VTT 1.335
IOH Core 1.140
QPI Link 36X
UnCore 17X
2:6 SPD Ram
7.7.7.24 Timings on Ram

VCore in CPU-Z in Windows shows 1.280 Idle and 1.232 under Prime 95. Temps avg mid 40s idle and high 70s stressed for several hours under Prime 95. I realize there are higher stress programs out there but I wont be doing any dist computing or anything that will stress this system as much as Prime. I do intend to run Prime for 24 hours to make sure its stable. I haven't attempted higher clocks yet and probably won't since this is more than satisfying for now. Thanks for everyones help.

I have that same board. Its funny, last night I did the same thing as you, left Vcore on Auto and was wondering why my temps were high! I set mine to 1.1875 and upped my BCLCK to 150. Idle 29, Prime95 54. Looks like I have some room to go.

Anyways, about the Vcore. Why does it report differently in CPUz that what is set in the BIOS? (Yours goes DOWN when under load, huh??)[/q]

I'm not sure why but it is common for it to drop. The key seems to be that it shouldn't drop too much and mine is a low drop according to what I see here and elsewhere.
Good Luck!

 

[harbin]

Originally posted by: dmens

I get idle temps of high 50s

that means you have a leaky 920, unless your cooling is busted. turn down the voltage and you should still be able to hit a good o/c.

that's the funny thing about 920, they have two flavors. low VID + leaky or high VID + not leaky. the former will overclock, the latter not so much. you got lucky, congrats.

somehow I agree with you on the classfication of 920

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: HunterDT
Anyways, about the Vcore. Why does it report differently in CPUz that what is set in the BIOS? (Yours goes DOWN when under load, huh??)

HunterDT, Glenn, take a look at this AT article, yes it was written for C2Q not i7 but the reasons for Voffset and Vdroop apply exactly the same in both cases.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...howdoc.aspx?i=3184&p=5

 

[HunterDT]

I have been educated. That is one heck of an article, thanks for this.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: HunterDT
I have been educated. That is one heck of an article, thanks for this.

:beer: cheers