Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

[dasi]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

For what it's worth, the Corsair memory compatibility tool (Memory Finder) says my memory (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) is "guaranteed compatible" with the ASRock Z68 Extreme4.

[copystuff]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

Can you tell us your VCore on the P8Z68 (preferably while not overclocked)? I am wondering if Asrock's MBs require over-voltage to be stable.

My experience:
Board was freezing while idle or under very light load (eg, web browsing).

I tried a number of "solutions", but the only thing that has made my system stable (for the past 3 days, at least) is setting VCore to a fixed value (initially 1.18 but currently trying 1.15). Thanks goes out to RistoCaliente and Da Man for their suggestion. DRAM voltage is 1.5V, as per spec.

What I noticed was that the core voltage, as reported by CPU-Z, would decrease as I added RAM modules. With only 1 (4GB) module installed, and CPU Voltage in the BIOS set to "Auto", the voltage would hover around 1.176. Sometimes it would drop to around 1.152, sometimes go up to 1.192 or so. If I added a second RAM module (in dual channel mode), the average voltage would drop to around 1.148, plus or minus. If I went to 4 modules (16GB total), the average voltage would drop to around 1.08 and sometimes get down as low as 0.956. With 4 modules inserted, my system would freeze up within about 4 hours.

If I set the voltage to a fixed value, CPU-Z reports a smaller variation and, perhaps significantly, with 4 modules it does not drop below 1v. Right now I'm running at 1.15 (CPU Load Line Calib set to Auto) and CPU-Z reports voltages between about 1.144 and 1.168, while "idle" (actually, while typing this post).

If I had to guess, I would say that adding memory modules to the Asrock board, WITH CPU VOLTAGE SET TO AUTO, results in a drop of VCore to below what's stable. Setting VCore to a fixed value of around 1.18 keeps it from dropping too low (testing to see if 1.15 is stable). As an aside, I note that going to 4 modules results in command rate going from 1T to 2T; doubt that this is a factor, though.


I gather from the Intel 6 Series CPU spec, the operating core voltage (VccCore) should be around 1.05V, though testing with this value resulted in an immediate freeze. Upping the voltage to 1.18 is still within Intel's spec, but they do say that running the CPU over it's intended voltage can shorten its life.

It would be great if others could test to see if they experience this same behaviour when they up the number of memory sticks, especially if they go to 4, and report back on this thread.

One last thing. I am using a Corsair H60 cooler. This cooler consists of a pump and a radiator/fan combo, and the pump is supposed to be run at 100%, the fan can be MB controlled. I was using CPU fan headers 1 and 2 but got to wondering about whether or not I was exceeding the fan header's current rating. Tech support from Asrock said that each fan header is capable of supplying a max of 2A; tech support from Corsair said that the H60 could draw up to 24W (2A @ 12V). I thought that, maybe, the extra draw from the H60 was impacting core voltage so I attached the pump directly to the PS and left the fan on the MB header. This had no effect on freezing but, since the Extreme4 does not let you separately control CPU1 and CPU2 fan headers, it allowed me to run the pump at 100% but reduce the radiator fan speed to "Level 2". This had a hugh impact on noise (evidently the Corsair fan isn't the quietest) and made no noticeable difference in temps. Idle is still around 28-29C, Prime95 @100% on all threads gets up to around 48-50C (no change, but higher fan speeds kick in at 45C). Ambient is around 24-25C. Just thought I'd mention this in case anyone else is running a similar setup and wants a quieter system.

My system:
Z68 Extreme4
i7-2600K - not overclocked
16GB Corsair Vengenace DDR3 memory @ 1600 (CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9)
Haf-X case
Corsair H60 cooler
Corsair AX850 power supply
WDC 2x500GB Caviar Black
Lite-On DVD

0.9 on idle and no shut downs like i had with asrock.

[uszkanni]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

0.9 on idle and no shut downs like i had with asrock.

Glad to hear that your ASUS board is stable but 0.9v actually sounds low. Was that voltage measured by BIOS or CPU-Z or something else? If I remember the Intel spec (and has been previously noted), VccCore should be no less than .98v. Still, if your board is stable that's great.

Also want to clarify something I said in my last post. I removed the Corsair H60 pump from the motherboard's CPU fan header because I was concerned about pulling too many amps through the header. I don't know if the Z68 boards have some issue when too much power is drawn from the headers (didn't test voltages with H60 connected to MB vs PS) but, maybe, CPU voltage drops as more power is drawn through the headers. Getting a MUCH quieter system was a fortuotous byproduct. I wanted to mention this in case others were running cooling systems which draw a lot of power out of the fan headers. I may try testing this theory later.

[jayc72]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

... but, maybe, CPU voltage drops as more power is drawn through the headers.

Power draw from mobo headers will most definitely impact voltage supply to CPU.

[copystuff]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

I was using the noctua nh-d14 but also using my case fans with the board fan headers on the asrock but also the same on the way on my asus which is handling everythink ok.

[mercurytoxic]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

After having the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 running continuously without any problems for about a week with the IGP disabled and running out of a discreet graphics card, I decided to once again enable the IGP for a final test before taking it back to MSY and as expected, with the exact same BIOS configuration except only the IGP enabled in a few hours I got the familiar BSOD with clock interrupt not received.

Even though I liked this motherboard a lot, the fact that the IGP is unusable and also Lucid Virtu never worked for me at all, pushed me to go to a competitor, currently deciding between a Asus P8Z68-V Pro or a Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4.

[Photoman]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

As has previosly been mentioned by some other posters, setting your VCORE to a fixed voltage will fix the BSOD and freezing problems. I am running the Intel HD 3000 graphics on an i7 2600K and my system has been stable now for a couple of weeks. Prior to setting the VCORE to a fixed voltage I was getting the "a clock interupt" BSOD or freezing continually. If indeed "Emily" the poster who represented herself as being from ASROCK is from ASROCK the issue about this being a "memory problem" is just a RED HERRING thrown out to deflect blame away from ASROCK!

You can not just randomly pick the voltage for your VCORE and expect the system to be stable, the voltage must be determined through testing. I have been using "Intel Burn Test" (a free download on the internet) as this allows a considerable amount of testing to be done in a short amount of time. I am presently overclocked to 4.4 GHz with my VCORE set @ 1.34v. This is for me a good 24/7 overclock as it provides better than stock performance but does not put undue stress on the hardware. As I was planning to overclock when I assembled my system running at a fixed VCORE voltage is not a problem. Even if you are running at stock speeds you will still need to due some testing to determin the correct VCORE voltage for your particular system.

Here is a link P67 Sandy Bridge Overclocking Guide For Beginners to an article about overclocking a Sandy Bridge CPU which will explain the procedures to determine the correct VCORE voltage to set as well as explaining what some of the other voltages in the BIOS due. Although the article deals with an ASUS P67 motherboard it directly relates to the ASROCK Z68 Extreme4.

I hope this helps if any of you are still dealing with this problem.

[Lighto]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

After having the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 running continuously without any problems for about a week with the IGP disabled and running out of a discreet graphics card, I decided to once again enable the IGP for a final test before taking it back to MSY and as expected, with the exact same BIOS configuration except only the IGP enabled in a few hours I got the familiar BSOD with clock interrupt not received.

Even though I liked this motherboard a lot, the fact that the IGP is unusable and also Lucid Virtu never worked for me at all, pushed me to go to a competitor, currently deciding between a Asus P8Z68-V Pro or a Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD4.

I got myself a p8z68-v pro and is quite happy with it.
I even undervolted the vcore with an offset of -0.080v at stock clock speed and it's running stable.
The only thing i don't like about the asus is that the metallic blue finishing on the heat sink comes off too easily.

[uszkanni]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

As it stands now (knock on wood), my system has been stable for about a week with CPU voltage set at a fixed 1.1v. It was not stable at a fixed 1.05v, with an offset of +0.05 or with CPU voltage set to "Auto." Emliy from Asrock has suggested an offset of 0.07 but since a fixed 1.1 works for me, I don't plan on testing that setting.

I am using onboard graphics, though the BIOS has the default video set to PCI-E (I do not have a discrete gfx card installed). Currently, using the DisplayPort connector (though I have also tested with DVI and HDMI).

The main thing I have noticed is that the CPU voltage as reported by CPU-Z is consistently low and decreases as more memory modules are added. With 4x4GB modules and BIOS set to "Auto", the voltage dropped below .98 and the sytem froze while "idle" or under very light load.

I think there is a problem with power management on this MB. It may be only on my board (or a subset of boards) or it may be a systemic problem with the Z68 Extreme4 (or maybe with SB?). My system seems to be stable now and I'm hoping that it will not die on me at some later point. Unless Asrock comes up with a better explanation than "it's your memory", I'll look elsewhere in the future.

P.S. Lighto, do you use CPU-Z or some other program to view your CPU voltages? Can you post reported voltages? Also, have you noticed voltage variations/decreases vs # of mem modules?

[Lighto]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

Yes I do use CPU-Z to view the voltage.
Idle voltage is constantly jumping from 0.864 to 0.920.
I only have 2 pieces of RAM to test with and I do not notice any voltage variations vs the # of memory modules.

[uszkanni]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

Yes I do use CPU-Z to view the voltage.
Idle voltage is constantly jumping from 0.864 to 0.920.
I only have 2 pieces of RAM to test with and I do not notice any voltage variations vs the # of memory modules.

Thanks for the info.

Quite impressed that your system is stable with CPU voltages that low; mine would hang for sure. Wonder if your CPU is one of those that can hit 4.8+ on air.

Anyway, thanks again for posting your voltages, makes me think that, maybe, the CPU not the MB is the determining factor.

[conejin90]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

Hello people,

I was battling with this issue almost a month ago and i did some tests assuming first that the problem is software.
But I did something else: I disable C1 state, C3 state, C6 state and Package C state in bios CPU Configuration. I dont use hibernation or sleep mode in my computer and settings in energy config are in performance mode with no energy saving. I also reinstalled win 7 64bit and until now is almost 3 weeks with no BSOD. Hope this help you people and if I notice some new issue I will post it.
Sorry if my english is not clear :)

Regards.

PS: I didnt change any voltage parameter.

[jayc72]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

Hello people,

I was battling with this issue almost a month ago and i did some tests assuming first that the problem is software.
But I did something else: I disable C1 state, C3 state, C6 state and Package C state in bios CPU Configuration. I dont use hibernation or sleep mode in my computer and settings in energy config are in performance mode with no energy saving. I also reinstalled win 7 64bit and until now is almost 3 weeks with no BSOD. Hope this help you people and if I notice some new issue I will post it.
Sorry if my english is not clear :)

Regards.

PS: I didnt change any voltage parameter.

Sigh, what you have described is not a fix. You have in effect crippled the features and functionality of your machine.
No C1, C3 or C6 state. No hibernation or sleep. Those are features you want turned on. Reinstalling Win 7 is also not an option for many people.

Imagine you bought an $80K new car with a super duper Navigation system. But by using the navigation system, it would cause your car to stall unexpectedly few hours. But the fix was to disable the nav system, turn off the air conditioner, and not use the headlights. Oh, install a new engine as well.
Would you except that as a fix for that car? You might as well have bought the $60K version of another car that didn't have the navigation system.

I wouldn't accept it as a fix. And this is not an attack, it's just a suggestion for you to ... not stop looking for THE fix.
Turn all those features back on and set voltage to offset mode with a + 0.06v to see if your problems go away.

[Photoman]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

Sigh, what you have described is not a fix. You have in effect crippled the features and functionality of your machine.
No C1, C3 or C6 state. No hibernation or sleep. Those are features you want turned on. Reinstalling Win 7 is also not an option for many people.

Imagine you bought an $80K new car with a super duper Navigation system. But by using the navigation system, it would cause your car to stall unexpectedly few hours. But the fix was to disable the nav system, turn off the air conditioner, and not use the headlights. Oh, install a new engine as well.
Would you except that as a fix for that car? You might as well have bought the $60K version of another car that didn't have the navigation system.

I wouldn't accept it as a fix. And this is not an attack, it's just a suggestion for you to ... not stop looking for THE fix.
Turn all those features back on and set voltage to offset mode with a + 0.06v to see if your problems go away.

The problem with using more offset voltage instead of using a fixed voltage is, the Z68 Extreme 4 uses some pretty high voltages when left to its default settings to start with. For instance when I was overclocking @ 4.2 GHz using the default settings in BIOS for a 4.2 GHz overclock my CPU temps where about 10C higher testing with "Intel Burn Test" than when I found the correct fixed voltage to run at that speed and with the default settings my system was not stable (I was getting BSOD regullarly). If I had added more offset voltage to increase stability the overvoltage problem and accesive heat would have been even wourse. I think that finding the correct fixed VCORE voltage is the better answer with this motherboard.

I am presently running a 4.4 GHz overclock @ 1.34v VCORE. I am using the onboard Intel HD 3000 Graphics exclusivly, hybrid sleep, hybernation, haven't dissabled anything accept energy saving in BIOS and have no issues. My system has been stable for several weeks with no BSOD or freezing. I think any small energy savings you might be trying for useing an offset voltage instead of a fixed voltage is negligable and certainly not worth the added instability or excessive voltage issues. When I am not actively using my computer I either put it to sleep or turn it off altogether.

You can not simlpy pick a random VCORE voltage and hope for the best, the voltage must be determined through testing on your particular system.

[uszkanni]

Re: Asrock Z68 extreme 4 : BSOD A clock interrupt was not received ---

The problem with using more offset voltage instead of using a fixed voltage is, the Z68 Extreme 4 uses some pretty high voltages when left to its default settings to start with. For instance when I was overclocking @ 4.2 GHz using the default settings in BIOS for a 4.2 GHz overclock my CPU temps where about 10C higher testing with "Intel Burn Test" than when I found the correct fixed voltage to run at that speed and with the default settings my system was not stable (I was getting BSOD regullarly). If I had added more offset voltage to increase stability the overvoltage problem and accesive heat would have been even wourse. I think that finding the correct fixed VCORE voltage is the better answer with this motherboard.

I am presently running a 4.4 GHz overclock @ 1.34v VCORE. I am using the onboard Intel HD 3000 Graphics exclusivly, hybrid sleep, hybernation, haven't dissabled anything accept energy saving in BIOS and have no issues. My system has been stable for several weeks with no BSOD or freezing. I think any small energy savings you might be trying for useing an offset voltage instead of a fixed voltage is negligable and certainly not worth the added instability or excessive voltage issues. When I am not actively using my computer I either put it to sleep or turn it off altogether.

You can not simlpy pick a random VCORE voltage and hope for the best, the voltage must be determined through testing on your particular system.

Agree with Photoman; using a fixed VCore is the way to go. But having to play with VCore for a standard (ie, not overclocked) setup is a, shall we say, not optimal solution.

Questions remain. Why is the Extreme4 subject to these BSOD's and freezes when "idle" or not heavily loaded? It seems to be due to a too low VCore, but is the undervoltage a result of bad board design or are there just some bad boards out there? If it's a design issue, is it fixable via a BIOS update or is it a hardware problem with power management that cannot be fixed without a hardware moddddddd? And modifying the BIOS to add 0.07V, or whatever, is NOT THE SOLUTION. Asrock needs to acknowledge that there is a problem and work out a solution; not simply try to push the blame onto memory or PSU or whatever.

Actually, one more question remains. Would you continue to use/recommend Asrock or would you go to another manufacturer? I know my answer.