Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

[Evilsizer]

I finally did a upgrade to this Z97M OCF board, with a intel Pentium G3258(which is unlocked). there i set the multi to 42x in bios, restart, get into windows cpu and core temp show 32x. i then pop open the windows ocing tool, it shows 42x, lower it to 40x apply, then back to 42x apply, then cpuz and core temp show 42x. yet the odd part is that cpu shows max 32x multi in the window section, but shows current multi of 42x. why is this an issue, well another user on Overclockers.com forum in the G3258 owners thread. this persons cpuz shot doesnt show what im getting/seeing, i had to update the bios from 1.3 to 1.4 to make sure thing were working correctly with the cpu before trying to oc. watched it do the update thing in bios and restart. if things still dont make sense here are two screen shots to show what im talking about.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/Evilsizer/z97mocfstuckmulti_zps99319586.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/Evilsizer/z97mocf42multi_zps7b3becc7.jpg

seems like either a bios fix needs to happen or their is something else going on. i have check all the options in the oc page in the bios and there is nothing i can find that will allow my oc settings when i boot up. i should not have to wait till i get into windows and use a application to have my overclock.

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Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

Have you tried another monitoring program like HWiNFO64 to check the multi/CPU speed when you start Windows? Core Temp might not be updated for the G3258. Do you have the latest version of CPU-Z?

If you were to set the multi in the BIOS to 42 and boot into Windows, but then don't start the Windows OC tool, and then restart into the BIOS, what is the multi set to? You can also check the main BIOS screen to see the CPU speed, which should be 4.2GHz.

If the BIOS still has the multi as 42, then IMO the problem is not the BIOS but Core Temp and CPU-Z are wrong.

I have a G3258 in an ASRock Z87 board, but have not installed Windows yet on that PC, so can't check what I get. I can get into the BIOS fine and adjust things so it seems this CPU is fine in an ASR Z87 board.

[Evilsizer]

Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

in bios it does indeed show 4.28ghz clock speed, getting into windows it happens all over agian. Windows Properties, CPUz, CoreTemp, RealTemp, HWinfo64, SisSoft Sandra and CineBench R11.5/R15 all show 3.2ghz. i then ran sandra on the cpu to get a score at 3.2ghz and CineBench R15, then did the lower multi hit apply, then back up to 42x apply. all but cinebench showed the correct speed, all at 4.28ghz cinebench still showing 3.2ghz. I then ran sandra and CineBench R15 agian at 4.2ghz and cores jumped. while also watching core temp and load temps, at first boot into windows before messing with the multi in the ASRock oc tool, max temp that hit were 50c. after doing the multi switch a roo in the oc tool, max temp hit 60c.

only thing it might be which i need to do is a windows reinstall, this was a install from a another intel i series rig. if a windows install doesnt solve this, then i may have to send the board back to newegg and get the GB one i was eyeing. last ASRock board i used and liked alot was a P55M pro, since i have been reading bad things about asus rma's, i wanted to give this Z97M OC Formula a go, will be back with a update.

[Evilsizer]

Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

^{installed window 7 64bit at stock did all the updates, installed inf/usb 3.0 drivers from intel and NV drivers for the GPU. Go back into the bios set the multi to 42x restart, double check it went in bios, shows 4.28ghz on the main bios page, boot into windows. yet again all programs windows properties, cpuz, core temp, sissoft Sandra, cinebench and hwinfo64 show 3.26ghz. this has to be a bios issue, there is no way this can be something to do with windows nowm there is just no possible way that all those programs say the clock speed is stock, much less the fact that running the benches show the same thing. when I get the clock speed to show 4.28ghz in cpuz, ect I see a performance increase in sissoft Sandra as well as cinebench. if it isn't a bios issue, then is it a problem with the UEFI, since I see no way to go back to the older bios layout with these new boards. am I really going to have to exchange what really is a great board just to get my oc to work on a unlocked cpu.}

[Evilsizer]

Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

a bit disappointing from the tech support email i received from ASRock on the issue. There is an issue when the bios says one thing but all the cpu speed monitoring programs out there say its running near stock speed not what i set in bios and that what the bios is claiming. They tell me there is no problem since the bios is showing the correct speed...

Needless to say im not sure how or why this seemed to fixed the multi-lock issue. i decided to use the 4.2ghz oc profile in the bios, looked at the settings it changed, other then voltage changes i couldnt find anything anywhere. As using the oc profile seemed to fix the multi-lock shown by cpuz at 32x. cpuz is now showing the 42x set in bios and its now booting into the OS and maintaining 4.28ghz overclock.

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Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

Guess what, I'm having the same problem as you did with a G3258 in my Z87 Extreme 6 board. That is with a fresh Windows installation.

I set the multipliers to 38, booted into Windows, and all the monitoring programs show the multiplier at 32. Only the main BIOS screen shows a CPU speed of 3800MHz.

About your fix using the OC profile, a BIOS has more settings/options than those the user can change, they are just not displayed, or are hidden. I'm guessing that the OC profile set something we don't have access to, that being the difference.

Another possible factor with the G3258 is it does not support Turbo boost. All the Turbo options in the BIOS are removed when using a G3258. Increasing the multiplier can be considered changing the Turbo multiplier setting, some monitoring programs show the non-stock multi setting as the Turbo speed. HWiNFO shows my 38 multi setting as the Turbo speed, I wonder if that would be the same with your board. Yet iit still shows the CPU speed as 3200MHz, for a multi of 32.

I've seen posts in other forums of G3258 users that have over clocked it, and they are not having this problem at all, but they don't use ASRock boards. Their screenshots show the increased multipliers fine in many monitoring programs.

It almost seems like ASRock did not test the use of the G3258 very well, or had to be aware of this issue from the start. Using the OC profiles as a fix is not a good solution. IMO, ASRock is embarrassing themselves allowing this bug to exist in their BIOS', since other board manufactures do not have this problem.

The G3258 is listed in the CPU support list for the Z87 Extreme 6 board, whose last BIOS update is 2.30, dated 12/31/2013.

[Evilsizer]

Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

seems it is not limited to my board. a member over at overclockers.com/forums is having the same issue or something similar. though he said he fixed it by using the per core ratio vs all core ratio control. i honestly now dont recall if i tried per core ratio, mine was on all core.

just to check, did you have EIST and Turbo boost disabled? i swore i did but i also recall at one point it was enabled even though turbo boost isnt not supported like you said. I was at xtremesystems.org, there is a guy using the G3258 in a z97 OCF board that didnt have the issue i did or a few others are. It makes it hard to narrow down if it just a setting in the bios either not working correctly or one we are failing to set to disabled to get the ocing to work correctly. if you like feel free to read my thread i started over at OCF
ASRock tech support - Overclockers Forums

[Evilsizer]

Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

also one thing i didnt think would make a difference which this prolly is the case. is that for me, i have two options for controlling the multi, i can set "all cores" or change it to "per core". it seems the that using the "all core" option on this cpu is the issue, as by using the "per core" selection is allowing me to boot up and into windows with the 42x multi. IMO it shouldnt matter which option is used, it should still boot up and into windows at 42x, not tell me in bios it is. then hit the os and its back to stock ratio.

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Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

Update on my problem, which is now fixed. Recall that I'm using the G3258 in a Z87 Extreme 6 board.

I just noticed that my board has a Beta BIOS update, version 2.34 dated 7/1/2014, with this description: Update C0 microcode to support Pentium Anniversary.

Thanks for that ASRock. What do you know, this update brings back the Turbo option when using a G3258. Just like I was wondering about in my previous post. So it would seem a bit more than just the C0 microcode, unless that alone can keep the Turbo option available.

Evilsizer, I had EIST enabled, but as I said earlier my BIOS was not showing the Turbo option with the G3258 until the 2.34 BIOS update. Actually I have not tested what happens when Turbo is disabled, but I doubt the multiplier would go above 32 without Turbo enabled.

The per core and all core thing works, and here's why. This is how Intel describes the multipliers of the G3258:

1 Active Core: Limits the maximum ratio that the processor can use while one core is active.

2 Active Cores: Limits the maximum ratio that the processor can use while two cores are active.

I found like you that I must truly set the multiplier for Core 2 to the same multi as Core 1, or both will drop to whatever (default if not set) Core 2 is set to. That is exactly what Intel described is the case.

I did a quick OC of my G3258 to 4.0GHz with a max VID of 1.12V



So you said your board's BIOS does not have the Turbo option when using the G3258?

[Evilsizer]

Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

i know there was an option for enabling or disabling turbo boost, i can no longer find it.

as for the multi i think that is wrong, since the bios has options for "all core" and "per core". both serve the same function, if i use the "all cores" that means all the cores should be set to the ratio i put in. i should not have to use the "per core" option to get both cores to run at 42x multi, that is the issue.

what im saying as that the option of the cpu speed being listed in the bios as a "turbo" speed in the oc tool section. the cpu it self does not have or support the turbo boost feature, so having to have this enabled would be backwards to overclocking the cpu via the multi change.

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Re: Asrock Z97M OC Formula multi not kickin in

It's true the G3258 does not support Turbo, and I've seen ASR BIOS updates that included removing the Turbo option when the processor does not support it.

But when I disable Turbo in my board's BIOS, I no longer see the CPU's speed displayed above 3.2GHz, when I have both multipliers set to 40. The main BIOS screen will show the CPU's speed as 4000 MHz, but everything else displays it as 3.2GHz.

So I did some stress testing in IXTU, with the multipliers set to 40, and with Turbo enabled and then disabled.

CPU Speed	Max VID	Max CPU Temp	Max TDP	Turbo	Multiplier
4.0GHz	1.120V	56C	27 Watts	Enabled	40
3.2GHz	1.022V	48C	17 Watts	Disabled	40

In the upper right of this screenshot, we can see that Turbo is disabled, and the multipliers are set to 40. The lower area shows the CPU Speed (Processor Frequency), VID (CPU Core Voltage), CPU Temperature, etc.

IMO, it is clear that with Turbo disabled, the CPU is running at 3.2GHz, with the multipliers set to 40. The maximum VID, CPU temperature, and TDP are all lower than in the screenshot of my previous post, which shows the same settings but with Turbo enabled.

The display in the main BIOS screen which shows 4000MHz regardless of the Turbo setting, is wrong when Turbo is disabled. Even if it is correct when using the BIOS, once the OS boots, the CPU speed will be 3.2GHz when Turbo is disabled and the multipliers are set above 32.

All the hardware monitoring programs that display 3.2GHz with Turbo disabled and the multipliers set to 40 are correct.

Anyone can easily test and verify what their board/BIOS and BIOS settings do by using IXTU. Of course in your case you don't have the Turbo option available when a G3258 is in the board. You could use IXTU to see if Turbo is enabled, it might show that setting even if the option is not present in the BIOS UI.

My board with the version 2.34 Beta BIOS needs Turbo enabled to OC this CPU, the other BIOS versions will not allow an OC to be applied with the multipliers to a G3258 on a Z87 Extreme 6 board.