Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

[i-Solaris]

Hi people

When I go into the BIOS of my Z97 Extreme6 and I set a fixed cache voltage (Override mode) I do not see this value in the H/W Monitor menu, neither in the latest HWiNFO64. I have the latest official BIOS.

I will give an example. I set the CPU Cache voltage at 1.250V. I save and exit, I reboot. When I go back in the BIOS, in the H/W Monitor menu, I do not see the "1.250V" I have set. It always shows 0.560V or something, there.

Then I open HWiNFO64, the latest version. In the voltages, where it says CPU Cache it shows this 0.560V or around this value, again. It does not show the 1.250V I have set in the BIOS.

Finally, when I open the A-Tuning suite, yes, the value I have set is shown there. But it is a static value that never-ever changes. It is not a real-time value.

- Is my motherboard faulty or this is simply the way it works?
- Why is the Cache voltage value I set not showing correctly in the H/W Monitor menu of the BIOS, whereas the Vcore I set is shown correctly ? Does this mean that a Vcore sensor exists but a Cache voltage sensor does not exist, on this board?

I have also cleared CMOS following the instructions in the manual but it didn't resolve the problem.

Thank you.

[parsec]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

I own this board and use HWiNFO, so I know how it works. I also use two ASRock Z87 boards, so I have experience with their Haswell boards.

First, all ASRock Z87 and Z97 Haswell boards, with the possible exception of the OC Formula models, only display/provide the VIDs of the CPU cores and CPU cache. That is due to the Haswell processor architecture, with its internal voltage regulation and only using two voltage inputs to the CPU, VCCin/CPU Input voltage, and a DRAM input voltage that is not available on most ASRock boards, to set in the UEFI or for display in a monitoring program.

Some of the other mother board manufactures have additional monitoring chips on their boards that apparently allow them to provide a true VCore voltage reading. How accurate they are I don't know, since the true VCore voltage is created internally in Haswell processors.

The VCore and Cache voltages you see in HWiNFO seem to be the cache VID, and I assume a derived VCore reading of some kind. I haven't asked about the VCore reading in the HWiNFO forum so can't comment more about it. The VCore reading was added not long ago and did not exist for ASRock boards in earlier versions of HWiNFO. The Cache reading in HWiNFO I get seems accurate and IMO is the Cache VID. The VCore reading in HWiNFO is not a VID, and mine will read 0.0V at times, so may be actually showing my CPU going into the C7 state and using no power. But I wonder about that reading.

You should see the core VIDs in HWiNFO, what are they when you use Override voltage? BTW, what CPU are you using?

The VCore and Cache voltages seen in A-Tuning are simply the values set in the UEFI, you are right about that. My question for you is, what do you see as the Offset value in A-Tuning, and what is the Offset set to for VCore and Cache in the UEFI?

Other questions, do you have C States enabled in the CPU Configuration screen in the UEFI? What Windows Power Plan do you use?

I use the Adaptive Voltage setting for the CPU and Cache in the UEFI, and use a negative Offset voltage setting. With C States enabled in the UEFI, and a Power Plan that has a very low value for the Minimum Processor State, the VIDs for the Cores and Cache will drop to very low values with the CPU at idle. That seems to be what you are seeing with the 0.560V Cache voltage (VID) you see in HWiNFO.

The VCore and Cache voltages I get in the HW Monitor screen of the UEFI are the maximum VIDs I see when in Windows. The CPU power saving options (C States, etc) are not active when in the UEFI.

Is there any difference in your settings in the UEFI for the VCore and Cache voltages? This subject is a bit complicated, so the details are important.

[i-Solaris]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

Hi parsec and thank you for your answer. I will try to reply to your questions. Before saying anything though, I'd like to say that I am seeking for one thing, mainly:
- To understand IF my motherboard is faulty or if this is just the way it works.

- I have an Intel i7 4790K with this ASRock Z97 Extreme6. I have the latest BIOS, P1.40. I have Windows 7 64 bit, fully updated, clean installation of two days. The INF and ME drivers/software is installed and in the appropriate order. In Windows I use the High Performance plan, always setting the minimum processor state to 1% or 0%.

I took some screenshot - it's better this way - I will comment a bit where necessary.

Override Mode Example

- With the PC powered off and unplugged I clear CMOS (following the manual's instructions)
- When I power on I enter the BIOS, I load Optimal Defaults (F9) - I save and exit (F10)
- I reboot, and back in the BIOS I set :










ALL C-States and Intel SpeedStep Technology DISABLED. Specifically, I have disabled all C-States one by one, and then I disabled that one which hides them all.



Then I save and exit.
Back in the BIOS, here is what H/W Monitor looks like :
Please note that I have rebooted!





And finally, here is how things looks in Windows:







Questions
- Is my motherboard faulty?
- Why, when I set the Cache Voltage in a fixed value in the BIOS, the H/W Monitor menu in the BIOS does not show, after rebooting, the value I have set?
- Is this how it is supposed to work or is my motherboard faulty?


ps: I apologize for the huge screenshots but I don't know how to make them smaller!

Thank you!

[parsec]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

Your screenshots are fine IMO, you should be able to make them smaller with options on the tinypic site.

A quick first result for you just to get started. While we have similar systems, I am currently using a Pentium G3258 in my Z97 Extreme 6 board. It is a Haswell processor, but not in the same family as yours, if that makes a difference. I also use many different UEFI settings than you do, so I would consider my results to be tentative since UEFI options my influence the results we each get. I'm using UEFI 1.40.

All I did for these screenshots is to set the Cache Voltage Mode to Override, set the Cache Voltage to 1.000V, and have the Offset set to Auto:





Here's the HWiNFO display of the Cache settings above, with C States disabled (I have a Windows program that can toggle C States):



First note that the Cache Override voltage setting of 1.000V results in an actual voltage of 1.008V or a bit more.

So you can see that in my case the Cache voltage setting is correctly displayed in the HW Monitor screen, and by HWiNFO64 (v4.47-2347.) The Minimum CPU VID, VCore, and Cache voltages in HWiNFO were recorded with C States enabled.

It looks like IMO for some reason your Cache voltage is not being detected correctly. I doubt that your cache could run at 4.0GHz with a voltage of ~0.680V. Do you agree?

We see almost the same value for Cache voltage in the UEFI and in HWiNFO, which looks like bad data from your board's sensor chip.

I'll fool around with UEFI settings when I have time, but so far it does not seem like your cache voltage data from the sensor chip is correct.

[i-Solaris]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

parsec, thank you for your cooperation and your help.

Even though you do not have the same processor as me, on this board, I think I have arrived to a conclusion: I am 99% sure now that my ASRock Z97 Extreme6 is a faulty motherboard and I will proceed to RMA first thing on Monday morning.

I have set the Cache Voltage in the BIOS to Override Mode and its value to 1.2V. The result in H/W Monitor in the BIOS is the same: 0.672V or 0.680V. I have then set it to Adaptive voltage Mode with a value of 0.900V. After saving and exiting, back in the BIOS - H/W Monitor menu, the sensor was showing 0.672V again.

I have tested some other values, as well, like the CPU Input voltage. I have set this at 2.0V, and rebooted. This one seems to work: H/W Monitor showed 2.008V, if I recall correctly. And finally, the Vcore reading works, too. Setting a Vcore of 1.2V, results in a +0.02V or so, in H/W Monitor after rebooting.

As you see, I am referring to the H/W Monitor menu in the BIOS, and I am not referring to any third party monitoring software, like HWiNFO64 or even the A-Tuning suite! The reason for this is simple: a software "is allowed" to error. The BIOS itself though should function 100% correctly, according to my personal and subjective opinion. In our case though HWiNFO64, which is the only monitoring tool I trust for years, does function correctly because it just reads and shows the false value from the faulty sensor (of the Cache voltage).

A-Tuning suite just shows what the user inputs.


Thank you, then.
It would be great IF an owner with my processor and this board could/would test this, as well. Just set a fixed Cache voltage value in your BIOS, save and exit, and then check the H/W monitor menu, in the BIOS, to see IF the Cache Volt. you've set is read correctly and shown there.

Too bad I will have to RMA this board. It is an EXCELLENT and VERY DECENT all-rounder! Well......can you do..................

[parsec]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

I moved my i5-4670K to my Z87 OC Formula board a couple weeks ago, so unlucky timing for you.

Believe me, I would have noticed if my Cache voltage in the UEFI HW Monitor screen was not what it should be when my i5-4670K was installed. I'm sure that it wasn't an impossible value like yours is now.

I was using Adaptive voltage with the 4670K too, but I doubt now that Adaptive or Override makes any difference. The only way your Cache voltage reading makes any sense is if it was the reading of an idle CPU with C States enabled. But C States are not active when the UEFI UI is running, and your CPU voltage reading is normal, as are the other readings in HW Monitor.

I've never seen a thread in this forum about your issue, and I would have noticed it. I have no other explanation for it besides a problem with the sensor chip, or the connection from the CPU to the sensor chip for the Cache voltage, if there are multiple connections rather than one data flow connection.

One other thing you can look at just in case is the main display of HWiNFO, which has Program Report Monitoring Help at the top. You can find a tree layout of your PC at the left, and if you select your processor, in the detail display on the right it will list the Cache voltage settings (called LLC/Ring). Might be worth while to verify your UEFI settings for the Cache voltage with this information.

[i-Solaris]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

...

One other thing you can look at just in case is the main display of HWiNFO, which has Program Report Monitoring Help at the top. You can find a tree layout of your PC at the left, and if you select your processor, in the detail display on the right it will list the Cache voltage settings (called LLC/Ring). Might be worth while to verify your UEFI settings for the Cache voltage with this information.

I have already tested this, and yes, in the main windows of HWiNFO64, Overclock section, I can see the Cache Voltage value that I set in the BIOS.
What does this prove though? Does it prove that this "cache sensor" functions properly in my motherboard? I do not think so. Because, most probably, in that main window of HWiNFO64 the "static" cache value is shown. I mean, just the value the user sets is shown, like it is happening with A-Tuning.

The conclusion is that on my motherboard the "cache sensor" is not functioning. Real-time monitoring of the Cache Voltage is impossible because it is faulty. I will RMA it. I am almost 100% sure. IF another owner with my chip and mobo will confirm that the Cache is monitored properly like it is on your board, then I will be 100% absolutely sure.

It's worth mentioning that I have also contacted the Technical Support about this problem. Unfortunately, I have not provided screenshots to them, I just explained the problem the best way I could. They say that on their motherboards were not able to observe a similar issue, and that in their boards, in their Z97 Extreme6, the Cache voltage is shown correctly. They have suggested me to clear CMOS and retry, something I have done without any positive effect. I have e-mailed them again, explaining the process I follow step-by-step and describing the problem more clearly. Due to the weekend I have not received a reply, yet.

On Monday morning I am RMA-ing this board. Tomorrow, most probably, I will uninstall everything and I will install my system on the other motherboard I have. I am already researching on the ASUS Maximus VII Hero.

These are my plans and I will apply them unless....an owner of my chip and board, or anyone else, will provide a solution on how to fix this. I believe it cannot get fixed from the user's side though.

Thank you.

[parsec]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

All the HWiNFO information proves or shows is another "opinion" on the Cache voltage and offset setting values. Those settings were validated in Windows by another program, not just A-Tuning. That is another example that the only thing that is wrong is the sensor reading of the Cache voltage, everything else is consistent and is correct.

If you felt like bothering trying something else, you could flash UEFI 1.40 again in case yours was corrupted somehow. Or try the backup UEFI with the restore procedure, using the switch on the board. Of course that might result in no change.

This is an odd problem, never encountered or dealt with it before. Personally, I don't like to use Auto settings on some UEFI options, like BCLK, OC Fixed Mode, etc, but those should not affect the Cache voltage reading... you would assume...

Good luck with the new board if (when) you do so.

[i-Solaris]

Re: Z97 Extreme6 : Cache Voltage! Can you monitor it?

...

If you felt like bothering trying something else, you could flash UEFI 1.40 again in case yours was corrupted somehow. Or try the backup UEFI with the restore procedure, using the switch on the board. Of course that might result in no change.

This is an odd problem, never encountered or dealt with it before. Personally, I don't like to use Auto settings on some UEFI options, like BCLK, OC Fixed Mode, etc, but those should not affect the Cache voltage reading... you would assume...

Good luck with the new board if (when) you do so.

I have already re-flashed the 1.40 BIOS, it did not solve the problem. Perhaps on the backup BIOS the "sensor" would work. Perhaps if I would even flash an earlier BIOS version could make it work again. I do not want to try this though because I see no point in it. Even if things would work there I have no intention in staying with an outdated BIOS.

This "sensor" used to work in the past - not sure IF I have mentioned this... I have a screenshot from HWiNFO64 from a month or more, ago, where this is shown. This means that it was ready to die, and it finally did. (I use quotation in the word "sensor" because I don't really know if there is an actual sensor there, or how these things work).

Oh, and I do not use "Auto" for these setting (you mention) either.

Anyway, the sure thing is I am RMA-ing this specific item of the Extreme6 I own. It is highly probable that I might get another Extreme6 again! I loved this board! Even though I also own a Gigabyte Z97X SOC Force, the Extreme6 is the motherboard that has permitted me to achieve the full potential of my Intel processor because it permits a truly per-core overcloking, by allowing the user to set Adaptive Voltage values in combination with offsets. Official Gigabyte Technical Support has admitted to me that their SOC Force boards do not offer "Adaptive Voltage Mode".... It was a huge surprise (and turn off) for me....

Too bad no Extreme6 & i7-4790K owner hasn't contributed in this thread by simply setting a fixed Cache Volt. and then checking out the value in his BIOS.

Thank you for your support, parsec!

I will update and close this topic when I will have more news.