Help Needed - i7-4790K Thermal Throttling on Stock Settings and Overclocking Issues

[Equilibrium23]

Hi,

I have posted the same on reddit and am struggling to get some advice so thought I would post this here as well.

Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/overclocking/comments/kystwp/i74790k_overclocking_was_stable_now_isnt/

Essentially I got a used i7-4790K and intended to socket swap it with my old i5-4690K. To cut a long story short (more detail can be seen in the reddit post) the CPU now won't even properly stress test using OCCT Small Data Set 8 Threads - it just instantly thermal throttles to 100 deg on STOCK settings (please see attachments for these). I have manually set the settings in the BIOS to stock and ensured FIXED mode is on (not adaptive). Now I need to stress that I have had this chip run at 4.7GHz at 1.29V with a temp of 68 deg. I am unsure why this is happening, the CMOS has been cleared, optimised defaults loaded before any changes are made. I have been at this for a couple days now so any help would be highly appreciated.

RIG:
i7-4790K
MSI Z97 Gaming 5
Coolermaster 212 Evo w/ Arctic Silver 5 + Noctua Fans
16GB 1333MHz RAM

 

[Kilrah]

If it's overheating stock then your cooler is not doing its job or properly mounted.

[Equilibrium23]

6 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

If it's overheating stock then your cooler is not doing its job or properly mounted.

Hi, the issue isnt the cooler as I can get it running at 4.7Ghz at 68 deg under load. The issue is that its so unstable/inconsistent.. Could it be the mobo?

[Kilrah]

If it worked well with your previous CPU it would be somewhat unlikely... the used CPU might be faulty though.

[CommanderAlex]

1 minute ago, Equilibrium23 said:

Hi, the issue isnt the cooler as I can get it running at 4.7Ghz at 68 deg under load. The issue is that its so unstable/inconsistent.. Could it be the mobo?

How much was the 4790K? Whom did you buy it from and what platform? Set the processor voltages back to default by clearing CMOS. I assume its on the latest BIOS revision that supports the 4790K since the 4690K are both Devil's Canyon. 

[Equilibrium23]

2 minutes ago, SpiderMan said:

How much was the 4790K? Whom did you buy it from and what platform? Set the processor voltages back to default by clearing CMOS. I assume its on the latest BIOS revision that supports the 4790K since the 4690K are both Devil's Canyon. 

The CPU was £155 inc cooler and the seller through in his used z97-HD3 too. That in the UK is about the average. it wasn't OC prior to purchase. I have cleared the CMOS and issue remains. Bought it from eBay.

[CommanderAlex]

7 minutes ago, Equilibrium23 said:

The CPU was £155 inc cooler and the seller through in his used z97-HD3 too. That in the UK is about the average. it wasn't OC prior to purchase. I have cleared the CMOS and issue remains. Bought it from eBay.

Always believe the CPU was overclocked unless it was NIB with Intel's tampering tape still sealed on the retail packaging. I'd contact the seller about the processor as it should just run at stock settings after clearing CMOS. 

[Equilibrium23]

2 minutes ago, SpiderMan said:

Always believe this was unless it was NIB with Intel's tampering tape still sealed on the retail packaging. I'd contact the seller about the processor as it should just run at stock settings after clearing CMOS. 

Right okay. So to be clear I am currently using it on stock to play warzone and it is running fine. Temps around 54 degrees. Like I said I have got it running on 4.7GHz Vcore 1.29 and passing a 10min run on OCCT. I will mess around with it more and see what is happening. Does anything come to mind or could be an issue from what I have said?

[CommanderAlex]

Just now, Equilibrium23 said:

Right okay. So to be clear I am currently using it on stock to play warzone and it is running fine. Temps around 54 degrees. Like I said I have got it running on 4.7GHz Vcore 1.29 and passing a 10min run on OCCT. I will mess around with it more and see what is happening. Does anything come to mind or could be an issue from what I have said?

I did have a 212 EVO with my 4790K but I feel its not enough if you plan on OCing that. An AIO or a big dual tower cooler like a Dark Rock Pro 4 or NH-D15( <- I used this) will keep the temperatures down. 

[Equilibrium23]

i get what you mean. I need to have a look then at potentially getting a new cooler. Annoyed to say the least that the temps/stability are so unstable. Thanks for the help

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

44 minutes ago, Equilibrium23 said:

Right okay. So to be clear I am currently using it on stock to play warzone and it is running fine. Temps around 54 degrees.

If it's running at normal temperatures now, then what exactly is the issue?

[Equilibrium23]

3 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

If it's running at normal temperatures now, then what exactly is the issue?

The issue is that when I try and overclock, I can get it stable at an value or set of values, but when I then come back to that "known" stable state, it no longer acts as it did. I.e it no longer boots or logs in. And when it does its not showing the characteristics it did before and jsut thermal throttles straight to 100 deg wheere beofre it was at 68 for instance

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

37 minutes ago, Equilibrium23 said:

but when I then come back to that "known" stable state

Elaborate on this.

 

Why are you departing from your OC settings, and then returning to them? Are you saving and loading profiles, or resetting everything manually?

 

This sounds like user error.

[Equilibrium23]

3 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Elaborate on this.

 

Why are you departing from your OC settings, and then returning to them? Are you saving and loading profiles, or resetting everything manually?

 

This sounds like user error.

So what I was doing was going testing the limits of the OC, so starting from 4.4GHz and working my way up. I reached a stable point at 4.7GHz with the values I said but wanted to see if I could push to 4.8GHz as the temps were low ~68. When I came to the conclusion that 4.8GHz was out fo reach without cracking the voltage to 1.35+ I decided to go back to the settigns where I knew it was stable i.e 4.7GHz 1.29 etc. Now when I did this, bearing in mind i was only chaning Vccin, Clock Multi, and Vcore, when I loaded those same exact values it would not boot etc. Restting manually, I haven't been saving profiles. I wrote down my testing and what I did at each stage if you want to see...

[Equilibrium23]

Attached is the run I just did. CMOS cleared. Stock values as shown were loaded. Note the high temperatures.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Equilibrium23 said:

Attached is the run I just did. CMOS cleared. Stock values as shown were loaded. Note the high temperatures.

 

You're expecting way too much from a hyper 212 and Artic silver paste (This paste requires a 200 hour burn in time)

 

Most people aiming 4.7ghz+ are using a water loop. A lot of these chips are going to be over 1.3v at 4.7ghz, and closer to 5ghz, over 1.4v

 

TLDR - get better cooling. (and paste)

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

7 minutes ago, Equilibrium23 said:

 Now when I did this, bearing in mind i was only chaning Vccin, Clock Multi, and Vcore, when I loaded those same exact values it would not boot etc. Restting manually, I haven't been saving profiles. I wrote down my testing and what I did at each stage if you want to see...

Motherboards do weird things sometimes, people make mistakes other times. I'd recommend saving profiles as you find stable settings. When I'm tweaking my settings I make a profile at every step along the way. I end up with half a dozen or more before I find my final settings.

[Equilibrium23]

1 hour ago, ShrimpBrime said:

You're expecting way too much from a hyper 212 and Artic silver paste (This paste requires a 200 hour burn in time)

 

Most people aiming 4.7ghz+ are using a water loop. A lot of these chips are going to be over 1.3v at 4.7ghz, and closer to 5ghz, over 1.4v

 

TLDR - get better cooling. (and paste)

Okay thats fair enough but that does not explain why at stock conditions under a stress test its hitting 100 deg. I understand what you are saying but I do think you might but focusing on another part of my issue. My main issue here is why at stock conditions it is thermal throttling when previously it has not been.

[Equilibrium23]

Surely even the stock cooler out of the box should be able to keep the chip at 4Ghz cool enough during a stress test, just saying

 

[Equilibrium23]

1 hour ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

Motherboards do weird things sometimes, people make mistakes other times. I'd recommend saving profiles as you find stable settings. When I'm tweaking my settings I make a profile at every step along the way. I end up with half a dozen or more before I find my final settings.

Okay that makes sense. Regarding the throttling on stock settings tho? Any ideas as to why thats happening? I would have assumed at the manufacturers recommended settings it would be able to run no issues?

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

37 minutes ago, Equilibrium23 said:

Okay that makes sense. Regarding the throttling on stock settings tho? Any ideas as to why thats happening? I would have assumed at the manufacturers recommended settings it would be able to run no issues?

You said that it isn't happening anymore, that you are running at 54C in Warzone. So I can only assume that those settings that caused throttling were not stock.

[Equilibrium23]

19 minutes ago, HairlessMonkeyBoy said:

You said that it isn't happening anymore, that you are running at 54C in Warzone. So I can only assume that those settings that caused throttling were not stock.

See that is more of the issue. Its when it is under 100% load stress testing where it then thermal throttles. When player warzone that is when it is complete stock stock (optimised defaults), so I am not forcing values and adaptive mode is ON (was off for stress testing to stop damage from occurring).

[Kilrah]

When you adjust a value your mobo probably adjusts some of the things that are on Auto in the background, and doesn't readjust when you dial back your settings?

 

I.e. use profiles as others suggested.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Equilibrium23 said:

Okay thats fair enough but that does not explain why at stock conditions under a stress test its hitting 100 deg. I understand what you are saying but I do think you might but focusing on another part of my issue. My main issue here is why at stock conditions it is thermal throttling when previously it has not been.

1st stock voltage is close to your OC votlage. 1.250v (could be more, you have vcore covered in your screen shots, or the issue may stand out like a sore thumb. )

 

If XMP is enabled, some votlages will be increased by the board until you manually set them. At stock you can use C-states, which generally when OC, you disable them.

 

H212, a little over rated. Better than stock, around average. Not good for 140w and up.

 

 

[freeagent]

I don’t have a 4790K but FWIW I had a hard time keeping my 3770K at 4300 with stock volts cool on a 212 Evo and quite a bit of case flow. For load I use Linpack Xtreme.