Disabling cores?

[Tech Wizard]

Hello,

 

I'm using an i7 4930k (6c/12t) @ 4,4GHz / 1.3V. I'm only playing video games, and never render. I was wondering if disabling 2 cores will result in lower temps / ability to overclock higher on less voltage required for all the 6 cores? 

Example: Could I maybe do 4,5GHz OC with 1.3V on 4 cores, over my 4,4GHz @ 1.3V on 6 cores?

 

I'm just wondering what the benefits to disable cores are. Thanks

[NTDaws]

It makes logical sense that if your cpu has less cores it will run cooler and consume less powerso I would assume that you would be able to achieve a higher overclock.

A quad core @ 4.8GHz should be just fine. I would rather run 4 cores at 3.9GHz that 3 cores at 4.2 - 4.3GHz.

Why not just check yourself? Disable 1 core and bump up the multiplier or bus speed and see what happens. I have been wondering about this too...

[Joe_MacDougall]

This would be good for fewer threaded applications like games. Not so much for many threaded applications.

[Tech Wizard]

1 minute ago, Joe_MacDougall said:

This would be good for single threaded applications like games. Not so much for multi threaded applications.

Games these days don't use more than 4 cores anyways, and as mentioned, I don't do any rendering.

[Joe_MacDougall]

Just now, Tech Wizard said:

Games these days don't use more than 4 cores anyways

Exactly.

[SLAYR]

Disabling cores typically lets you oc higher, the only way someone got the 8.4Ghz on an fx 8xxx was because they only ran one core.

2 minutes ago, Tech Wizard said:

Games these days don't use more than 4 cores anyways, and as mentioned, I don't do any rendering.

 

2 minutes ago, Joe_MacDougall said:

Exactly.

Games are starting to use up to 8 threads in AAA title now, I wouldn't disable too many cores.

[biggiepk]

Why did you bought  i7 4930K in first place?
 

Also, changing 6 cores to 4 cores to incease 100mhz won't give you any good. 

 

 

[Joe_MacDougall]

Just now, SLAYR said:

Disabling cores typically lets you oc higher, the only way someone got the 8.4Ghz on an fx 8xxx was because they only ran one core.

 

Games are starting to use up to 8 threads in AAA title now, I wouldn't disable too many cores.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Tech Wizard said:

Games these days don't use more than 4 cores anyways, and as mentioned, I don't do any rendering.

Disable 2 cores and keep hyperthreading and you'll be set.

[ARikozuM]

2 minutes ago, Tech Wizard said:

Games these days don't use more than 4 cores anyways, and as mentioned, I don't do any rendering.

There are many games that will use six cores or more, but the issue is that the clock speed drops by a fair amount cancelling the benefit which is why people often stick with mainstream CPU's like 4790 or 6700, while the 5820K and 6800K are still respectable in their own right.

[Tech Wizard]

3 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

There are many games that will use six cores or more, but the issue is that the clock speed drops by a fair amount cancelling the benefit which is why people often stick with mainstream CPU's like 4790 or 6700, while the 5820K and 6800K are still respectable in their own right.

What games are using more than 4 cores? I'm interested in some examples.

3 minutes ago, Joe_MacDougall said:

 

 

Disable 2 cores and keep hyperthreading and you'll be set.

Might try that.

4 minutes ago, biggiepk said:

Why did you bought  i7 4930K in first place?
 

Also, changing 6 cores to 4 cores to incease 100mhz won't give you any good. 

 

 

Got the CPU, MOBO + RAM for free from work.

The +100MHz on same voltage was just an exampe man...

4 minutes ago, SLAYR said:

Disabling cores typically lets you oc higher, the only way someone got the 8.4Ghz on an fx 8xxx was because they only ran one core.

 

Games are starting to use up to 8 threads in AAA title now, I wouldn't disable too many cores.

What do you think about disabling 2 cores, leaving it at 4c/8t, and try to push it to 4,6GHz?

[ARikozuM]

7 minutes ago, Tech Wizard said:

What games are using more than 4 cores? I'm interested in some examples.

Mostly depends on the engines that games or programs use. Frostbite, Unreal Engine and CryEngine use as many cores as you have. Ubisoft's in-house engine has been shown to use as many as you can give as well.

 

Do take what I said before though about core and clocks.

[RadiatingLight]

16 minutes ago, Joe_MacDougall said:

Disable 2 cores and keep hyperthreading and you'll be set.

 

10 minutes ago, Tech Wizard said:

What games are using more than 4 cores? I'm interested in some examples.

Watch Dogs 2:

Uses tons of CPU power at max settings. it uses all my 8 threads on my 4770K up to 80% evenly, so i think it would use more

[RadiatingLight]

11 minutes ago, Tech Wizard said:

What games are using more than 4 cores? I'm interested in some examples.

Might try that.

Got the CPU, MOBO + RAM for free from work.

The +100MHz on same voltage was just an exampe man...

What do you think about disabling 2 cores, leaving it at 4c/8t, and try to push it to 4,6GHz?

then why the heck did you buy a 6 core CPU?

*Buys 6-core CPU*

*disables 2 cores*

Better performance now!

 

legit a 6700K is better than a 6800K with two cores disabled. if you don't need six cores, then just buy an i7 CPU.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

3 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

then why the heck did you buy a 6 core CPU?

*Buys 6-core CPU*

*disables 2 cores*

Better performance now!

 

legit a 6700K is better than a 6800K with two cores disabled. if you don't need six cores, then just buy an i7 CPU.

You know, you also quoted the part where OP said: 

Quote

Got the CPU, MOBO + RAM for free from work.

 

OP: typically disabling cores help you overclock higher. As long as OCing is fun to you, you can't lose much by trying and comparing  

 

7 minutes ago, RadiatingLight said:

 

Watch Dogs 2:

Uses tons of CPU power at max settings. it uses all my 8 threads on my 4770K up to 80% evenly, so i think it would use more

Be aware that usage reporting with HT enabled is tricky. For example, if you run a program that creates 4 threads, and each thread uses a core to it's maximum, what kind of usage would task manager report? Technically, there are 4 "logical cores" idle. At the same time, 100% of the hardware is under load, and you don't really have any spare resources.