Help with setting Vcore on ASUS Hero MB needed

[brucewtb 247]

I have a brand new Haswell system and need some assistance with the ASUS Hero Maximus VI UEFI so I can do some stress testing - particularly on just how you manually change CPU Vcore because when I change the UEFI Vcore option from Auto to Manual there doesn't seem to any way to actually manipulate the voltage.  

What am I missing here?

 

Thanks.

 

Bruceb

[CaptKornDog 281]

With "Fully Manual Mode" either enabled or disabled, you should just be able to left click and type a "CPU Core Voltage" under the "Extreme Tweaker" tab

 

Maybe make sure the UEFI isn't automatically trying to OC with some pre-programmed settings already.

[dgraham1284 92]

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Haswell_OC_Guide/8.html

 

There ya go.

[brucewtb 247]

With "Fully Manual Mode" either enabled or disabled,

 

 

How do you set "fully manual" in the hero motherboard? I've seen how to do this with the ROG Extreme motherboard elsewhere on the web but not for Hero which disappointingly seems to lack some useful features of the more expensive ROG boards and I'm wondering if this is another.  There is a manual mode but left clicking on that  just brings up the dialogue box options again.  Thanks

 

Bruceb

[brucewtb 247]

OK, still no idea how you manually set Vcore on the Hero mb so I decided to go with Auto and multipliers for all cores at 46, ram voltage 1.65 and speed 2400.  Rebooted and loaded into windows seemed stable so ran the Aida stress test for three hours still stable.  The temps for the different cores varied quite a bit peaking at 90c but mostly high 70s.  However Vcore was from about 1.35 - 1.45 which seems high.  So where to from here still searching for a way to manually set Vcore on my Hero mb?

 

Bruceb

[martin-w 3,234]

Auto voltage will always give you higher volts and thus higher temps. Asus have to allow for the chips that didn't do too well in the silicone lottery.

 

I would look for a youtube video pertaining to overclocking your MB. Or why not check out your MB manual that should give you full instructions.

 

 

Failling that, Asus provide an overclocking utility that will automaticaly stress test and overclock. I have used it myself. Stop it before it goes to the max though, as it pushes very high. It's within AI Suite.

 

Turbo V Evo.

[idahosurge 2]

This is a screenshot from the Asus M6E UEFI, the Hero is probably close to the same.

 

You need to change "Fully Manual Mode" to "Enabled" and then you should be able to click on the box for "CPU Core Voltage" and enter a value.  After you enter the value you need to press "Enter" on you keyboard to get the value to take.

 

 

Using any auto OC utility maybe easy, but it is not really the best option.  The best option is OC manually in the UEFI and to enter all voltages manually so the BIOS and/or the OC Utility can not change them up/down as they see fit.

 

Here is a link to the best OC guide you will find for an Asus Z87 motherboard.  It is a lot of reading and Nick certainly has his opinions on things, but it is well worth the time to read it and follow all his directions.  Nick has never steered me wrong in the advise he has given me over the last seven years and he will not post any voltages or speeds that he considers unsafe.

 

On top of that the voltages that he recommends are below the voltages recommended by Asus in their Z87 overclock guides.  Asus and any other overclock guide out there that I have seen tells you that you need higher voltages for a stable OC than you actually do.  Nick's guide shows you how to trim all the voltages and to be able to use the lowest voltages possible for a stable OC.

http://www.simforums.com/forums/haswell-48ghz-on-air-building-a-haswell-system_topic46180.html

 

Following his directions I am at 4.7 GHz / 4400MHz rock solid stable with a vcore of only 1.33 and a CPU cache of only 1.30.

[martin-w 3,234]

Using any auto OC utility maybe easy, but it is not really the best option.  The best option is OC manually in the UEFI and to enter all voltages manually so the BIOS and/or the OC Utility can not change them up/down as they see fit.

 

 

 

That is the conventional wisdom. I've always overclocked via the BIOS. However, I fully intend to give the Asus software a second try soon. When I tried it before, it set my voltage high. And guess what, it was right to do so. I have learnt from testing that my CPU requires high voltage.

 

You can certainly fine tune better yourself, rather than relying on overclocking software, and end up with lower CPU volts, but I feel that many of the auto overclock utilities may have received a bad reputation unfairly. Companies like Asus don't stand still, they continue to improve their software offerings.

[brucewtb 247]

This is a screenshot from the Asus M6E UEFI, the Hero is probably close to the same.

 

You need to change "Fully Manual Mode" to "Enabled" and then you should be able to click on the box for "CPU Core Voltage" and enter a value.

 

 

Thanks but It seems there may be subtle differences in ASUS ROG UEFIs as my ASUS Hero MB UEFI doesn't have the Fully Manual option that appears in this screenshot unless someone can suggest how to get this option displayed. Which still leaves me puzzling how to manually input a fixed value for Vcore on the Hero.  Grateful for any further assistance because unless you can set Vcore I don't see how you can pass go with a manual overclock.

 

Bruceb

[CaptKornDog 281]

Are you in Easy or Advanced mode in the UEFI?

 

[brucewtb 247]

Advanced mode but I think I have it figured now - I had another go at entering a value in CPU core voltage override and got it to work  - thanks. Interestingly ASUS recommends adaptive mode rather than manual for overclocking.

 

Bruceb

[martin-w 3,234]

Can be tricky adaptive, from what I understand. I would go for fixed voltage, and then when stable, calculate the off-set and use that.

[idahosurge 2]

Thanks but It seems there may be subtle differences in ASUS ROG UEFIs as my ASUS Hero MB UEFI doesn't have the Fully Manual option that appears in this screenshot unless someone can suggest how to get this option displayed. Which still leaves me puzzling how to manually input a fixed value for Vcore on the Hero.  Grateful for any further assistance because unless you can set Vcore I don't see how you can pass go with a manual overclock.

 

Bruceb

 

As you seem to have figured out you have to be in Advanced Mode to manually overclock.

 

When you start getting into your higher overclocks (4.6, 4.7, 4.8) adaptive mode is not really a good idea.  Adaptive jacks your voltages up without you knowing it.

 

I realize that most people would believe the manufacturer of the motherboard and follow their advise, but in this case I would take what Asus recommends with a grain of salt.

 

I highly suggest that you go read Nick's guide on overclocking an Asus Z87 motherboard.  If you follow his guide you will be able to find the lowest voltages you need to run your overclock stable and those voltages will be lower than the voltages Asus will tell you to use and certainly  are lower than what adaptive mode would apply.

 

You may need a higher vcore than I did or a lower vcore, it depends on the chip lottery.  The only way to get to the lowest stable vcore and cpu cache that you need is to do it all manually.  Lower voltages equals lower temps and those two combined equals longer CPU life!

[brucewtb 247]

Well the ASUS description of adaptive does make some sense at least the way I understood it - sets a maximum value eg 1.2 or whatever but at idle enables the system to run at much lower voltages.  Anyway I'm finding that to run my cpu at 4.6 I need something closer to 1.30 volts and that gives me a cpu temp of about 70 under load.  However still in the experimenting stage and will read NickNs guide.

 

Bruceb

[martin-w 3,234]

I highly suggest that you go read Nick's guide on overclocking an Asus Z87 motherboard. If you follow his guide you will be able to find the lowest voltages you need to run your overclock stable and those voltages will be lower than the voltages Asus will tell you to use and certainly are lower than what adaptive mode would apply.

You know what, this is another area where auto overclock utilities, like the Asus version, get an unfair bad wrap. It's perfectly possible to use the voltage recommended by Asus, or the voltage and settings their auto overclock sets... and then go into the UEFI and further fine tune. That way you save time, and still end up with an overclock that's stable at the lowest possible voltage. Using the Asus overclock utility as a "base line" is a viable method.