8 replies to this topic

[Sanosuke_Sagara]

Just finished building this thing a few days ago, and wanted to OC before I posted pics of the install.. (which installation went nearly perfect)

I have experience OCing with the Socket A's and which Multiply x the FSB and it gives you the overall clocked (and PCI Bus is locked) and then you just adjust voltages accordingly.

I built and OCed a AM3 system for my sister and it was the same formula.. except there was a North Bridge Frequency right? Which for her motherboard was around 2000Mhz, so after overclocking, I had to throw on a divider to get somewhere in-between stock NB clock frequency.


SOOOOOO now fast forward 2 more years, and I just recently built myself a FM1 socket system. So it looks like its roughly the same... but.. whenever I move the clock speeds just a BIT, it seems to fail windows load.. However when i OC using the manufacture software (not bios) it seems to work.. but ends up being unstable and crashing (with software overclocking i can change from the stock 3.0Ghz to up to 3.7Ghz)

However when i use the bios to overclock.. it seems so unstable i can't even get windows 7 to load up.

Here pictures of my bios screen.. not sure if there are other options to use to overclocking, I have the most up-to-date drivers from ASRock (it came like that stock.. i never flashed the bios before)


now heres the tab i changed from auto to manual to set cpu voltages and multiplyer.. also it has the NB frequency and volts.. from my assumption.. i thought I all had to worry about was CPU multiplyer and voltages... the rest I could leave stock.. am I wrong here? the NB Frequencies tab allows me to change it from 228Mhz-900Mhz.. I have no clue what the stock settings are because I don't see it in the CPU-Z like I did with the AM3 system I built... but when I drop the tab down it is defaulted at 720Mhz.. so Iam guessing its stock at 720?


my real concerned is about the NB frequency.. because i don't see it ANYWHERE on the CPU-Z like I did when i OCed the AM3.... are these NB frequencies locked now or something? or do I still need to worry about setting this when I overclock?? Because I don't see it anywhere in the CPU-Z to even know if it has gone up when I change the frequencies.. heres my CPU-Z:


Anyways.. i consider my attempts at overclocking so far a disaster! I would be happy if I could just OC it a little bit from stock.. 3.0Ghz.. I would be happy if I could hit 3.2Ghz+ I was really hoping to see 3.5Ghz or 3.9Ghz reading from reviews and other members and reviews from retailing online stores.. but it looks like I can't even get past 3.1Ghz...

[dihartnell]

NB Frequency is on the memory Tab of CPU-z. I see you FSB is greyed out so possibly CPUZ does properly support 3870's yet?

Edited by dihartnell, 07 April 2012 - 11:04 AM.

[d6bmg]

From the CPU-Z screenshot you have posted, it looks like it is not supporting A8 yet.

[dr_bowtie]

CPU-Z DOES support it... you probably dont have the latest BIOS installed... they are still a tad flakey.

Install the Latest BIOS under STOCK conditions and then give the CMOS a good clear...

try again.... all you do is up the mulitplier on that CPU... thats all....no need to mess with the bus speeds unless you really need to... you also need to start at higher voltage if you do... Google Search 3870K overclocking and you'll find plenty of guides...

I have 2 of those CPUs and a 3850 and I can tell you no matter what board you use they are finicky

I have a ASRock full ATX board in FM1 and its a little finicky so is the Gigabyte mATX... the only one I have that isnt is the Zotac mini-itx but then again I havent clocked it...

[Sanosuke_Sagara]

CPU-Z DOES support it... you probably dont have the latest BIOS installed... they are still a tad flakey.

Install the Latest BIOS under STOCK conditions and then give the CMOS a good clear...

try again.... all you do is up the mulitplier on that CPU... thats all....no need to mess with the bus speeds unless you really need to... you also need to start at higher voltage if you do... Google Search 3870K overclocking and you'll find plenty of guides...

I have 2 of those CPUs and a 3850 and I can tell you no matter what board you use they are finicky

I have a ASRock full ATX board in FM1 and its a little finicky so is the Gigabyte mATX... the only one I have that isnt is the Zotac mini-itx but then again I havent clocked it...

ohhh i have the latest Bios installed.. it even came stock with the latest installed.

ahhh yeah your right... I had so much problems with this APU, this will be the last APU i ever purchase... The CPU part of the APU has really high operational temps like up in the 70C's BUT the GPU part of the APU can only handle 40-50C.... and it will LOCK up during game play.. it took me all day to figure out because I figured the GPU part of the APU was able to handle whatever the CPU could handle... but I was wrong..

What is worst is that this motherboard doesn't support underclocking of the GPU!!!! So I am bottle necked thermally by the GPU and I have to downclock the CPU and lower the volts to get the temps low enough to have the GPU operate correctly during game play wit fans on FULL LOUD still... the GPU part of this APU chip gets hot quick... I made a bad decision on getting this CPU.. sometimes I wish i would have went with an Intel...


I maybe buying a videocard here soon in the near future.. which would leave the GPU part on this chip worthless... I wish i didn't waste my time with APU's... they are not ready yet... or AMD should atleast match thermal operation o fthe GPU with the CPU because they are on the same chip for crying out loud.

Edited by Sanosuke_Sagara, 09 April 2012 - 07:18 AM.

[Drdeath]

You should be able to get 3.4Ghz on stock voltage. If your temps are that high, you need better cooling or your cooler is not installed properly. I tested 5 boards on multiple chips and easily got 3.4Ghz on each board/ make sure your Pstates are disabled along with cool n quiet. Memory and NB at default and you should be good to go. Nothing wrong with these APU's. I will say, thee Asrock boards were the worst of the A75 motherboard lot. I got up to 3.9+Ghz on some boards.

Edited by Drdeath, 09 April 2012 - 10:05 PM.

[Drdeath]

Extreme 6 with 3850:



A55 Pro with 3850:




here is a A8-3870 with ASRock A75 Extreme 6 with 3870 100% stable

Edited by Drdeath, 09 April 2012 - 10:09 PM.

[dr_bowtie]

Sounds like you need better cooling... I did not use the stock heatsink.

I used the AMD Heatpipe heatsink and it works much better

[Sanosuke_Sagara]

idk.. iam starting to think its just this motherboard.. i feel so screwed..

i have all the settings turned off like you said and it still won't go past 100Mhz stablely

I think iam just going to give up.. iam scared to get water cooling because from my understanding the temps will still be around the same anyways during full load, and this GPU part o the APU seems so sentivie to heat for me.. i can't play at all without the fans turned up with my current setup:

Edited by Sanosuke_Sagara, 13 April 2012 - 03:42 PM.