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Can anyone advise regarding these settings/features?

I think I see them, but I have a new question now regarding this downclocking and downvolting business. Please see my reply to the other post below. Alright. My only main concerns now with using C1E is that it will cause the CPU to change its frequency and voltage when idle or under load (this is what I asked about in the first place to see how to make the CPU downclock and downvolt when idle, so now I know how). Will this cause any instability in the system, or worse, shorten the lifespan of the CPU? I've read on some forums that keeping the frequency and voltage consistent is good for the CPU, whereas others say that Sandy Bridge is really good at saving energy by downclocking and downvolting when they are not needed, and won't hinder the CPU nor its OCing ability. I'm not sure which is true now...but based on what you said, it is safe to let it downclock and downvolt? For example, if I open iTunes or another program that takes longer than normal to open, then I see that the voltage spikes from 1.0v to 1.3v for one sec, and the frequency goes from 1.6GHz to 4.5GHz in that moment as well. But this is only happening for one second or less, and I'm afraid that these little bursts of change will damage the CPU, since I am not really at one clock/voltage or another all the time. Now if only it clocks/volts up when I play my games, then I have no worries.

Hmm, on my motherboard, I am unable to do this. It only allows me to change the targeted frequency by changing the multiplier. I don't see an option to keep the stock clock and only change the turbo ratio? And also, for OCing, is it better to leave the CPU at one frequency and voltage, or is it better to have it idle at 1.6GHz and 1.0v rather than 4.5GHz at 1.336v? The temps don't change much, only like ~10C. I mean, this constant changing of frequencies and voltage for when the CPU is idle and under load won't damage the CPU, right? Since Intel designed it this way...sorry, I'm fairly new to OCing, and don't want to break anything I can't afford another one of.

One last thing that is still a bit unclear. When the system idles, the frequency and voltage never decreases. I know that it's supposed to be 1.6GHz @ 1.0v when idling, but my computer is always 4.5GHz @ 1.336v. Is there some setting I need to change to enable this, or does it nor matter? Does it make a big difference if it downclocks and lowers voltage or not?

Alright, I can live with that. They are already pretty fast as it is, and only costed me $40 a pair on Amazon, so I'm satisfied! I'm not into OCing RAM anyways...not familiar with all the timings and stuff. Thanks Waco, for all the info that you've provided! This thread has certainly been very helpful.

OK, I won't worry about the voltages for now! I will only bump them up a bit if I continue to see the BSOD. So far, I haven't seen any in a long time, so that's good. As for the RAM timings, the MB default is 2T, but Corsair doesn't say if it is 1T or 2T. Also, as I already said, I tried replacing any one of the 9s with 8s, but the system won't boot at all. However, I had Kingston HyperX BLU for RAM before, and was able to OC them to 7-8-7-21 1T from 9-9-9-24 2T, so I think the MB isn't to blame, just the RAM isn't very good at OCing. P.S. I found this bit of info on a forum post by an admin of Corsair's forum:

Alright, thanks man! I am using another thermo paste that I bought at Micro Center, and I believe I applied a sufficient amount of that stuff too. I will check it again the next time I need to open up the computer, but for now, like you said, the temps are fine for this overclock, so I'm not going to do that. But, I do have these unresolved questions (below). Can you or anyone help me out with them? I know you addressed some of them already, but there are some that I'm still not sure about, like the CPU idle frequency and voltage, what offset voltage does and how it compares to using manual voltage, and why my RAM cannot have any other setting other than it's default 9-9-9-24 2T (And since Corsair did not mention, is it supposed to be 2T or 1T? Is the 'proper' command rate important? What's the difference?).

So is this the reason why I'm seeing the voltage drop under load?

Alright, thanks! So I should worry more about the temps, got it. The only problem is now that when under load, Vcore drops from 1.336v to 1.296v sometimes. Rarely does this cause a problem, but once in a blue moon a BSOD of 0x124 does occur, and I'm still not sure if this is due to the Vcore, CPU/PLL, or if my RAM is faulty. I'm not sure if my chip, that can do 50x, is that stable where there is very little voltage drop. I have LCC set to Auto, but I believe Auto = Ultra High on my motherboard. There is no "off" setting, just "Regular," which is 0% LLC. By the way, what is "TIM," and what amount of it is considered good? Sorry, I've never heard or read about this term before, so I have no idea what you are talking about here.

- REMOVED DOUBLE POST -

Also, do my settings look alright? Do you guys recommend using offset or manual voltage for the Vcore? I'm not so sure how to use it, like what the offsign sign and voltage does. I read on some guides that it adds/subtracts voltage according to some motherboard command, but I can't figure that out, especially because the operating Vcore changes when changing the LLC setting. For example, I remember setting LLC to Extreme once with offset (Auto) voltage, and that brought the Vcore to 1.4v in Windows! That's way too much for 4.5GHz! So I followed some other guide and they recommended -0.015 offset voltage with LLC set on Auto, which I think is actually Ultra High, since both settings seem to keep the Vcore the same. I don't know, what do you guys say about this?

Thanks everyone for your replies! So now I am confused. I agree with Waco and think that these settings should be enabled in order to save power and the life of the CPU when it is not in use. However, my CPU is always at 4.5GHz and 1.336v no matter what, and when I play games like Battlefield 3, the Vcore sometimes drops to 1.296v, and that's when the occasional BSOD 0x124 comes in. Do you guys know how to resolve these problems? Alright, so the temps are good. I am a little bit confused because some people and guides say to lower voltages as much as possible to keep the temps as low as possible. I realize that every chip is different and I can't expect mine to achieve what someone else's did. However, I have this question then. If the temps are good, does that mean I should not attempt to find a way to get a stable 4.5GHz OC at 1.300v? I seem to have the impression that most people can do this, and so that's why I ask is it normal/good that my CPU needs 1.336-1.344v to maintain a stable OC at 4.5GHz when everyone else seems to need only 1.300v. Is lower volts or higher volts better? I just want this cleared up so I can have a better understanding when overclocking in the future. Thanks man! I don't believe I have tested my RAM yet. They are brand new, just bought about a month ago. I use them at stock speeds no problem, but if I just change just one timing, like from 9-9-9-24 to 8 in place of any one of the 9's, then the system won't boot at all, and upon restart, the BIOS tells me that the overclock settings failed. Does this mean that I have faulty RAM, or do they simply not OC very well? I believe my Vcore is plenty enough since some people can do 4.5GHz @ 1.300v, so maybe the 0x124 BSOD is coming from the RAM, as you said. Thanks again, all!

So if I turn these settings off, I should be able to see a decrease in the CPU's frequency and voltage when the system idles? Also, the lowest LLC setting is Regular (0%), so I believe this means the same as "OFF?" Do you recommend using offset voltage or manual voltage? I am a bit confused about offset voltage, because I see some website recommends as much as +0.100v, while others recommend -0.015, the setting that I have now. How does it work, exactly? Also, if I do try to raise the multiplier, then what adjustments do I have to make to my voltages? My main goal is to only get 4.5GHz, but with lower voltage, such as 1.300v. But, I think my chip needs 1.336-1.344v, is that still considered good for 4.5GHz, or do you recommend stepping up the multiplier as well with that voltage? By the way, I tried and was successfully able to boot into Windows with 5.0GHz @ 1.4v, but it is very unstable and may crash at any time. Does this mean my chip is capable of 50x with the right voltage settings or not? Not that I want to OC it to 5.0GHz for a 24/7 build, but just curious.

Hello All! I am fairly new to overclocking, and just have a few questions. First of all, I achieved a stable overclock of 4.5GHz using the settings listed below, but I was wondering if there's another way to set the voltages either using offset or manual mode. The reason is, I followed several guides to set these settings, and am not sure if they are the best for overclocking. Also, when the system idles, the frequency and voltage never decreases. I know that it's supposed to be 1.6GHz @ 1.0v when idling, but my computer is always 4.5GHz @ 1.336v. Another thing, when playing games and running other CPU-intensive software, the voltage decreases to 1.296v, and sometimes causes a BSOD. The only BSOD error code I get is 0x124, which means too little Vcore. Can someone help me out and let me know what settings I have that are incorrect/not optimized for the overclock I have applied? I have a good aftermarket air cooler, so the temps are 24C when idle and ~50C when under load. Thanks all! Hardware: ASUS P8P67 PRO (Rev. 3.0) Core i5-2500K Corsair Vengeance RAM (16GB, 4x4, 9-9-9-24 2T) GTX 580 UEFI BIOS Settings: Ai Tweaker Ai Overclock Tuner: Manual BLCK/PCIE Frequency: 100.0 Turbo Ratio: By All Cores By All Cores: 45 Internal PLL Voltage: Enabled Memory Frequency: DDR3-1600MHz DRAM Timing Control: use the rated timings EPU Power Saving MODE: Disabled Ai Tweaker\ CPU Power Management > CPU Ratio: Auto Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology: Enabled Turbo Mode: Enabled Long Duration Power Limit: Auto Long Duration Maintained: Auto Short Duration Power Limit: Auto Additional Turbo Voltage: Auto Primary Plane Current Limit: Auto Ai Tweaker (in the DIGI+ VRM section) Load-Line Calibration: Auto VRM Frequency: Manual -> 350 VRM Spread Spectrum: N/A Phase Control: Extreme Duty Control: Extreme CPU Current Capability: 110% CPU Voltage: Offset CPU Offset Sign: - CPU Offset Voltage: 0.015 DRAM Voltage: 1.50 VCCIO Voltage: Auto CPU PLL Voltage: 1.8 PCH Voltage: Auto CPU Spread Spectrum: Auto Advanced\ CPU Configuration > CPU Ratio: 45 Intel Adaptive Thermal Monitor: Enabled Active Processor Cores: All Limit CPUID Maximum: Disabled Execute Disable Bit: Enabled Intel Virtualization Technology: Disabled Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology: Enabled Turbo Mode: Enabled CPU C1E: Auto CPU C3 Report: Auto CPU C6 Report: Auto