AsRock Fatality 990FX (CPU Throttling)

Hi Guys,

(I'm from Australia but hopefully I can still post here and maybe someone can help me).

I have built a new system around your AMD 990 FX Fatality Chipset.
The motherboard looks good with all the features you have on there.
However my issue has been with the AMD FX-6300 (95 Watt) CPU
I have noticed using programs like CPU-Z and Windows 10 "Task Manager".
Under heavy load using 3D Mark or FurMark to test stability of the system.
The multiplier on the CPU fluctuates from between 7 and 22.5 times on the CPU bus speed multiplier.
I understand that with the AMD cool n quiet and other BIOS features the mother board throttles and tries to conserve the power.
However when the CPU is under full load the speed of the CPU changes from 1,000 Mhz to 3,700 Mhz. (This shouldn't happen under stress load...it should stay the same).

Also in further testing I have also disabled the AMD Cool and Quiet, AMD Power Saving modes etc....and retested and the same issue still appears.

Is there a hidden screen in the BIOS where I change the Load Line Control or to disable APM?

On another note I have 2 x 8 Gb sticks of Corsair Vengence Pro 2400 RAM which I can't get to boot at the nominated speed.
The memory needs to be down clocked to around 1,000Mhz...which I think is a joke.
It says your motherboard supports DDR3 2450 OC RAM even.

I am also Interested in Over-clocking the AMD CPU.
I bought the Fatality motherboard because I believed this was the best one for AMD chips on the market.

What is the best way for me to push a safe and stable over-clock without causing instability?

I would also like to know if there is a new BIOS which will be released for this motherboard soon?
(Will their be any performance or over-clocking enhancements for this new upcoming BIOS revision?)

Edited by Atomic - 11 Jan 2016 at 11:10pm

Hi WKjun,

 

I have gone over a few trouble shooting areas in-case they might have been causing issues for me.

I have listed them in the headings below.

However as you stated, the Turbo Boost for the Vishera FX-6300 CPU is 4.1 GHz under load.

The CPU only Boosts to CPU speed of 3.8 GHz instead of 4.1 Ghz.

I have reset the UEFI BIOS to defaults and everything is back on default settings. However this hasn't changed anything.

CPU Cooling:

 

The heat sink I have installed onto the AMD CPU is an after market cooler from Deep Cool.

This is a sealed water cooling unit.

It is making good contact on the CPU and is tightly held on.

So I don?™t see this being a problem.

I also have several case fans inside which are pushing fresh air inside to cool the components.

 

AMD CPU FX-6300 (Vishera 95 Watt): Does NOT turbo boost to from idle 3.5Ghz to 4.1Ghz as it should be:

 

I reset the UEFI BIOS back to factory default when I run a benchmark like FURMARK or 3D MARK.

The CPU hovers between 3.5 and 3.8GHz and is constantly fluctuating even when the CPU is put under load.

Now my understanding is when the CPU is under load then the CPU will boost to 4.1Ghz and stay there until the stress testing is finished.

Then when idle or if you quit the program then it will throttle down to 3.5Ghz...none of this is happening.

The multiplier is switching from

 

RAM Corsair 2400 Vengence Pro DDR3:

 

After having reset the BIOS back to FACTORY DEFAULT.

The RAM automatically detects it?™s speed and runs it at maximum.

I have found the motherboard automatically runs it at only 1300Mhz and not the 2400Mhz that it should be.

If I try to run the RAM manually to 2400 then the system doesn?™t boot and fails to give me a screen.

If I run the RAM at a slower speed like 2000 or 1866 then it boots and seems to be OK.

Also to let you know that when I select the XMP 1 for the RAM modules the motherboard doesn?™t boot after saving the changes.

 

Overclocking:

 

Now I have tried to manually do some overclocking on the motherboard as is provided in the UEFI BIOS:

I disabled Cool and Quiet, AMD Power Saving, Spread Spectrum, Thermal Throttling etc.

 

Then I boot into windows and look at a program called CPU-Z for example and I can see the multiplier changing between 17 to 19 times multiplier for the Core CPU Clock of 200Mhz.

I?™ve noticed also that the CPU Core Voltage is alternating between 2.5v and 3.0v.

Looks like the North Bridge chipset on the motherboard isn?™t providing a stable current to the CPU which is causing the CPU frequency to not remain %100 stable.

Even after I turn off all the power saving features and anything else that might change the CPU clock speed or multiplier.

The CPU performs erratically.

I have bought a Corsair 1000W PSU so power wouldn?™t be the issue here.

 

I am at a loss and I don?™t know what to do.

I feel it?™s the motherboard NOT providing enough stable current to the CPU and the RAM not being recognised properly which is causing issues and major headaches for me.

I am honestly feeling very frustrated after all this and I don?™t know what else to do.

 

I look forward to your reply.

Atomic, what you're seeing Turbo MHz wise is just how the 6300 is designed to function.

There are two "steps' it will employ while in Turbo mode.

Level 2 is 3800MHz on all cores.

Level 1 is 4100MHz on only two cores.

Prime loads all cores so 3800MHz is correct for running all 6 cores.

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulldozer/AMD-FX-Series%20FX-6300.html

Atomic wrote: I have found the motherboard automatically runs it at only 1300Mhz and not the 2400Mhz that it should be.

This how most new memory is designed to function. How happy would you be were you to simply put the 2400MHz memory in place and have your computer not boot because the board and or CPU can not run at 2400MHz. Say Hallelujah! to JEDEC Standards that it runs the first time albeit at 1300MHz.

It''s you the end user that must enter the BIOS and make changes to your memory settings to get it running at or near the 2400MHz, CPU dependent.

I would suggest you search the internet for a 990FX overclocking guide. The questions you ask here have serious consequences if you are to just go off willy nilly changing BIOS options.

As WKjun hinted at, I won't beat around the bush in telling you you need to understand more than  you do now before your overclocking expedition begins otherwise you're going to destroy what you have in front of you. And with all due respect I say that.

What Fatal1ty 990FX board DO you have? There are a few.

As to whether or not the VRMs can't handle the FX-6300, let me assure they can and do. Without issue on any of the 990FX boards ASRock produces. I've had my FX-8150 hog on them all and what you're attempting at/in a NON-overclocked setting(ie: beyond any stock Turbo freq) with an FX-6300 should not present any problem at all. Breeze right along it should.

Please, list out all your components with make and model number, including the PSU and kindly include the PSU's age. That way we here can know what you're dealing with parts wise. ie: Help us help you.

Also, w/o re-reading the thread, what BIOS revision is your board running now?


Edited by wardog - 13 Jan 2016 at 1:04am

^Seconded.

Atomic, in your first post you asked "What is the best way for me to push a safe and stable over-clock without causing instability?". The answer: Slow and steady. Setting your CPU to run @ roughly 4.3 GHz on all cores is not that. First of all, you CPU seizes being a 95 W TDP CPU. It may cause your socket and VRM section to run way too hot due to your choice of CPU cooling. Second, it will in all likelihood not be stable on stock voltages (you didn't mention changing voltages). When overclocking you should slowly work your way up in both clock frequency and voltage (and possibly CPU-NB/HT frequency and voltage, if the system seems to demand it), checking your stability and temperatures under stress testing after each change you make (unless you know what you're doing). If you're unlucky in the silicon lottery, your CPU might not even be able to do 4.3 GHz on all six cores on any reasonable Vcore, so that's definitely not the point where you should start.