Z97 OC Formula / rig issues.
Printed From: ASRock.com
Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=558
Printed Date: 29 Nov 2024 at 6:04pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Z97 OC Formula / rig issues.
Posted By: psicobob
Subject: Z97 OC Formula / rig issues.
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2015 at 9:47am
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OK, so I just recently bought the I7 4790k as well as the Z97 OC Formula. The issues lie in the fact that the bios gets bricked any time that I try to update it. It won't let me past the splash screen, either into windows, or into the UEFI. So I ended up just not updating the BIOS all together with all of those issues. I'm just glad that there is a magic reset button for issues like that. Now there is another issue, my games CHUG. I did a lot of looking up before I even decided to make an account here to post my issue. I used to use the following equipment; Processor: I5 2500k 4.4Ghz OC (stable) Mobo: Asrock p67 extreme4 gen 3 Graphics: Msi Nvidia GTX 970 Ram: 16GB Gskill Sniper Now games like Planetside 2 would run buttery smooth. But with the recent processor, and motherbaord upgrade, the performance of this and some other games as tanked. It's like I'm using stock clock on my old processor. I have tried using all of the OC options within the UEFI, and nothing helps. In fact I have used all of the OC options. And it almost feels as if they are hampering the performance of the processor. TLDR; Old processor running planetside 2 (ultra) hits a max usage of around 68% I5 2500k New processor running planetside 2 (ultra) hits a max usage of 100% I7 4790k How is this possible? Is it really a BIOS issue, or is there something wrong with the processor? Am I being a dumb-dumb?
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Replies:
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2015 at 1:23pm
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You've got a high end board with several unusual features. If you ever needed to check the manual for a thing or two, this is the board for that. Your slowness issue is probably caused by the Slow Mode switch being set to on. That switch causes the processor to run at its slowest speed, useful to extreme over clockers. If you would have checked your processor speed, you would have seen it at 800MHz. The Slow Mode switch is first switch to the left of the Dr Debug display, item 19 in the Mother board layout figure, pages 7, 8, and 9 in the manual. There are other switches in the same area, so know which one you want to change. If the LN2 Mode switch, to the left of the Slow Mode switch, is set to On, set it to Off. To be safe, shutdown the PC, disconnect from AC power, and then set the Slow Mode switch to Off. It is common on the OC Formula boards for this switch to be in the On position from the factory. What method are you using to update the BIOS? Instant Flash, DOS, or Windows? Are you saying after you update the BIOS and the PC restarts, you get stuck in POST? ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: psicobob
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2015 at 7:47pm
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I thought I had those off, but I very possibly do not. I will check that when I get home from work. As for the bios updating, I use the windows executable that one could get from the Asrock main site. Then yes it's precisely as you state it. After the pc restarts, it gets stuck in post.
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Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2015 at 11:59pm
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The Windows program BIOS/UEFI update tends to be the least reliable, I never use it. The two options I would suggest are either downloading the Instant Flash BIOS/UEFI update file, or use the Internet Flash option in the UEFI. The Internet flash option is the easiest, just go to that option in the UEFI and follow the prompts. This option will download and apply the latest UEFI version. If you don't want to use that version, use the Instant Flash method. For Instant Flash, download the Instant Flash UEFI update file. Unzip it and copy the result to a USB flash drive. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB 2.0 port on the board's IO panel. Then go into the UEFI, go to the Tools screen and find the Instant Flash option. Select it and follow the prompts. If you still have problems, let us know. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: psicobob
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2015 at 10:22am
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OK I will try the flash drive BIOS update via UEFI tomorrow after I install my new PSU. Parsec, you were correct in those two switches being left on from the manufacturer. Thank you so very much for answering such a nub question. This is the very first time I've owned a motherboard like this. I knew about the switches, but I had a brain fart when I was reading over them, and then later saw them as I was installing the upgrades. I'm sorry for it to have been such a simple fix, but at the same time. Thank you so very, very much for helping me to remedy this simple fix. I have noticed something that is either a psu issue, or BIOS issue. Though honestly a psu issue. When I have my wifi card installed in to the pcie mini slot. (dunno the right name sorry) As well as my sound card from ASUS, the Asus ROG Xonar Phoebus Solo. (most amazing card ever for the Tiamat 7.1 by the way. It makes the sub WORK on games.) Any how when I install both of those pcie cards the motherboard has issues with power. It says that I need to connect the power supply to the motherboard. Though at the moment I am waiting for my new PSU with the two necessary eight pin power connectors. Seeing as I am only using one at the moment. So I believe that issue will be remedied with this other upgrade.
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Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2015 at 2:35pm
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That is hardly a noob mistake, very few boards have switches like that. The only board I've ever had with those switches is my Z87 OC Formula. You might also ask why these boards are sent from the factory with the Slow Mode switch set to On. The only reason I can think of is to teach us about it.  You explained your problem with the two cards in the various PCIe slots very well, enough for me to say you really do NOT need both of the eight pin power cables connected to solve your problem. Take a look at the bottom edge of the board on the left side. Right below the last PCIe x16 slot, and to the right of two gold capacitors is a black rectangle with two silver stripes on each side. That is a removable cover for a plain four pin molex connector that is used to supply more power to the PCIe slots. That is the PCIe Power Connector. I'm sure the PSU you have now has a spare cable for that connector. Dual eight pin CPU power cables won't cure the PCIe power problem, sorry to say.  That extra PCIe Power Connector is not found on all mother boards, but serves a true purpose. The 24 pin ATX power connector only has TWO +12V connections on it! Since the eight pin CPU power connector(s) only provides power to the CPU VRMs, and possibly the memory VRMs, those two +12V connections on the 24 pin ATX connector are not enough when using a video card and other PCIe cards. Dude, you've been paying some dues with that new board.  I know what you're thinking... but guess what, now you are no longer a... you know.  ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: psicobob
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2015 at 1:36pm
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Well I did buy and install a 1000w psu from evga, the 80plus platinum model. So even after I plugged in the two eight pins, I only noticed some faster booting speeds. By maybe a second or two. There was an issue I was having with hard core BSOD-ing for a moment there. Then I finally took the time to use the usb BIOS flashing trick via the UEFI. After I did that everything seems to have stabilized.... well for now any way. I didn't even realize there was a cap there for a molex power connector. So I will end up installing that some time soon so I'm not cooking my sound card. Likely when I get off for the night from playing games. Then I will go back to trying some more over clocking. I'm kinda like the middle ground of the 4.6 to be honest. Thank you again for all the help man, yer amazing parsec. I agree with you also, in that the switch is left on for the sole reason for us to agonize over it then figure out what it actually means. Now I have one last question, this is a nub OC question. Usually with the Asrock boards, I just let it moderate the power flow for the processor all on its own. Would you recommend I do the same if I push the OC up to the 4.6 or 4.7 region? Or would you recommend that I look up some of the voltages that would work with that set up. The only reason I didn't do it before is that each of the Asrock boards I have used were meant for OC-ing. This one more so than my last one. (By like a metric crap ton) There was ONE other thing I found that was immediately amusing. Even the manual has the switches shown as on in the picture they offer as a diagram.
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Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2015 at 3:51pm
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Glad I could help you with your board, like I said it's not a typical model. Forgot to tell you, you are not the first person I've helped with the Slow Mode switch issue. But you are the first one that had the nerve to post back and say that was the problem.  About your OC, do you mean you usually leave the CPU voltage settings on Auto, and trust the BIOS and Intel that your CPU will not fry?  You could do the same thing with a high OC, anything beyond 4.5GHz, but you must watch the VCore/VID closely if you run CPU stress tests, or do some gaming that uses the CPU a lot. Two reasons for that with Haswell processors like yours, both are dangerous for the CPU's life and life span. First is the heat/processor temperature at high VCore, mainly when stress testing the CPU. Unless you have a custom water cooling system, you can hit 100C in under one minute. I saw that myself with an i5-4670K running AIDA64, the CPU throttled its speed when it hit 100C. Throttling will save the CPU, but who wants their CPU at 100C, that's the boiling point of water, 212F. Second is using Haswell Adaptive voltage, which is what the Auto setting gives you, and running AVX2 instructions in a CPU stress test. Adaptive voltage is very generous with the VCore. You can enter an Adaptive base voltage, but with the Offset set to Auto, 1.3V can become 1.32V+ while stress testing. If AVX2 instructions are part of the stress test, add another ~0.02V. The higher the base VCore is, the more the Adaptive Offset will add to it. IMO, a VCore beyond 1.35V is entering the danger zone. Others would say 1.40V, or 1.30V. Depends on the processor too, four core Haswells like yours seem to survive higher voltages than the six and eight core Haswell-E CPUs. Plus your base clock is 4.0GHz, Turbo is 4.4GHz. My i7-5820K is 3.3GHz base clock, 3.6 Turbo. So my 4.4GHz OC is a 1.1GHz increase from the base clock, or 800MHz beyond Turbo. 4.6GHz is only 200MHz above the Turbo spec for an i7-4790K. If you see the VCore above 1.3V using Auto VCore settings, try using a fixed voltage. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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