Intel Motherboards - Asrock Z77-Pro3

Asrock Z77-Pro3 - throttling during oc

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Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=92
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Topic: Asrock Z77-Pro3 - throttling during oc

Posted By: Na1l
Subject: Asrock Z77-Pro3 - throttling during oc
Date Posted: 05 May 2015 at 7:27pm

Hi Team,

please help me to solve a problem with my mobo. MB is throttling the cpu under Load. I found out that VRM is responsible for that probably. Is there any firmware solution to move a bit temp limit of VRM's ?

MB: Asrock Z77 Pro3 (2.10)

CPU: Intel i5 3570k @ 4,5 GHz @ 1,21 v

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2 x 4 GB @ 2000 @ cl10

PSU: Corsair HXEU 520 W

Replies:

Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 06 May 2015 at 9:31am

A firmware (UEFI/BIOS) update to increase the the VRM temperature limit, even if it was possible, would not be a good solution. The components that make up the VRMs have well defined temperature limits from the manufacture, and I doubt anything was adjusted to keep their temperature artificially below their long term functioning limit.

CPU throttling is possible due to the VRMs, but how do you know it is the VRMs? Describe the situation where you are apparently seeing CPU throttling.

What are you using for a CPU cooler? What PC case are you using, and how many fans are in the case, and in what locations?

If the VRMs are causing throttling, working on cooling the VRMs is the best solution. If the VRM components are at their temperature limits, you simply can't force them to run at higher temperatures. Doing that, if it was even possible, will damage them and ruin the board.

Your board has a four phase CPU VRM design, which is smaller than better, more expensive over clocking boards. You can't expect it to support unlimited over clocking at high power consumption.

But there are other factors that may be causing the CPU throttling.

What is the CPU temperature when you seem to experience throttling?

Your power supply has a triple +12V rail design with this rating: +12V1@18A,+12V2@18A,+12V3@18A.

But the specs say the combined +12V rail maximum capacity is 40A total. That really only works out to 13.34A with each of the three rails fully loaded. With that type of configuration, you must balance the +12V load across each of the three +12V. That does not take into account the load on the +5V and +3.3V rails, which are in use and will reduce the available total +12V power a bit more. Your power supply and other components in your system may be limiting the power available to the CPU.

Another factor is the power limit settings in the BIOS, in the OC Tweaker screen. Those settings include:

Long Duration Power Limit

Long Duration Maintained (amount of time)

Short Duration Power Limit

Primary Plane Current Limit

Secondary Plane Current Limit

You should determine what the default values for each of these options are. Or you can simply increase them which may help with the throttling.

But you cannot ignore the other questions about your system I asked, since they do matter.