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The Chronicle of My TestBench

Zka17
Level 16
Hello fellow ROGers,

While I was playing around with tweaking/optimizing my ROG Rig (http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?18970-Optimizing-my-temporary-ROG-Rig&country=&status=), I’ve got poisoned… I realized that it’s a lot of fun pushing the hardware toward the limits, running benchmarks, comparing results with others… :cool:

In mean time, I also realized that I have a lot of components laying around, leftovers from other builds, some brand new stuff I never get to try or use them… Between others, a while ago I bought a test bench with the idea to test my setup before I would build in a case…

So, taken these together, I decided to go on the benching way… I’m opening this thread for primarily learning and posting my results – but, maybe others could use some infos from here…

I definitely will need to learn – so any comments, suggestions are very welcome! For now, I will leave the X58 platform and try to learn some other ones. I’m planning to use Asus mobos and graphic cards, at least for posting here… I want to do CPU and memory tweaking mostly from the BIOS, for the VGAs will try GPU Tweak and maybe something else too (if I feel that is causing lower limits).

For benchmarking, I will use mainly some of the software from hwbot.org (and will also submit there). I already made submissions with wPrime 32M, 1024M and PCMark7, will continue doing these – additionally, will use the SuperPi (32M) too. For memories will continue MaxxMem and Memory Clock. For the graphic card will use 3DMark11 (Performance) and Unigine Heaven (DX11).

So, that’s it for the introduction of this thread… presenting my TestBench will be the next… then I already have my first “vicitm”… :cool:

Please, let’s keep this thread a tool of learning for everyone… Remember, I'm doing it for reaching the limits... 🙂 and not for everyday's use... It’s about my TestBench (if you’re doing something similar, open your own thread)… but constructive comments, suggestions are very welcome… Thanks and enjoy!
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Zka17
Level 16
As I promised, I'm introducing my TestBench now...

It is made by HighSpeed PC, model XL-ATX Top Deck Station:

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The only change I made is that I changed the fans... - of course, into Cougars! :cool:

Then I populated the lower deck:
PSU: Silverstone Strider 1500W
SSD: Corsair Force GT 120GB
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB
ODD: well, it's a CD/DVD combo drive... but have no idea who made it... 🙂

For this TestBench I will use as OS the Windows 7 Professional 64-bit - installed on the SSD, the HDD will hold the backups and data. The PSU may be overkill for smaller systems, but this is the most reliable among those I have around...

This is how it's looks like:

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Now I'm preparing some images of my first victims... :cool:

Who will guess the mobo and CPU I will torture first? 🙂

chrsplmr
Level 18
Max V ? or AMD ?
[yum.]


Edit to Below : I agree. Why start at the top. hehehe
whatever it is .. this is gonna be good .. i know dat.
(which cpu then-tel.. do-tel).c.

Zka17
Level 16
Not AMD yet... staying with Intel for now... - maybe once I will have the chance for AMD too... 🙂

Zka17
Level 16
No more guessing? Well... it may be late... sorry, but can not wait longer... - have to start benching 😄

So, the winner is Chris! :cool:

I'm going to squeeze out the last bits from the ASUS MAXIMUS V GENE!

Here is a picture with the boxes of the mobo, CPU and memory:

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For start, I've got the Intel Core i7-2700k... I know, the 3rd generation (Ivy Bridge) would fit better with this mobo... - but this is what I have now... 🙂 will be good enough to learn the BIOS of the MVG... then, who knows? may try some Ivy Bridge too in the future... 🙂

The memory may be also an overkill for the CPU... it's the G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2x4GB), model F3-2600C10D-8GTXD. Will see how this will go...

And here is already running Memtest86+ at stock settings:

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As it's perhaps obvious by now, I'm cooling the CPU with the Noctua NH-D14... I had to remove the upper part of the G.Skills to fit under the cooler... (the fans are running fine, just used the flash on my camera 🙂 )

Oh, and I put in the Asus GTX 560 Ti DCII TOP for now... later on will try the Asus GTX 670 DCII TOP too! On the MVG should go with PCIe3.0...

So, this is my next project... first I will check how high the CPU goes, then will try to tweak the memories and latest the graphic card(s)...

Wish me luck! :cool:

Best of luck, mate. Aside from that rocket memory, that's almost the system that I'm running. So I would love your help setting up a BF3 gaming profile for jacking up the triple slot GTX 560 Ti 448, as my first attempt was weak.
A Republic of Gamers heart.

The all-new Subaru WRX is coming. Pardon our dust.

Zka17
Level 16
I manually setup the memory at 1333MHz (9-9-9-27 1T), 1.5V. Disabled all Speed Step stuff, set LLC at 50%. Started with Vcore = 1.35V and began pushing the multi (BCLK at 100)... 5GHz was a piece of cake, 5.2GHz was a little bit harder though... - reached it with 1.45V at Vcore, but I was amazed that running the AIDA64 CPU stressing temps just touched 70C...

Then my next target was 5.4GHz... had to raise the Vcore until 1.53V... - but the AIDA64 stressing resulted in "hardware failure"... so, I increased the LLC to 75%... and became stable! :cool:

Here I have the first CPU frequency results:

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Max temps at 82C... at 5.4GHz with air cooling! :cool:

Maybe I could go a little bit lower on the Vcore now that the LLC is at 75%... any thoughts?

Nice job mate.
Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

lenehan wrote:
Nice job mate.


Thank you!

Now, I have a dilemma... until now, my strategy was to do the CPU tweaking first, then set back to defaults, do the memory OC'ing, and finally try to match the highest values of the CPU and memory... I realized that I can go higher with the CPU frequencies by simply increasing the multiplier and adjusting the Vcore... - and my feeling is that this setup has more in it!

The problem here is that increasing the Vcore, soon or later will damage the CPU... the question is how soon?

Should I stop for now with chasing CPU frequencies and start memory tweaking? Or go until the end with the CPU and follow my initial strategy?

Just to remember, here the important things are the max values... I don't really care about the CPU life... - just enough to find the max borders...

Menthol
Level 14
Zka, I won't even try to help you with your dilemma but watching your progress with enthusiasm. Don't stop and thanks for sharing