Bad Chip?

[AndiDote]

Hiya.

I have the ASUS Strix Z370-f paired with a 8700K and with all settings stock, my CPU voltage can reach 1.42v while opening programs etc and temps under full load will reach 94c.

But LLC will kick in under full load and lower VCORE to 1.344v and temps still reach 90c+.

Oh and using a H110i GT AIO (cooled my 7700K perfectly before this)

So is this a bad CPU?

Should i RMA it?

I'm not happy paying £365 for this and having these problems.

Thanks

[AntonioL]

You CPU is probably fine, but default voltages are too high on this motherboard. I also bought a Z370-F and I had to do some tweaks in UEFI/BIOS to keep voltage, consumption and temperatures fine.
I read on Reddit that there was a new BIOS, 0430, and that default voltages have been lowered significantly. Maybe you could give it a try and report (for now, I don't have the time, I am struggling against W10).
Otherwise, with BIOS 0420, you could try the following settings that work perfectly on my computer (with a 3600 MHz 16GB kit, if you have a different RAM, you wil may to set VCCIO and VCCSA differently):
- BCLK: 100
- ASUS multicore enhancement: disabled
- SVID behavior: best-case scenario
- CPU core ratio: auto
- CPU SVID support: enabled
- Max CPU cache ratio: 42
- CPU core/cache voltage: offset mode
- Offset mode sign: -
- CPU core voltage offset: 0.140
- CPU VCCIO voltage: 1.175
- CPU system agent voltage: 1.200
- CPU load-line calibration: level 1
- Intel Speedstep: auto
- Turbo mode: enabled
- Long duration package power limit: 150
- Package power time window: 10
- Short duration package power limit: 170
- IA AC load line: auto
- IA DC load line: auto
- CPU C-states: enabled
- Enhanced C-states: enabled

You should run any load (OCCT, Linpack AVX, IXTU, Asus Realbench...) under 1.20V (with spikes up to 1.22V), 75°C (and even lower as your cooling solution is far better than mine) and 130W.

Then, you can raise "max CPU cache/ratio" and bring back "ASUS MCE", and see what it gives. You may have to raise also "power limit" to avoid throttling.

[AndiDote]

Thanks for your reply. I have tried your settings and my vcore somehow went over 1.5v. Ireverted back to stock and updated to the latest BIOS. Temps are much better but clocks only reach 4.5GHz and vcore fluctuates 1.365v 1.2v

Temps reach 72c stock. Still warm for my liking.

Anyway, My RMA is set and ready to go so i'll do that.

If it comes back normal, I will sell it and get another one or contact my motherboards company and see where i can go from there.

Thanks again

[experte]

Try the 0430 BIOS from a few days ago, haven't tested it all that much but it seems to have at least fixed the exaggerated default voltages.

[Raja@ASUS]

Some voltage rule changes in 0430. I've tested it here and it worked okay.

[SherardG]

Some voltage rule changes in 0430. I've tested it here and it worked okay.

Hi Raja,

Do you have any idea when BIOS will be updated for Maximus X Hero? I am in the same boat with them. With just XMP, my voltages are running in the high 1,4x under idle load. Mobo seems to have very high voltage defaults.

[Raja@ASUS]

Hi Raja,

Do you have any idea when BIOS will be updated for Maximus X Hero? I am in the same boat with them. With just XMP, my voltages are running in the high 1,4x under idle load. Mobo seems to have very high voltage defaults.

It will come out eventually. In the meantime, set SVID behaviour to best case and set the IA AC and DC load lines to 0.01. That will reduce the voltage. As far as I can tell, that's mostly what the new build does, together with a reduced cache ratio.

[AntonioL]

Thanks for your reply. I have tried your settings and my vcore somehow went over 1.5v. Ireverted back to stock and updated to the latest BIOS. Temps are much better but clocks only reach 4.5GHz and vcore fluctuates 1.365v 1.2v

Temps reach 72c stock. Still warm for my liking.

Anyway, My RMA is set and ready to go so i'll do that.

If it comes back normal, I will sell it and get another one or contact my motherboards company and see where i can go from there.

Thanks again

Very strange that you get a higher vcore with a negative voltage offset. Are you sure you set "offset mode sign" to "-" (minus) and not "+", and LLC to 1 ?

[SherardG]

It will come out eventually. In the meantime, set SVID behaviour to best case and set the IA AC and DC load lines to 0.01. That will reduce the voltage. As far as I can tell, that's mostly what the new build does, together with a reduced cache ratio.

Thanks Raja! I've stabilized my chip with help from the various threads opened.

Shout out to Coffee_User's, AntonioL, & flacer. Their threads and responses helped a lot.

[marcopai]

i've esperienced such high voltages when i activated the x.m.p and accidentally accepted to enable intel MCE lol.
Also , i have the VID at 1.5v is it ok? :S