Z77X-D3H and i7-3770K - wrong clock speed at stock BIOS?

[Contiusa]

Hi, folks, I am having a doubt for a while and I could not find the answer anywhere. I am not an overclocker and the rig is at stock settings, so I am not used to frequencies. I have an i7-3770K with a Z77X-D3H and 4X4GB Vengeance 1600Mhz (16GB).

At the BIOS the clock of the processor always fluctuate around 3.8 Ghz, and it seems to be in real time, because the numbers varies, like in CPU-Z or AIDA64. But wasn’t it supposed to be around 1.6 Ghz in idle while I am surfing the BIOS? The tricky part is that on CPU-Z, AIDA64 and the Intel® Turbo Boost Monitor the clock varies in real time like it should, in between 1.6 and 3.9.

On YouTube I have seen some videos and on an ASUS motherboard the processor flickers at 1.6 Ghz (also measured in real time), like it should. On minute 2:18, at Auto Tuning, the screen opens with the processor at 3.6 Ghz but goes to 1.6 Ghz right after and stays there, in real time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rCMNzkwJo

But in another video, with a Gigabyte mobo, the processor stays like mine, always at 3.8.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxCPyF-1tTc

The other thing is that a review from AnandTech of my motherboard shows the same numbers in all images (around 3.8 Ghz). Also, all the other numbers seems to be like mine, so I assume they took the photos at optimized defaults (my setup).

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6786/gigabyte-z77xup7-review-oc-oriented-orange-overkill/3

When I saw that I kind of let go and assumed it was normal, but I am having some high temperatures (more than 10ºC above room temperature with a Zalman 9900NT). So I wonder if the processor is stuck at 3.8 Ghz all the time, in spite the readings I get from the other software’s. And at least for me makes no sense a reading in real time in the BIOS, of 3.8 Ghz, when the correct would be below 2.0 Ghz.

If you guys can help me to figure it out I greatly appreciate.
Cheers,

***

[dmdilks]

What is the CPU temp in the bios?  Any thing under 40c should be fine.  Plus how much paste did you put on.

The thermal paste is only there to fill the cracks in the metal of the CPU & heatsink. You only need a thin coat.

[Contiusa]

The last time I saw -- I think yesterday -- was 42ºC (room temps around 22ºC / 26ºC). It is always a couple degrees higher than AIDA64. The thermal paste is ok. I have been building rigs for some years now and I have a special interest in CPU coolers, so I did my homework. But I am aware of Murphy’s law, so I even reapplied the paste thinking that it could have been uneven. First I used the Zalman one (spread), then the MX4 (single drop). Same temps. And the 9900NT is not an ordinary cooler, so I was wondering if it is related to the clock speed. But the temps stays around 40ºC and goes to 60ºC in load, even during summer, so I am not that worried about the temps.

What really intrigues me is the clock speed stuck above 3.8 Ghz in the BIOS, just like the videos I posted and the photos of AnandTech. I assume that the normal would be the ASUS video, when it settles at 1.6 Ghz while surfing the BIOS. And what seems more intriguing is that in Windows 7 I see the clock speed working in steps.

This is something that I want to figure, but I can’t find anything on the web.

***

[dmdilks]

On my x79-UP4 the cpu is all over the place in windows. I don't really don't look at it unless somebody is asking.

Than I will run the cpu-z to check it. Now I will have to check in the bios. It is just me but as long as everything is running OK.

I'll put the blinders on and not look or care what it is doing. Plus what is happening is the OS is controlling the cpu to save power.

You play around with two settings in the bios. 1. Turbo boost  2. CPU EIST Function. There is a lot out there on the web about this.

[Contiusa]

But what is the clock of your processor in the BIOS? 3.8GHZ or close to the idle frequency? This is my question, because mine is always at 3.8GHZ, as well as the ones I have seen on YouTube and the same with the AnandTech review. I don't know nothing about frequencies, so I want to know if this is normal or if it should be at low frequencies while surfing the BIOS.

Anyway, after seeing the ASUS BIOS running an i7 at 1.6GHz I consider my readings odd. Hence my research. Just in case, I just sent an e-mail to Gigabyte support.

***

[dmdilks]

It is 3.4ghz in the bios and never changes just like yours.

[Contiusa]

Weird, should I bring mine down to 3.4GHz? Both our processors have the same stock and turbo clocks. In a forum someone suggested me to take it down to 3.4GHz, the stock clock, but he couldn’t explain the reason to do that.

Anyway, it does not make much sense to be always so high when the processor is clearly at idle. It is like “the processor is at 1.6GHz but the BIOS shows in real time 3.8GHz”. Maybe the guy from the support will explain the discrepancy.

***

[dmdilks]

If you want it to run normal speed and not the turbo boost speed just disable the turbo boost.

I just tried it and with that on the cpu is 3.5ghz and with it off the cpu was running the stock speed 3.2ghz

What is the problem you are having other than the temp? A friend of mine has the evga z77-ftw and his board was reading the cpu temp wrong.

He updated it to the newest bios and everything was fine. I had the same problem with my x79-up4 till I updated the bios.

So try the newest bios and see what happens. My was reading at 60c and easy tune had it at 35c. Now both are reading it the same temp 35c.

[Contiusa]

Thanks for the research. I'll keep the turbo boost for now, because I consider it very useful, especially for me that do not overclock (probably never will). I just bought the "K" series for the resale value. I’ll let you know the feedback from the support regarding the stuck readings of the clock in the BIOS.

I updated the BIOS a while ago to the latest. Maybe I didn’t clear the CMOS properly, because in my motherboard it really sucks. Even my MSI from 2010 have a CMOS jumper, piece of cake, but on my Z77X I have to short it with a screwdriver and there is not enough room to do it properly. I did it with a coin the second time. I don’t recall loosing the date setup, so maybe I need to take the battery away for a minute or two. But the manual does not ask to clear the CMOS, just to set to optimized defaults, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. I’ll try later.

Cheers mate,

[Contiusa]

Just to update, Gigabyte asked for my phone number, so I am expecting a call, which is great, because this way there will be no confusion or gray areas on the matter. I'll post here the results. Also, today I cleared the COMS by taking off the battery and it finally went though. I had to reset time and date, but unfortunately the temps and the clock remains the same.

Cheers,

[Contiusa]

Updating – the Gigabyte guy called me and I explained the situation, but he did not quite understood my doubt. I assume that he is not an engineer or a PC enthusiast. I told that in my BIOS, yours and in the BIOS of a friend of mine with also an i7-3770K the readings are always at 3.4 Ghz and 3.8 Ghz respectively, in real time, when I assume that it was supposed to be close to idle. At the same time, in Windows, AIDA64 and CPU-Z shows the processor at idle.

He is going to take the subject to people above him to try and figure it out and give a comprehensive response. I said to him that it seems to be a standard reading for Gigabyte, although it does not make much sense to me.

I’ll post any new information.
Cheers,

[Contiusa]

Updating – after a few calls the attendant talked with an engineer, I suppose, and he told me that the Intel Turbo Boost is a software that works only in the operational system, in my case Windows 7, and that in the BIOS the processor stays locked at 3.8Ghz because the BIOS does not have the Turbo Boost features. Because of this, the temps in the OS will be lower than in the BIOS, because the Turbo Boost will manage the clock in the former.

It makes sense, although I don’t see a significant change in temperature in between the BIOS at 3.8Ghz and the OS at 1.6Ghz; maybe two, three centigrades, and the Zalman 9900NT is a very good air cooler (I suppose it should be more). But this is a matter to complain with Intel now.

Is it correct from the engineering standpoint? Case solved?

***

[dmdilks]

The only problem I had was in the bios it was at 60c. With easytune it was at 37c. Did a update to the bios and now everything is fine.

There is no change for me either from the bios to being in windows. They both read at about 37c.

[Contiusa]

Yeah, the temps don't worry me that much either. Anyway, I will probably switch to Haswell or Ivy Bridge-E next year and get rid of it. The i7-3770K is a strong CPU, but the whole TIM paste issue makes me wary.

Cheers,