[i7-6820HK] Overclock Settings for 4.0GHz to 4.3GHz (Stable)

Yeah I figured they were pretty high tbh.

GPU is fine seems to hover around 70c under load.

Problem is though I'm not sure I'm comofortable taking it apart to re-paste - it's that it was rather expensive if I break it while its in bits Dell are going to blame me and I'll be stuck with a £1400 paper weight!

I saw the Dell technician take it apart shortly after it arrived to replace a light on the front and my god all those little ribbons and screws one wrong move and it's over...

In hindsight I should have re-pasted it while he had it in bits he could have put it all back together for me!

 

Here are my temps from yesterday after gaming for a few hours. Stock clocks, no GPU OC, performance fan DISABLED.

 

@iunlock

I tried your 4.1 BIOS settings (my OC cherry-tear), and I hope you'll comment on my observations.

Settings were as you specced, 41s and 100k for powers, no other settings, no perf fan.

Benchmark score in XTU went from 1099 stock to 1243 OC.

I also noticed that there was an immediate (slight) increase in fan noise on boot. I looked at temps in XTU and my impression was that I was running COOLER in low usage on 4.1 OC, apparently due to the more aggressive fan profile.

I set off an identical vid conversion using Handbrake (CPU consuming). Very first thing I noticed is that when running full throttle under 4.1 the temps quickly skyrocket and stay there. The proccess goes to the high 80s (87-88) and stays there. Under default clock the process will settle in the mid-70s, bouncing around a bit. And the fan noise increases, although nowhere near the level of "fan performance", which seems to be simply a "full blast" setting without regard to need.

Under normal clock the process wants four hours (4:00), with 4.1 OC the proocess wants three hours, sixteen minutes (3:16). About an 18% improvement, I think, and a little better than the benchmark score, it seems. And no fan noise.

But the whole time with the 4.1 OC the CPU would be cooking away at 88 degrees, and I know I will never have the guts to repaste, so I went back to stock clock until such time as I really need that extra bit. And since in the real world I've got the 980m helping out on processing, I just don't see OC as having a practical use for a non-gamer like me.

 

Thanks for sharing your data. I too agree that OC'ing is pretty impractical for non-gamers, but it is also true for gamers as we are not reliant on the CPU so much, if at all, as we are on the GPU.

At the very least, you now know that your CPU can handle the 4.1 clocks just fine. It's also apparent that the higher heat produced while at 4.1 is not really worth the trade off to shave off a little time during processing.

This is what I've been saying all along in my previous replies on here and other threads...in that OC'ing is mostly for show and bragging rights to be frank. The minimal performance gain is not worth frying up silicon to have it dance in those high temp territory. It's just silly at best.

Cheers.

 

I've never experienced that you can fry your silicone, even with the highest possible OC for 24/7, whether in laptop or desktop PC's that I've owned. Those who experience this are either noobs who don't know what they are doing, a lemon or a badly done cleaning in your computer. An nice OC about 15-20% prolongs the pc's life span. Cheaper in the long run when you also can upgrade your graphics card . Now when processors from Intel don't have the big performance gains each year, this is a very good solution for both, your wallet and your family. Maybe spend more money on other things you want

 

iunlock..... how are you sir!!!

we wanna see 4.3ghz+ in XTU while running a stress test...???? as far as im aware im still the highest clocker here with a documented 4.2ghz (on all 4)

im still waiting for picture evidence to surpass my clocks...

lets see those pics people!!!!...

 

FWIW I retried the 4.1 OC with the fan set to "performance mode". For some odd reason the temps were actually HOTTER under heavy load. Instead of 88-ish the cpu kept climbing up to 92 and getting dropped by throttle. All this fuss over an extra 15%? Pass!

 

Fan performance mode is pretty rubbish. It goes full blast but I also didnt notice a real temperature drop. Not that I have any temeprature issues. But i wanted to test it out.

 

If you guys are truly serious about pushing that CPU, open up the computer and repaste. Namely liquid ultra. You'll drop your temps by a bit which gives you more room to push it harder.

 

+1 x 1000000

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@iunlock How high score have you in wPRIME 1024M stress test with your stable 4.3GHz? I can't see your 1024M score in HWbot. Only your score with 4.2GHz.

 

well....... i was still on the crappy stock paste when i posted my original results, iunlock has 're-pasted' his since then, we should be seeing some smashing temps while being benched....

but there's more tumbleweed blowing round this thread now rather than results..lol

i think the thread title needs changing, until i see a valid 4.3ghz+ score, i dont think its possible (other than to simply 'open' CPUZ i mean) to bench above 4.2ghz due to the heat... regardless what paste your running with!!

 

cmon iunlock......you've just posted this buddy...

(My repaste alone gives me anywhere from -10C to -20c (yes really) in temp drops and I believe the laptop cooler that I have is doing an efficient job in supplying good air flow. I'll get some concrete numbers in Stock idle temps with and without the fan by itself. )

yeah while coming to see us over here to put proof in the pudding of the 6820hk OC.....

if you cant, we'll work on it together....i wanna see 4.3ghz!!!!!!

 

The temps are irrelevant to the clock. I run 3.8 as a daily driver and 4.0 when I randomly feel like it. I'm able to run 4.3 without any crashes, but it's useless. The point of running at 4.3 without crashing or BOSD is just that. Nothing more, nothing less. OC'ing so high is worthless due to heat issues. HIGH OC numbers mean nothing....my best benches are when the clock was at 4.0-4.1 ....I've posted my temps (screen shots) in the repaste thread mate...it's all there...I'm a little confused as to why some find this thread so confusing LOL...there's nothing really too difficult about it.

OC in BIOS the proper way by making sure to clear your cache by restarting after selecting default, then re-enter BIOS, select custom then enter in your multiplier numbers. Next take the time to do your trial and error testing with XTU to find your CPU's sweet spot.

It seems as a lot of folks are forgetting that not all silicon are created equal. Just because I can run 4.3 to play games, photoshop, regular computer tasks etc... or when running XTU, it does not mean that it will stay at 4.3 for the duration of the benches. This would require additional cooling...pretty obvious. Plus, gaming at high clocks is worthless in itself...all you're doing is introducing more heat, which will decrease your performance and do more harm than good. Heat is a FPS robber...let alone our CPU and GPU's sitting so close to each other; the close proximity does not do it any justice.

So to be clear....this thread isn't about magically making your CPU do what you want it to do if you try the settings that have worked for me and some others. If you're CPU can't handle it...oh well...it is what it is...

NOT ALL SILICON ARE CREATED EQUAL.

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Any perception of tumble weed would mean that one is overlooking the point of the thread. This thread is not a, "if you do this it is guaranteed to work and all CPU's are all the same so they should all be able to do exactly the same thing every single time." -- That is not what the thread is about.

This thread is just information as to what is possible. Benching a clock does not determine much as most of them are unrealistic to begin with compared to real world use. Everyone's usage habits are different and so for me if I'm able to edit, render and run my Adobe programs without BOSD or crashes, then that to me is considered good. However, to be honest OC'ing to higher clocks really doesn't do much and it is not enough to justify the heat for the little gain it produces.....

If our AW had the ability to be liquid cooled similar to the ASUS liquid cooled gaming laptop, I am confident that some of our 6820HK's can be pushed to some great usable OC numbers....the point is that our CPU's have the ability.

 

i dont disagree on any point you've made above..... honestly, you're right all chips are different.

i just wanna see you're 4.3ghz run with XTU running so i can see how long 4.3 is actually maintained before it throttles...??, and what voltages are being used when it does.....

if it throttles back as soon as you start the test then its not 4.3 at all really, in a 2d environment i could probably get a 4.5ghz screenshot as long as i was only looking at the desktop....

i mean ... you have 4.6ghz MAX in youre sig, lets see some of that in XTU while stressing her..... pics speak a thousand words, just looking at the last 2 posts i see you prefer the latter, lol

lets keep it jovial though mate.... im not trying to flame you in any way i do read alot of you're posts!!

 

XTU is very picky in that it'll bench well up until at about 3/4 through the test when it thermal throttles down to ~4.0... Despite the throttling, I'm not so much concerned about if it'll remain at 4.3 the whole time during a bench, as we know benches are unrealistic...more so I'm just curious if I can do what I need to do while at 4.3, because it'll be a yes or no answer...ie...Crash / BSOD or it'll hold its own. So far I've been OK at 4.3, but the heat is not desired so I've been happy at my new daily driver of 3.8-4.0, depending on what I'm doing.

To be continued....

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Laptop is currently stuck on thermal throttling 100% all of the time, even after a reboot.

Don't suppose anyone has any suggestions ?

I installed a new BIOS this morning but I don't have an older one to switch back to test if that's the problem...

 

Iunlock, you mention 3.8 is your DD. What are the settings? And for 3.7? Thanks!

 

any pics ...???

XTU has quite alot of info regarding youre settings..??

 

Strangely enough it was fixed by unplugging the power, no idea what that was all about.

The temps are still crap it actually got up to 92c yesterday while playing black desert online...

I'm tempted to call Dell and tell them, I don't feel comfortable repasting it myself these laptops have so many ribbons etc scared I'll break something.

 

I've read through these suggestions but my processor doesn't seem to go over 3.6ghz regardless of the settings. XTU Benchark max has been 1058 - a far cry from the OPs 1388.

What's going on with my system? The amount of issues with this thing is staggering.

 

have you set the CPU to 'performance mode' in the BIOS.... without this enabled the chip cannot break its TDP.

 

Just rebooted to make sure its enabled. It wasn't but is now. Zero impact on benchmarks. I've tinkered with the config in XTU based on what I've read in this thread and still can't get over 1058. Stock / factor configuration yields 961. If I just change the Core & Cache ratio it goes up to 997. I feel like this should be doing much better and the fact my scores don't match up coupled with several utilities confirming the Proc isn't going over 3.6Ghz really has me puzzled. CPU temp doesn't go over 75 during these tests and I don't see any indications of thermal throttling.

Someone else posted on the first page of this thread that they could not go over 3.6 either.

I reset XTU to default and tried to OC in the BIOS with the settings on the first post. *facepalm* endless BSOD loop. Pagepool Mem error, whea-uncorrectable_error, and clock_watchdog_timeout. All of these point to hardware issue so I adjusted the settings in the BIOS again to just 4.1. Same issue....endless BSOD loop - IF Windows would even start. Sometimes it never got to the spinning circle.

Reverted back to No OC in BIOS and she boots up. *facedesk* Apparently it's time to call Dellienware for service. I'll add this to the list of things to address.

 

Those errors generally point to the CPU not getting enough juice (at least in my case), I would increase your "Core Extra Voltage" until you can get into windows, then adjust once stable.

As for your settings not sticking, I had this a couple of times and to be honest, I couldn't tell you what the issue was but I can tell you how I sorted it. I reset the bios to default settings and then reset my OC. Eventually I rolled back from BIOS version 1.2.7 to 1.2.2 due to other BIOS related instabilities and my system and settings are now rock solid.

Could be worth a try....

 

From reading around on the forums I see many other posts confirming loss of overclocking ability on the latest bios and that 1.2 is the way to go. How does one roll back to 1.2? The download is no longer listed.

 

Always backup your Firmvare. But also remember some Bios versions you flash into your computer isn't reversible. Don't be a Guinea pig... I will think some in the forum have a backup of all their Bios versions.

 

I got lucky - I had saved the old BIOS file. Flashed it without issue and now I am back at 1.2.2 and have learned my Alienware-BIOS lesson ....don't update as soon as its released.

 

Absolute piece of junk. After reverting to 1.2.2 I still cannot get anything out of the XTU. Benchmark stays in the 950-960 range and the processor maxes out at 3.6.

I tried to OC using the BIOS settings on the first page - those just give me back to back BSODs. I was able to boot up using the Preset Config 2...that barely increased the XTU benchmark to 1058...but the highest CPU temp as 91 degrees at 3.86GHz...so something is definitely not right here. Under constant 100% load (BOINC shared compute stuff) the CPU sits around 74.

I doubt a bad paste would give the instant BSOD...or block the XTU from OCing so I assume I have a bad CPU / solder job on top of all the other stuff wrong with this laptop. I've dealt with the rest because I was afraid what sort of issues a replacement would have but at this point I really am stuck reaching out to Dellienware Support.

I pre-ordered this (and like many others had to cancel, re-order, cancel, and re-order again). By I finally got the laptop they came out with 8GB 980m option which really pissed off. If/when Dell agrees to replace my mother board / entire computer does anyone think I have a reasonable shot at upgrading from the 4GB 980m to the 8 GB one?

Thanks to everyone for their help. Sorry for hijacking this thread.

 

8GB of VRAM is the way to go. Nobody knows what is needed around the next bend. Why get less when you can get more? Remember you shall have your laptop for a while.
As said before. Newer be a Guinea pig. Never ever.

 

Oh I agree completely....the more RAM / VRAM the better.

I'm just wondering if I have a shot at getting Dell to upgrade the replacement motherboard / laptop to the 8GB configuration? I'll gladly pay for it...I just don't know if they allow such things to be done on a warranty claim.

 

Maybe to much work for Dell for only a few bucks. But ask anyway. I hope Dell don't push on the worst bios version on the replacement motherboard. DELLIENWARE is capable for everything nowadays.

 

As for VRAM and having 8GB vs 4GB in our latest AW's for gaming, there are no practical incentives to have 8GB's as our machines will run out of horsepower before it can utilize the 8GB of VRAM.

You can game at 4K with Maxed settings and achieve 20-25fps on some games if you're lucky, but you'll see even worse fps on very demanding games. Try playing any major game titles that demand power at 4K with Max (Ultra) settings and you'll quickly come to the realization of, "...why even bother," feeling....

When I say Max, I don't mean Maxing somethings and turning off other things like anti aliasing etc...that's not truly Max.....Maxing out settings mean maxing out settings....just to be clear.

For most gamers.... anything below 60fps is unacceptable.

Our machines are great at 1440p on Max settings. You'll achieve the best of both worlds of getting 1080p fps with ~4k quality gaming...it's a great balancing point and a sweet spot for our machines.

If you can get 8GB of VRAM, great. No loss and no gain. However, I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Absolutely not. (There are very few exceptions when using some programs where you may be able to utilize the extra VRAM, but that's it.)

Pascal is around the corner guys....do you really plan to keep your laptop forever? j/k....I know for a lot of us, we're ready for the pascal equipped machines.....

 

i play all games @ 4k on medium settings now......(on my new 40'' UHD curved Samsung TV sitting a mere 2ft from it is beautiful as a daily driver)

4k on medium vs 1080p on ultra = resolution wins out over texture quality anyday..... IMO!!

but i stay well within 4GB VRAM capabilities.. GTA5 can break the 4GB barrier with relative ease as can Batman AK...

 

Hi Guys, just been pointed to this thread to look at overlocking my 6820.

I notice i shouldn't use OC level 1,2 or 3.

I think reading through this thread that maybe 3.8Ghz is a good option for everyday gaming. Whats the best settings for 3.8Ghz please. The settings on the first page only over 4.1Ghz as the lowest

Thank you

 

My settings for 3.8 are below:

1-Core Ratio Limit Override: 38
1-Core Ratio Limit Override: 38
1-Core Ratio Limit Override: 38
1-Core Ratio Limit Override: 38

Core Extra Turbo Voltage: 1000

Power Limit 1: 100000
Power Limit 2: 100000

The thing is, the same settings may not work for everyone. I can actually undervolt my CPU slightly whilst maintaining 3.8GHz on all cores which gives me real good temps as well as performance (my stock VID is around 1.1v)

I would leave the voltage and just turn up the core multipliers until you cannot get into windows, then wind it back and test for stability.

 

Hello there,

Enter BIOS, change OC to default, F10 save and reboot back into BIOS, change multipliers to 38, keep voltage at 0, and your power limits to 92000/92000...F10 and reboot.

See if that works for you. ....mileage may vary.

Powered by: Quad Core Exynos + 6820HK

 

Ditto...it's hard to prescribe the exact recipe.

Powered by: Quad Core Exynos + 6820HK

 

Thank you for your fast response

 

or........

just use XTU and dont touch the BIOS at all!!!

mine will run the 4.1ghz on adaptive voltage reaching 1.3v at times!!..... temps are disgusting though, personally i leave it @ 3.2ghz now and undervolt it by about 100mv .... temps barely break 67c GPU or CPU while gaming @ 4k ...

compared to say 4.1ghz ..... temps are up in the high 80s low 90s, for a gain of possibly 2fps in real world tests...

these chips are VERY efficient ... at stock (or stock boost) and the 6820 does overclock past that very well.... but the gains as you go up through clock speeds are minimal compared to stock...

im used to desktops so id usually just keep piling on the voltage and keep improving on cooling capacity, but in a laptop were really limited when it comes to holding decent overclocks.....

 

Interesting... I certainly see the benefits of XTU but I don't see it as an entire solution, rather a tool to fine tune.

My OC is done entirely via the BIOS, the reason for that is mainly because that's the way I've always done it for the last 20 years. Also, I don't like the idea of relying on a piece of software to apply settings that can be done mostly at a BIOS level. Operating systems are a fickle environment....

My system runs at 3.8GHz on all cores at 1v.... That is a 128mv (ish) undervolt on my stock VID and I never break 70c at full tilt.

 

70c are some damn nice temps for those speeds. I touch 75c on max load at 3.6ghz on a 6700HQ. Which is even a lesser CPU.

 

The undervolt helped!

 

Maybe he have lower ambient temp home

 

Wonder how fast will the bga contact melt lol

 

Possible. But I dont think 22c ambient temp at the office is excessive.

Do you know by the way that with the current procede it isnt the BGA points melting at those temps but poor flipchip designs? When I am back home I can link to a youtube channel of a repair professional that also debunks the myths that you can reflow bga solder by heating it in an oven. Most chips die actually between the chip die and the base itself not the BGA mounting points.

Not that high temps are good. But nothing wrong with anything under 80c load full load.

 

hy guys - running fine at stock settings - atm don't need more power

 

I'm trying sirleeofroy's 3.8 overclock settings (but NO uv) on a 100% cpu handbrake conversion. And with stock paste.

My package temps immediately spike to 90 in the first few seconds but then settle into the low 80s (80-84). These renders would be running for several hours at those temps.

To me these temps still look risky. Comments?

 

That's still good temps for an overclock. You could get better with a re-paste but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Mine is higher under load at stock clocks. I really need to re-paste it soon.

 

Hey! Looking for a little help. Got the AW17R3 and have a graphics amplifier attached. Every time I apply the recommended settings I can see them as such only in IXTU, but I can never reach 4.2GHz or 4.3GHz when benchmarking/testing... CPU-Z always shows my multiplier at 36, Throttlestop shows me at 3.599GHz, and IXTU will show me hitting 3.6GHz.

Even if I use the OC Levels in the BIOS (I don't use IXTU for overclocking), it will still only allow me to hit 3.6GHz!

Why can't I get a higher multiplier than 36? Is there some setting I need to turn on or off in the BIOS? Is there something I am missing? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!