Reset Overclocked CPU?

My Dell M4600 refurb has an i7-2860QM, which should run stock 2.5GHz and turbo up to 3.6GHz. It is the equivalent of the i7-2960XM.

However, I think it's been overclocked, as it runs at 3.29GHz instead.

It sometimes runs lower, as if it were underclocked, at .798MHz.

Intel's Processor Identification Utility picked this up, as did CPU-Z and OCCT.



Over the past several weeks, I tested my new rig using a variety of tools.

I passed:

- Memtest86+ at 20 hours

- CPU: OCCT Automatic test at 1hr, 29mins

- Prime95 Small FFTs torture test in 2 hours

I failed:

- CPU: OCCT Infinite test (blue screen) ~ so I didn't even try CPU Linpak test, which is more demanding

- Prime95 Blend torture test (blue screen)


These two failures tell me the overclock is not stable.

Does anyone have a stock i7-2860QM?

I'd like to learn the stock voltage settings, as I'm guessing they tweaked by the previous user in the BIOS.

 

Shots:

- Memtest86+ at 20+ hours

- baseline temps in Speccy and CPUID

- temps after 20+ hours of Memtest86+ (Speccy)

 

Your cpu is not overclocked. You alone wrote that your cpu works at 2.5 Ghz and has turbo up to 3.6 Ghz. Intel Turbo Boost is technology that automatically boosts your CPU speed if temperatures and current consumption allow it. It is not standard overclock - your processor was designed that way. Meaning this: if 4 cores are under heavy load (rendering, gaming, prime95 or occt) and temperatures allow it - it will go up to 3.3 Ghz. If ony 2 cores are under heavy load it will go up to 3.5 and if there is serious single core load that core can boost itself up to 3.6Ghz.

What were your temperatures while running stress tests? Can you run prime95 max power consumption and report back max temps?

If temperatures are issue (and they really shouldnt be) you can turn off "Intel Turbo Boost" in bios and CPU wont boost itself over 2.5Ghz.

And CPU reducing its frequency down to 800 Mhz is called "Intel Speed Step" and its a very good feature where cpu reduces is operating frequency and reduces voltage to conserve power and reduce temperatures. There is no need to have it "revved up" while it is not doing anything.

 

Thanks for the enlightenment, darkydark. This my first venture into quad-core, Turbo-boost territory.

I've added my M4600's baseline temps and 20 hours of Memtest86+ temps in the post above.

Shots and descriptions of failed CPU:OCCT test (set for 2 hours):

- baseline temps at idle, underclocked

- idle overclock temps

- temps 23 mins into test

- OCCT lock up temps

- Event Viewer description of lock up

View attachment 96644 View attachment 96645

 

prime95 2-hour Small FFTs torture test (passed):

- test setup

- baseline temps before testing

- temps during testing

- CPU usage during testing

- test passed

 

prime95 2-hour Blend torture test (failed):

- test setup

- Event View description of test failure (bluescreen)

 

1. I cant view your latest attachments - can you just tell me which error code you got? It could help narrow the issue down.

2. Could you disable turbo and try to run occt and blend test again?

3. Also did you run dell diagnostics by any chance?

4. Do you have latest bios?

I've experienced similar behavior while i was overclocking my old desktop rig. if you wish i could try to explain it, but it would be big wall of text.

 

1. Fixed the images. Looking at the earlier images, do my temps look ok from the prime95 and OCCT tests? The CPU seemed to hover around 80 degrees.

2. Will give that a try over the weekend, if I can. Might be nice to know for rendering things in Maya or Houdini that cause a lock up or bluescreen. Perhaps turning off Turbo in certain instances is a good workaround?

3. You mean the Dell Diagnostics from the website, where they ask for your service code? If so, I did that a week after my OCCT and prime95 tests. It's how I managed up download the correct driver for PremiereColor, which then allowed me to run 3dmark6 and 3dmark11 tests. Previously, those tests failed, too.

4. Yes, I do have the latest BIOS. I double checked that, as well: A14.

 

I googled the error and this came up: Event ID 10 is logged in the Application log after you install Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, maybe it''ll help you, but I make no guarantees, there's this thread too: http://www.sevenforums.com/bsod-help-support/236168-event-id-10-0x80041003-random-frequent-bsod.html. From the little bit of reading I did, it may not be related to your BSODs.

You should get an error code on the BSOD too, any idea what that is? whocrashed could also help shed some light on that.

 

1. 80c when prime or occt is running is pretty much ok.
2. disabling turbo is a workaround if crashes stop to happen - but that raises the question why the cpu is not able to operate under turbo
3. when system is starting up (dell logo shows) press f12 and there should be option for diagnostics
when you are running dell diagnostics - try to "look into it" and tell us on which test it crashed if it crashes at all.
4. you mean you werent able to finish 3d mark 06 and 11 tests prior to download or even after download?

Like tijo said - exact bsod error code is is something that could help narrow down the issues?