Vcore in BIOS vs CPU-Z

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aethelwulf

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Ok, so I know that BIOS set Vcore and what you're going to see in CPU-Z, Speedfan, etc. won't match up. However, I feel that I'm getting some pretty massive differences and I don't know if this is normal or not. This is my first time overclocking. Currently running:

Q6600 @ 3.2Ghz (356x9) Vcore 1.3375V (BIOS) 1.224V (CPU-Z idle) 1.216V (CPU-Z load)

So am I crazy?
 
also, since no one is answering... Which is more reliable? BIOS settings or CPU-Z? How do I know how much juice is actually getting to the cpu?
 
I actually notice the same thing with my P5K-E. I'm set at 1.5375v in BIOS but Everest shows 1.43v idle 1.42v load @ 3.2GHz
 
I would go by bios, but watch temps. I can do 3.2 on stock volts. 1.2

My VID is 1.225 though...

Settings in sig.

I went back to 3.0, because I didn't like ocing my ram.
 
CPU-Z has been known to report incorrect voltages with some C2Ds, and sometimes it will always report stock voltage even if you changed it. See if there's a utility provided by your motherboard manufacturer to check the voltage and try using that instead. If there is one, it should report more accurately.
 
Its pretty normal for hte actual voltage to be lower than the BIOS set voltage. If the difference isn't huge, I'd go with CPU-Z or some other voltage sensing software over the BIOS setting. I've seen threads, maybe over on xtremesystems, where guys have checked with a multimeter and the CPU-Z voltage was correct.
 
It's true that there's always a certain amount of Vdroop, however it is a known problem that sometimes CPU-Z will not display the voltage properly on C2D or C2Q systems.
 
Here's a thread @ overclock.net re: P5K-E and a pencil mod. Try googling "P5K-E vdroop" and maybe "mod" for some more ideas.
 
There's a difference between Vdroop, which is the difference between the voltage at idle and under load, and what the OP is asking about, which is the difference between the BIOS requested voltage and the actual MB provided voltage. Vdroop is normal and occurs on purpose (I think it was Anandtech that did an article about it), while the BIOS/MB thing is not supposed to happen (although it does an awful lot). Either way, without a multimeter and some steady hands you aren't going to know what is correct.
 
aethelwulf said:
Ok, so I know that BIOS set Vcore and what you're going to see in CPU-Z, Speedfan, etc. won't match up. However, I feel that I'm getting some pretty massive differences and I don't know if this is normal or not. This is my first time overclocking. Currently running:

Q6600 @ 3.2Ghz (356x9) Vcore 1.3375V (BIOS) 1.224V (CPU-Z idle) 1.216V (CPU-Z load)

So am I crazy?
Click to expand...

You're not crazy... well not that much :)

I'm getting the same thing. In the bios of my p5w dh I've set the Vcore to 1.5000v but when I go to the "Hardware Monitor" tab in the bios it fluctuates from 1.088v to 1.104. CPU-Z shows the same voltage as the hardware monitor tab.

Mind you this is with a E6400.
 
Forceman said:
Vdroop is normal and occurs on purpose
Click to expand...

Yeah - if shorting part of the voltage regulation system eliminates the Vdroop, then you have to assume that you're bypassing the components which usually implement Vdroop and that it's by design. I'm sure that motherboard manufacturers would have eliminated the Vdroop if it were a problem and one that's so easy to fix.
 
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