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X299 Big Sur Support

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@izo1 Did you had/have any issues with dual 6900's? I'm waiting for the EKWB to send me the water loop they just released to put the second one in.
 
Removed this from my github since I no longer have the TBEX 4 but here were my observations:

For Thunderbolt 4, currently the only available Thunderbolt 4 PCIe card is the ASUS ThunderboltEX 4. (Not true anymore since the Gigabyte GC-Maple Ridge and ASRock Thunderbolt 4 AIC are out now)

Current Observations
Note these observations are based on the devices tested listed below. YMMV and issues I'm running into may just be due to these devices.
* Initially ran into issues where card was causing kernel panics in macOS and error code 62 on reboots. Found this issue on the latest BIOS with resizable bar support. Downgraded BIOS to 3302 and the card works normally.
* Thunderbolt header may not necessarily be needed or jumped. macOS recognizes the card on boot without a header plugged in.
* The 6 pin power and USB 2.0 internal cable have to be connected.
* Thunderbolt settings have to be enabled in BIOS. The device loaded in a different slot with Thunderbolt disabled but it showed 'No driver installed'.
* SSDT is required for device to be recognized.

What Works
* Thunderbolt 3 hot-plug
* USB 2.0 hot-plug/cold-plug
* USB 3.1 Gen 2 hot-plug/cold-plug
* Sleep

What Doesn't Work
* Thunderbolt 3 cold/warm boot

Devices Tested
* Sabrent Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure (EC-T3NS)

To-Do
* Extract original firmware and try installing custom firmware for Thunderbolt Local Node support. (no custom firmware yet since macOS doesn't have Maple Ridge drivers)
Any point of getting the Gigabites TB4 card?
 
Haven't tested one so can't comment but I think a Titan Ridge is a better option atm.
Agree, I ordered one lets see if I can get it to work and if its better or not. Worst case it'll go into NAS
 
@izo1 Did you had/have any issues with dual 6900's? I'm waiting for the EKWB to send me the water loop they just released to put the second one in.

I don't use Dual GPUs because only a very small amount of apps support it, especially under macOS.

I only use single powerful GPUs.

Also beware of the EKWB 6900XT waterblocks, they are thick so it will block the slot below it. I think all 6900XT waterblocks are thick because of how big the VRM is. At least thats what EKWB told me.
 
You can get a higher end AIO if you don't want to do a proper waterloop.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to overclock these processors, they were built for that. The stock speeds are pretty tame and imo Intel just kept it there to appease their website specs and not go over a certain wattage.

Just get a good 360mm AIO and overclock your 9980XE. I am not really sure why you want to downgrade to a 10920x when you have a binned chip on your hands that has the ability to overclock easily with a decent AIO.

You can definitely do 4.0-4.2Ghz with a good AIO on all cores, or if you want to replicate the 10920x cores, just overclock 12 cores to 3.5Ghz and the other 6 cores leave it as default.

Remember that the "boost" cores are usually 1-2 cores, they are not all the cores. They advertise Turbo Boost as if it's all cores.

When you get a watercooling setup the whole point is to boost ALL the cores and have to run above the base frequency when it needs to, this is where the "snappiness" comes in that the CPU can jump to for example 4.5Ghz on all cores when necessary.
You made my day @izo1 :headbang:

I overclocked my 9980XE per core usage just like 10980XE is set by intel at stock using adaptive voltage and auto temp throttling (which I think starts to throttle when going over 84°):
2 cores: 48x | 4 cores: 47x | 12 cores: 43x | 16 cores: 39x | 18 cores: 38x
Probably I could go higher with 12 - 16 - 18 cores but having same profile as 10980XE gives me enough peace of mind and I couldn't care less about 256GB RAM | Deep Learning Boost | Added PCIe lanes
I stress tested it in Intel Xtreme Tuning Utility (even with AVX1-2-512 loads with no offsets) in windows and it's fine, it gives me even higher points in GB5/CB23 than stock 10980XE (someone actually said so :wave: )

So, it will be wise to swap 5700XT for 6800XT for 200€ in order to enjoy a new architecture, occasional 4K/60 games and, most of all, upgrade now for a better resell value in the future? Judging by your latest comments, I think you agree on this?!

OFF TOPIC: What's the fastest/easiest way to have TB3/4 functionalities without soldering/flashing? I'd be fine with no cold/warm boot but I'd like to have hotplug. none of them are mandatory for me, just nice to haves.
 
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You made my day @izo1 :headbang:

I overclocked my 9980XE per core usage just like 10980XE is set by intel at stock using adaptive voltage and auto temp throttling (which I think starts to throttle when going over 84°):
2 cores: 48x | 4 cores: 47x | 12 cores: 43x | 16 cores: 39x | 18 cores: 38x
Probably I could go higher with 12 - 16 - 18 cores but having same profile as 10980XE gives me enough peace of mind and I couldn't care less about 256GB RAM | Deep Learning Boost | Added PCIe lanes
I stress tested it in Intel Xtreme Tuning Utility (even with AVX1-2-512 loads with no offsets) in windows and it's fine, it gives me even higher points in GB5/CB23 than stock 10980XE (someone actually said so :wave: )

So, it will be wise to swap 5700XT for 6800XT for 200€ in order to enjoy a new architecture, occasional 4K/60 games and, most of all, upgrade now for a better resell value in the future? Judging by your latest comments, I think you agree on this?!

OFF TOPIC: What's the fastest/easiest way to have TB3/4 functionalities without soldering/flashing? I'd be fine with no cold/warm boot but I'd like to have hotplug. none of them are mandatory for me, just nice to haves.

That's good to know. X299 is the best build you can do for a Hackintosh right now if you want higher than 10 cores, unless you want to deal with headaches of Xeon and that's so expensive it's not even worth it. Not to mention very niche and you will be on your own trying to make it work. Hackintosh days are over, so we go out with a Bang with X299.

It's good that you set it to throttle at 84c, that's what I do to with 42x multiplier on all 18 cores, it constantly outperforms higher specced 2019 Mac Pros too and indefinitely the 18 core iMac Pro. I render on all cores and it does a wonderful job. I might upgrade to 256GB of RAM when the prices dip a little bit.

The 6800XT is a great upgrade, will bring your computer to modern specs GPU wise. The CPU is not an issue whatsoever, PCIe 4.0 and all that jazz who needs it really? The 6900XT is overkill, I only got it because I can easily afford it even from a "scalper" but also that I sold the Radeon VII at a profit so I could get the 6900XT + Waterblock and still come out even. 6900XT and 6800XT are the same card, except the 6800XT is 72 Compute Units and 6900XT is higher binned 80 Compute Units. Barely a 10% difference.

Try setting your AVX offsets to 3/2.

You can get TB3 with a Titan Ridge 2.0 card in your proper slot without issues. Flashing is very easy actually I recommend you do it. Takes a few minutes and a couple of bucks of hardware. I think some other people have more experience with TB here than me, I am still having issues moving it off Port 2 (The one ASUS recommends) so I took the card out for now until I figure out my situation with the blocking of Slot 2 with the 6900XT waterblock from EKWB.
 
It's good that you set it to throttle at 84c, that's what I do to with 42x multiplier on all 18 cores, it constantly outperforms higher specced 2019 Mac Pros too and indefinitely the 18 core iMac Pro. I render on all cores and it does a wonderful job. I might upgrade to 256GB of RAM when the prices dip a little bit.

I'm going a little off topic here too...

But would you mind putting together an OC guide? I know there are tons of guides out there but they always seem to target the highest possible all-core ratio's at insane power levels and I really want to get my head around a "balanced" overclock on X299 to extend my Hack days as much as possible :)

What you describe here, combining a thermal throttle limit and different targets for the number of cores used etc seems like a much more balanced approach to getting the best performance but also everyday usability - the type of approach that is rarely discussed when overclocking comes up.

I always used to overclock back in the quad core days, it was so much easier back then, but now im not entirely sure about it, I still want my CPU to scale in frequency/voltage to be as power efficient as possible while overclocking for performance when needed. Something like that would be great - whether in this thread to extend our X299 years or separate post if that's more appropriate - I would definitely appreciate some pointers ;)

At the moment I'm just using a vcore adaptive offset to reduce core voltage by -0.075v which results in the stock turbo ratios remaining stable but at about 130w instead of 165w and much cooler temps across the board on full load - but that's it. Sure it could be improved.
 
I'm going a little off topic here too...

But would you mind putting together an OC guide? I know there are tons of guides out there but they always seem to target the highest possible all-core ratio's at insane power levels and I really want to get my head around a "balanced" overclock on X299 to extend my Hack days as much as possible :)

What you describe here, combining a thermal throttle limit and different targets for the number of cores used etc seems like a much more balanced approach to getting the best performance but also everyday usability - the type of approach that is rarely discussed when overclocking comes up.

I always used to overclock back in the quad core days, it was so much easier back then, but now im not entirely sure about it, I still want my CPU to scale in frequency/voltage to be as power efficient as possible while overclocking for performance when needed. Something like that would be great - whether in this thread to extend our X299 years or separate post if that's more appropriate - I would definitely appreciate some pointers ;)

At the moment I'm just using a vcore adaptive offset to reduce core voltage by -0.075v which results in the stock turbo ratios remaining stable but at about 130w instead of 165w and much cooler temps across the board on full load - but that's it. Sure it could be improved.

A guide really isn't needed nowadays if you are doing general overclocking like we are. We're not trying to beat records here, but we just want to squeeze more out of our hardware.

Basically this is what you need to do OC on X299. I can list all the parts I use for my Open loop if anyone is interested. I really recommend anyone with X299 to get a proper open loop if you want to push the system a bit and get more longevity out of it, but you are free to go with a good AIO (Don't cheap out on this). Generally in certain benchmarks good air coolers are as good as good AIOs, however the issue is when you need to quickly dissipate heat, this is when water cooling in general comes in handy.

  • Watercooling
    • AIO (A higher end one is recommended) just for the CPU
    • Open loop for both CPU and GPU [Highly Recommended] (price range $400-$800 + your time and a few YouTube tutorials).
      • Recommended brands: EKWB for CPU/GPU blocks, Water pump/reservoir combo from EKWB, everything else including the radiator and fittings can be from different brands. Cryofuel EKWB clear liquid, and EKWB clear tubes.
      • Also with Open loops and custom radiator setups you have the capability to run your system near silently even when under full load because you get rid of the GPU fans and the CPU fans.
      • Downside to Open loop is you have to empty/refill every 12 months or so because the tube lines get dirty and liquid moves slower. Last time I refilled was at 18 month mark, and it wasn't fun cleaning the reservoir plastic because there was dirt on it haha. But not so bad. This is why you have a faucet set up at a convenient location to dump the old liquid out and refill. Takes about an hour or two.
  • Overclock Settings
    • Enable Sync All Cores and set a multiplier starting from 40x (or maybe 35x if you have an AIO and go from there)
    • Set thermal throttle limits to the limit in the Intel ark spec sheet. For example, the 9980XE is recommended to be at 84c maximum because it has a soldered IHS and it is difficult to delid this CPU. You can however get a 7980XE and delid and add your own soldering solution, however I just recommend getting the 9980XE and keeping it stock. Those extra ounces of performance is not worth it.
    • Reboot and do some benchmarks and check the temps with Intel Power Gadget and see if 40x is enough for you, then start pushing it more to 42x on all cores and see where you get. I personally keep all cores at 42x because it's the best one for my workload, it perfectly throttles at 84c when needed and still runs safely at 4.2Ghz on all cores (+/- some here and there per core). At 45x I have to ramp up the radiator fans and I don't want to, I'd rather have a more silent system.
    • Also you are able to control each core and you are able to set for example 8 cores to 42x multiplier and another 8 cores to 35x multiplier to not have the whole CPU run so hot. This is a good solution for those who don't want to do open water loops.
The point of overclocking X299 is to have the cores run at higher "boost" speeds when applications need it. I've been running my system overclocked for over 2+ years now with no issues. There is also a custom fan curve where even when the system is running at 100% load (of course with a 84c throttle) with both the GPU and CPU, the fans are near silent because of the caps I set in the BIOS for the fan Curves. Of course the whole case gets hot because it's made of aluminium, but that heat is coming from the radiators that are hot and dissipating heat, however, the thermals are near perfect and nothing is overheating and I am not hearing giant fans kicking up running crazy.

What worked for my system may not work for you, I've spent many hours "perfecting" this amount of overclocking because I used Windows and HWInfo to go back and forth between OC settings and thermals. Now I know exactly what this PC case and thermals are doing so I can easily just set the OC to all cores @ 42x multiplier even after a BIOS reset and then quickly set fan curves close to what I think is good for this setup and move on. It's not as complicated as people think, but finding that "sweet spot" for yourself is the one that takes the most time.
 
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I'm going a little off topic here too...

But would you mind putting together an OC guide? I know there are tons of guides out there but they always seem to target the highest possible all-core ratio's at insane power levels and I really want to get my head around a "balanced" overclock on X299 to extend my Hack days as much as possible :)

What you describe here, combining a thermal throttle limit and different targets for the number of cores used etc seems like a much more balanced approach to getting the best performance but also everyday usability - the type of approach that is rarely discussed when overclocking comes up.

I always used to overclock back in the quad core days, it was so much easier back then, but now im not entirely sure about it, I still want my CPU to scale in frequency/voltage to be as power efficient as possible while overclocking for performance when needed. Something like that would be great - whether in this thread to extend our X299 years or separate post if that's more appropriate - I would definitely appreciate some pointers ;)

At the moment I'm just using a vcore adaptive offset to reduce core voltage by -0.075v which results in the stock turbo ratios remaining stable but at about 130w instead of 165w and much cooler temps across the board on full load - but that's it. Sure it could be improved.
with a 10th gen you're pretty much overclocked by default, intel squeezing all they can there. Anyway isn't that hard, it's just time consuming by trial and error. You have to set core clock "by core usage" in bios and choosing "adaptive mode" for core voltage all in "AI Tweaker" tab in BIOS. I usually download Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility and use it to figure out stock clock per core usage, then I apply 100Mhz increase to standard clock and test. You can set/save clocks and even stress test the CPU all inside the app (only available for windows). Basically you'll end up with red alerts on temps/throttle/voltages and that's where you should stop increasing clocks. Just keep in mind you'll need beefy cooling to go further on the already high clocks of 10th gen.
 
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