Cube to the MAX!

[ersterhernd]

Did a stress test with GeekBench 64-bit with the Turbo Boost enabled and throttled in BIOS @ 3.37 GHz (34x multiplier). Ran it for over 40 minutes. Temperatures were stable in the mid to high 70's as compared to the high 60's in non-Turbo boost @ 3.07 GHz (31x multiplier). This was about the threshold for temperature, as any higher speeds climbed up over 80C very quickly, which is beyond acceptable for me. It appears that the i7-3770S can perform at around a 10% overclock in the Cube in the 3.4 GHz range.

I've included screenshots of both non-Turbo and Turbo modes for comparison of Benchmark Results and Temperatures using GeekBench.


i7-3770S in Non-Turbo Boost Mode @ 3.07 GHz

i7-3770S in Turbo Boost Mode @ 3.37 GHz

Ersterhernd

 

[MacTester57]

This is a rocket! I'm a bit jealous...

Strange, that the "correct" 6,2 definition does not provide full turbo speed! I've updated both my DQ77KB builds to the patched 0051 BIOS. Speedstep and sleep work great with the 6,2 definition.

MacTester

 

[ersterhernd]

Yes Mactester I found it strange that I could only get two speeds out of MacMini6,2. Even stranger that yours works and mine doesn't. I tried everything, believe me.

Heat is definitely an issue above 34x though, but seemingly manageable up to that point. No difference in HD4000 performance though, looks like its tapped out at the i7 stock speed.


Cheers!

 

[MacTester57]

Heat is definitely an issue above 34x

Yes, this temps are a bit high...

I've changed the following three setting in the BIOS:
-Lowered "Control Temperature" from 85°C to 68°C (stupid, the CPU begins to throttle to protect itself with this setting)
-Lowered "All-On Temperature from 93°C to 72°C


-Lowered "Minimum Duty Cycle from 20% to 1%. This allows the fan to spin slower, if the CPU does not produce much heat.


MacTester

 

[ersterhernd]

Yes MacTester, the stress test temps took about 15 minutes to climb to those levels, then stabilized. As high as they are, it wasn't an immediate spike upwards, I think that's positive.

I have modified my bios settings similar to yours as shown, but have also throttled the power consumption watts and amps waaayyy back in the processor override option. Nothing helped until I did this. The temps simply ran upwards out of control.

I'll post pics of my settings when I'm home later.

Thanks!



Ersterhernd

 

[Soothsayr]

Thanks for posting your build. Your goals were very similar to mine, and I have a cube in the attic waiting for when I am ready to start my build!

I was wondering if you had considered Intel's Active Thermal Solutions HTS 1155LP for the cpu heatsink/cooler?

http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/49/20/492064_492064.pdf

If you had already considered this, I'd be curious what made you not use it?

Thanks!
Barry

 

[ersterhernd]

Hi MacTester, in response to your posted BIOS settings, this is what I found worked under the 'Performance/Processor Overrides' option.

I had to make significant cuts in some of the Default numbers to get the Turbo Boost function to find it's overclocked ceiling at 3.37 GHz. I think it was the 'AMPS' value that finally made it work. I forget what default was, and don't want to reset the whole BIOS to find out. I think it was 90 or something like that, but at 55 now. I don't think you'll see these options with an i3 processor, unfortunately.

Whatever inner workings the Intel BIOS does inside this Turbo Boost feature, this screen seems to provide a rudimentary means of controlling it by starving the Turbo Mode of power. This in turn ultimately slows it down from its max 39x and prevents it from imminent shutdown due to overheating.

Its going to take a pile more cooling than the Gelid Slim Silence can handle if Turbo Mode is left to run unleashed on a 3770S. For now, this i7 Cube is running right at (or VERY near) its performance/temperature threshold, so I'm satisfied that I've pushed it as hard as I safely can given the cooling configuration currently installed. I'm very interested to see how Kiwi's new Praeton CPU Cooler performs once he get's it in his next Cube build.


Cheers!

 

[ersterhernd]

Thanks for posting your build. Your goals were very similar to mine, and I have a cube in the attic waiting for when I am ready to start my build!

I was wondering if you had considered Intel's Active Thermal Solutions HTS 1155LP for the cpu heatsink/cooler?

http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/49/20/492064_492064.pdf

If you had already considered this, I'd be curious what made you not use it?

Thanks!
Barry

Hi Soothsayr, I looked briefly at this solution for the i7 Cube, but couldn't see any way to make it fit. The unit is designed to place the cooling fins off to the side of the motherboard, this would never work in a Cube. If the entire cooler could be rotated to fit facing 180 degrees opposite to its intended design (which I don't imagine is possible) and the copper heat pipes then bent 90 degrees upward, there may be a slim chance that a stock 80mm fan could be mounted onto the fins that would then be sitting between the Cube latching mechanisms.

Once you get into your Cube project you will see just how little space there is to work with. Literally every millimeter counts.

Even if it could be made to fit in that unlikely non-standard configuration, the device is only rated at 65W anyway, the same as the Gelid Slim Silence that I used. It has been proven already that the Gelid fits perfectly and cools (read previous few posts) up to a 10% overclock at 3.37 GHz on the i7-3770S.

Forum member Kiwisincebirth has purchased a Cooler that looks very promising for these i7 Cube builds. Even at that, the Praeton Cooler that he has will need to be installed in a non-stock configuration for it to fit. I'm waiting to see his results from it once he get his project up and running. Should be interesting.

Looking forward to seeing your work begin!

Cheers!



Ersterhernd

 

[Soothsayr]

Ah, I retook another look at how the fan was installed - I didn't realize it was off the motherboard rather than on, for the whole part. Bleah.

I'll have to take a look at the other fans you mentioned.

I also recently was made aware of the 3770T which runs at 45w, but I haven't found specs to see the main differences between the 3770S and 3770T, but will have to do my due diligence on checking this out.

 

[ersterhernd]

I also recently was made aware of the 3770T which runs at 45w, but I haven't found specs to see the main differences between the 3770S and 3770T, but will have to do my due diligence on checking this out.

The 3770T is not officially supported on the DQ77KB, where the S version is.