[chicolom]

I'm pretty sure that on Windows 8 task manger does show your processor speed.  I mean, I'm looking right at it and I can see the speed.

 
Core temp shows this:
 
 

 
 
 
I'm think I'm just going to reformat at this point.  It'd be easier than mucking around with the registry to try and fixed the borked AI suite.
 
I'd still like to know what caused it, so I doesn't just do it again later.  I guess it's a mystery, but I know it started after AI suite did it's auto-overclock and never went away after that. 
 
I'll reformat and then immediately try and reproduce the problem, doing the AI suite auto-overclock if needed.  If it gets past that point, I'll install programs and then IMAGE the machine -  to create a real restore point in case it does it again.

 

[SaLX]

K.. save the setting AI suite produced in your BIOS and maybe work around that. I'm kind of thinking that AI suite hasn't been fully updated to your new board as it's not doing 'its thing' properly.

 

[chicolom]

AI suite is dead/corrupted.  I can't recover it or remove it at this point.  Maybe it wrote something weird to the board, but...
 
...I just flashed the BIOS on the board and still no change. 

 

[chicolom]

Ahhh hhha.
 
I think it IS actually something in the "power options", because now when I change it to "balanced" or "power saving" it steps down. 
 
This is weird though, because I haven't touched the "power options" since building this, and it only started constantly maxing the CPU frequency AFTER I messed with the AI suite overclocking, not before.  I know because I checked it before and after.   I'm not sure what my "power option" was set to before, but maybe AI suite set it to "high Performance" and that maxed the frequency. 
 
"High performance" = NO speed step?

 

[SaLX]

Frankly chico I'm hard pressed to explain that. That suggestion was a complete shot in the dark. If it works then all is good hopefully

 
 
**Edit** Just checked my options and they are at 'balanced'. Can't remember if that's the default or not but then again you have Win 8.

 

[DJINFERNO806]

Within the first 5 minutes of windows starting it won't throttle down due to all the services being started. It should afterwards.

I believe most auto overclockimg software disables c states and Intel speedstep to achieve a more stable oc. Yours may or may not. I don't use them.

If anything clear the CMOS and see if it throttles down then.

Sal, I believe as long as the CPU load is more than half on the primary core(or certain instructions sets are demanded) it will throttle up. Starting and stopping services, programs, queries and cache swapping will also cause it momentarily throttle up.


Edit: ya high performance diables all throttling in general. I guess AI suite being software, its able to adjust it right in windows. Lol usually windows defaults to balanced. And that's what I recommend. So I guess it must have been AI suite.

 

[SaLX]

I've just scribbled that down on my 'don't forget about that thing' section of my notebook. Bizarre really.
 
Anyway all good. My first OC was the Athlon back in ninety 90 oatcake..... no such thing as throttling then. I love it when I see a low voltage clock just sitting there ticking over till I need moar powa.

 

[chicolom]

Hmm.  I don't think AI Suite disables any c states/stepping in the BIOS, but if it's setting it too "high performance" than I guess that doesn't matter because windows isn't going won't take advantage of the stepping anyways.  Maybe the more conservative auto overclock (4.2ghz) leaves it on balanced but the "extreme tune" that takes it to 4.5 ghz sets it to high performance.
 
 
I'll have to do more testing with AI suite to see how it manipulates the "power options" in windows.  Unfortunately I can't right now though, as AI suite really is borked and I'll have to kill it with fire before I can use it again.  I think I need to wipe it from the registry...

 

[SaLX]

I just reinstalled Win 7 the other day and just used the saved BIOS settings from the previous install. AI suite is good for finding the perfect OC and voltage requirements. What I'm saying is: you don't need it anymore once it's done it's thing. I'd kind of just do a reg clean of all Asus entries and be happy with what you've got chico.
 
Definitely install Core Temp and it's corresponding widget to monitor temperatures. It's got a nice auto shutdown just in case; then again the mobo ought to do it as well but nice to have a double failsafe. 

 

[chicolom]

Finally nuked AI suite off the computer and was then able to reinstall it.  Did the "extreme tune" overclock again and it went to 4.5ghz again, however this time it IS stepping down correctly and it is still on the "balanced" power plan.
 
I should be good to go now.  Thanks for the help! 

 

 

[SaLX]

You could probably go to 4.8GHz doing it manually with that cooler... but 4.5 is hugely respectable. Glad we could help... still immensely jealous of that case you have. grrrr

 

[DJINFERNO806]

I would delid that CPU for the best cooling at 4.8 GHz first. Without it you are approaching the thermal limit throttle limit. You'd be knocking on that 80 degree Celsius door really quickly lol. Of course that depends on how much voltage you had to put in to achieve that oc. You may have a race horse on your hands that OCs like a champ on stock it's possible.

My 2600k runs 4.5 GHz all day stock voltage. That's why I reluctant to let it go

 

[SaLX]

 
No thanks!!!!!!!
 
Yeah 4.8GHz is probably way to optimistic .. you're right there DJ, unless of course you get a 'golden' CPU that can take it. I must've been very lucky with mine, but for absolute peace of mind 4.2Ghz makes me very happy indeed.

 

[chicolom]

Considering it already takes 1.275v to get it to 4.5 - 4.6 ghz, I think 4.8 is out of the question. 

 

[SaLX]

Not true Chico... you can volt up to 1.5+ on a lot of boards, given the right cooling and owning a completely deranged personality ofc. There's guys (or girls) out there there who have 5.4GHz clocks on this particular class of CPU, even more, though they'll be using some seriously overclocked ram and Starfleet cooling solutions etc.
 
TBH, although AI Suite has set those values, it's generally recognised that that program sets it's voltages a bit too high (or if you like, in the sweet spot between too low AND too high). You can easily lower the voltage now in BIOS to see what you can get away with (and in turn ramp up the OC till you actually need to be using 1.275v or whatever). You could get to as little as 1.1v or below.
 
It's a huge hobby for lots of people as you'll know... I'm sure you'll do your homework if you get into it. Me? Not that bothered anymore.