Findings with Asrock W790-WS, Xeon SPR-SP D0, and BCLK OC (and lack thereof)

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stoots

New Member
Jun 3, 2024
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TLDR: "Watch and/or help me cook a CPU or otherwise get it flying"

A tangent in a similar thread https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...phire-rapids-sp-es-works-it.41306/post-428307 suggests some limited success in using BCLK to overclock these CPUs, but I haven't been able to reliably get over even ~111MHz BCLK on my particular comination of Asrock W790-WS and QYFU.


The background:
Have an ASUS W790-ACE and QYFU 48c ES, D0 stepping.
Recently acquired an Asrock W790-WS as a sidegrade and to move the ACE in place of a Broadwell node. I like the Asrock's layout a bit more:
  • the PCI-E slot + M.2-from-CPU layout is more useful to me
  • the additional NIC over the ASUS ACE is a bonus for someone not picky
  • the built-in WiFi is nice for occasional carrying around of this monstrosity
  • the WPBT binary (that is, Asus' Armoury Crate, Asrock's Driver Installer) isn't enabled by default every time I clear CMOS May have been an OEM customization; this was changed after a BIOS update
Conversely, the ASUS ACE scores far faster POST times.


Onto BCLK OC testing:
One thing I noted was in the description of the Asrock board on their website was the "Hyper BCLK engine" feature. For the uninitiated, this was once the marketing term Asrock used for motherboards with external clock generators during the first round of Skylake CPU launches, allowing for overclocking of non -K-SKU desktop CPUs ever since that was locked away with Sandy Bridge.

I can corroborate some other findings, though:
Monitoring software fails to notice the increases in speeds; only benchmark results show that anything has actually changed.
Sole exception is Asrock's own utility.
On the Asus ACE, monitoring software did show the increase in BCLK.


Testing notes:
I set static 1.1V on Vcore and the mesh.
CPU was set to a global 29x core multi, ~3.2GHz when loaded.
Mesh ratio was dropped to 23.
DRAM was dropped to 4000MT/s @ 100MHz BCLK for testing to avoid going much above 4800MT/s during BCLK adjustments.
I fixed stock timings from 4800MT/s in place; otherwise, I noted that the board would tighten timings if left alone at "auto".

Results:
Stock scores were around 48-50K CB23 and low 26K in CPU-Z multithread. New ones attached.
Beginning around 112-113 MHz BCLK, the board started having trouble POSTing.
No reliable POSTs above 114MHz BCLK ever occurred.

explorer_vjd4eg0vuH.pngCinebench_cBDZ5lS53m.png



So here I sit at 110 MHz BCLK out of ideas. Would love to get feedback or other things/UEFI options/etc. to test.
 
Last edited:

bayleyw

Active Member
Jan 8, 2014
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so this could be a memory issue...I have a consumer Alder Lake system that is overclocked via external clockgen and it really does not like POSTing. after a ton of fiddling around it ended up being a memory issue - even with manual timings there was something causing the DRAM training to fail.

have you tried with one DIMM?

the good thing is the fact that it runs at 113 and doesn't immediately lock you out at 110 means that the clockgen is doing its thing. there's no way the pcie would continue to work at 113 without the clock generator.
 

RolloZ170

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2016
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So here I sit at 110 MHz BCLK out of ideas. Would love to get feedback or other things/UEFI options/etc. to test.
ASUS W790 Ace has options to rise BCLK later( to get around RAM training issues )
seems there are some parts not suporting more BCLK.
is voltage set that time the external BCLK gen. is clocking higher than 100mhz ?
it is ES, 1.1V enough ?
how is EMIB clocked ?
many questions.
the ASRock special BCLK is not intended for OC only, it is a helper to fine adjust things.
mainly OC is done by multiplicators.
 

arabus

Member
Apr 22, 2024
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112 bclk make,but on the bios.You need 50 mv +offset on the fivr voltage tab.
Gibt the memory voltage the voltage settings tab memory vdd and vddq 1,38V-1,38V.
And with the old bios not working,only with the 4.04 new one.
 

arabus

Member
Apr 22, 2024
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You dont hawe any control only on the bios.With 112 bclk you have 3900 mhz cpu and 5379 on the memory,the pcie not have any changes dath fixed every time on 100 bclk,so no problem like the with only processor bclk oc,because dath make the pcie clock also.
When the 112 bclk installiert on bios and work problemlos you make the asrock program 115 bclk bat this is the maximum because the mesh frekvency locked maximum 2800 mhz,and 1mhz no moor!
And maybe the processor do not apply while this is silicon lotto.
Make probe with +50-70 mv offset and no moor!
I have also on the ring voltage +50mv offset.
 

Bert

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2018
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1. Is there a way to hit 125mhz bclk with this motherboard? Highest I can set under BIOS is 110mhz which is not using the bclk engine.

2. I am not able to make any change to bclk under windows with mb tuning software. It simply causes system to freeze if I set a value higher than 102mHz.

I have a qyfu cpu and single rdimm which can push under 6800mhz easily. What is preventing me to change bclk under windows?
 
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arabus

Member
Apr 22, 2024
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112 bclk the maximum on the bios,because the mesh clock maximiziert on 2800mhz and no moor then 112x25=2800.
If 6800mhz memory clock you have forget bclk oc.
Make the memory clock -5600mhz and bclk oc.
 

Bert

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2018
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Memory is running at stock speeds, I said memory can run much faster so it is not a blocking issue.

The problem I am having is that I cannot change the bclk under windows by using motherboard utility. 101 works, 102 works and 103 freezes the computer.

How am I supposed to change the bclk under windows so it can use the blck engine.
 

Bert

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Mar 31, 2018
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Ok i dont no bios version,windows version nothing info.
What BIOS version do you have? I can match with yours. I am hoping to learn your configuration so I can repeat it on my set up.

I am using Win11. Should I update the BIOS to latest?
 

Bert

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Mar 31, 2018
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I updated the bios to the latest version and mb got into reboot loop.

Which BIOS version is recommend here?
 

Bert

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Mar 31, 2018
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BIOS update works only through the bios update button. Using BIOS or F6 didn't work for me as Arabus pointed out.
 

Bert

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Mar 31, 2018
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I have the latest BIOS and the mb utility tool (as the link given by arabus) and mb still freezes at 103mHZ.

Is there any specific settings I need to set? BIOS is set to default configuration