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[epmode]

I just tried to enable a moderate overclock on my i7 2600K 3.4GHz processor and it didn't go so well.

Intel i7 2600K 3.4GHz
EVGA P67 SLI motherboard
A single Gigabyte GTX 770 card
16 GB RAM
Windows 8.1 64

I followed a basic guide which suggested starting with a 4.0-4.5GHz overclock before trying anything really crazy. I decided to start with 4.5 GHz just to see if the thing would even boot so I changed a few recommended settings and restarted. The computer wouldn't even POST. Instead, I heard a series of four identical beeps before the computer automatically restarted.

Rebooting wasn't correcting the problem. I was forced to clear the CMOS by holding down the CMOS reset button on the motherboard. This brought my BIOS settings back to the defaults. I also went into the BIOS and forced the defaults manually, just in case.

The computer seemed to boot properly after that but I'm noticing that my screen will now occasionally go black for a half-second before Windows reappears. There's no driver failure error or anything.

If I just sit at my desktop, everything's fine, but once I start opening certain programs (games, mostly), the screen blanks out for a half second, comes back, blanks out again about 2 seconds later, comes back and repeats. The time it takes before the next black screen varies a little but it's never more than a few seconds.

Once I close the offending program, the black screens stop. The strange thing is that not every program does this. Elite: Dangerous does it every time I try to launch it and it's completely unplayable. The Talos Principle is perfectly fine. Starting CPUID HWMonitor results in some blinking (but not as often) while Dragon Age: Inquisition works fine!

I'm not sure what the problem is. My computer was very stable until now. My CPU is definitely no longer overclocked and my videocard is still at its factory settings. I tried updating to the latest Nvidia beta drivers but nothing changed.

I'd appreciate any help you guys can provide!

edit: Solution in post 23

 

[Red]

What did you set your voltage to, and what are your current temps?

 

[Aztechnology]

You didn't overlock anything else like RAM right? What are your ratios set to? Just give us all the information you can.

 

[epmode]

What did you set your voltage to, and what are your current temps?

I set it to 1.35V, then reverted back to Auto after the POST problem. Current temps:

You didn't overlock anything else like RAM right? What are your ratios set to? Just give us all the information you can.

I didn't touch the RAM at all. It'll take me a bit to get the settings from the BIOS.

 

[saunderez]

It's unlikely but it seems like you've damaged the motherboard. I don't know what guide suggested you start with an overclock up to 1Ghz over stock speeds but they really shouldn't be suggesting that.

 

[Vestal]

It's unlikely but it seems like you've damaged the motherboard. I don't know what guide suggested you start with an overclock up to 1Ghz over stock speeds but they really shouldn't be suggesting that.

The 2600k over clocks to 4.5 with no trouble though. I have it set to 4.5ghz with stock voltage and it has been running like this for over 2 years.

 

[Cerity]

Sometimes overclocking brings out funny stuff with your mb, eg. if I take my 2500k past 4.8ghz on my maximus iv extreme-z, the usb ports start to unload themselves and I'll get wierd disconnects. I start to see cross talk on my front panel audio as well.

Clear CMOS again or boot without the battery in and see if it doesnt fix it. If it doesn't you might have damaged your MB, which is pretty old now, even for 1155.

 

[Aztechnology]

The 2600k over clocks to 4.5 with no trouble though. I have it set to 4.5ghz with stock voltage and it has been running like this for over 2 years.

It can, but not always. As you know CPU's usually rest somewhere on a bell curve of overclocking range. Each chip is a bit different, he could of just received one from the lower end.

 

[epmode]

The 2600k over clocks to 4.5 with no trouble though. I have it set to 4.5ghz with stock voltage and it has been running like this for over 2 years.

Yeah, the few guides I checked said that the 2600K should be able to handle 4.5 easily. I'm going to try another CMOS reset and that battery thing.

Thankfully, it looks like my motherboard is still within EVGA's warranty period and overclocking apparently doesn't void it.

 

[Damaniel]

The 2600k over clocks to 4.5 with no trouble though. I have it set to 4.5ghz with stock voltage and it has been running like this for over 2 years.

Depends on the individual processor. Even with a high-end Noctua cooler, I couldn't reliably OC my 2600K over 4.4ghz. Some (most, in fact) can do much better than that, but a relatively unlucky person could end up with a relatively limited chip.

 

[DarkFlow]

It's unlikely but it seems like you've damaged the motherboard. I don't know what guide suggested you start with an overclock up to 1Ghz over stock speeds but they really shouldn't be suggesting that.

Huh? 1ghz is nothing, and also not something that would damage his motherboard unless he set some crazy high volts.

Anyway as far as blinking goes, that's GPU related, and has nothing to do with your CPU. Reinstall your GPU drivers, or check to make sure you're not running off the built in GPU on the motherboard.

 

[oneran]

Have you checked event viewer and does it give you any specific errors?

 

[TronLight]

Yeah, the few guides I checked said that the 2600K should be able to handle 4.5 easily. I'm going to try another CMOS reset and that battery thing.

Thankfully, it looks like my motherboard is still within EVGA's warranty period and overclocking apparently doesn't void it.

You didn't just crank the clock up to 4.5GHz, didn't you?

 

[Aztechnology]

You didn't just crank the clock up to 4.5GHz, didn't you?

It sounds like that's what he did. OP were you messing around with adaptive voltages too?

 

[epmode]

Anyway as far as blinking goes, that's GPU related, and has nothing to do with your CPU. Reinstall your GPU drivers, or check to make sure you're not running off the built in GPU on the motherboard.

I've already reinstalled the drivers. I even tried a clean installation to a different set of drivers.

I know the GTX 770 is in use because my framerate in DA: Inquisiton is the same as before and everything looks fine.

One thing I only noticed now because my sound was apparently muted:

When the screen blanks out the first time, I hear a Windows 8 sound effect just like the one that plays when plugging in a USB stick or other external device. When the screen blinks again a second later, I hear a sound like the USB device was removed. This process repeats until I stop the offending program.

Device manager shows no problematic devices. The screen blinking doesn't seem to correspond with anything in my Windows Event Viewer.

 

[epmode]

Resetting the CMOS didn't help and neither did booting with no CMOS battery at all. The black screen flashes still happen.

You didn't just crank the clock up to 4.5GHz, didn't you?

It sounds like that's what he did. OP were you messing around with adaptive voltages too?

I increased the multiplier to reach 4.5GHz, manually set the voltage to 1.325V, disabled VDroop, enabled Internal PLL Voltage Override, disabled EIST, disabled C1E support, disabled CPU C3 support.

That's it. I'm now pretty sure I fucked something up but I didn't think the OC was extreme enough to cause permanent damage.

Should have done more research.

 

[Aztechnology]

Resetting the CMOS didn't help and neither did booting with no CMOS battery at all. The black screen flashes still happen.





I increased the multiplier to reach 4.5GHz, manually set the voltage to 1.325V, disabled VDroop, enabled Internal PLL Voltage Override, disabled EIST, disabled C1E support, disabled CPU C3 support.

That's it. I'm now pretty sure I fucked something up but I didn't think the OC was extreme enough to cause permanent damage.

Should have done more research.

That's odd that would cause permanent damage as the CPU typically protects itself from anything too serious, and that wasn't even that much of an OC. It's hard to say without being able to use the computer myself, and interact with the bios etc.

 

[epmode]

I can apparently cause a series of the black screen flashes by unplugging my 360 controller. It blinks twice again when I plug it back in. I hear those Windows 8 sounds I mentioned earlier every time the screen blanks out.

It's probably(?) a motherboard thing, I'm just not sure how to correct it.

 

[DarkFlow]

I've already reinstalled the drivers. I even tried a clean installation to a different set of drivers.

I know the GTX 770 is in use because my framerate in DA: Inquisiton is the same as before and everything looks fine.

One thing I only noticed now because my sound was apparently muted:

When the screen blanks out the first time, I hear a Windows 8 sound effect just like the one that plays when plugging in a USB stick or other external device. When the screen blinks again a second later, I hear a sound like the USB device was removed. This process repeats until I stop the offending program.

Device manager shows no problematic devices. The screen blinking doesn't seem to correspond with anything in my Windows Event Viewer.

Hmm, well I just know that your CPU would not cause screen blinking. if something was going crazy with your CPU, it would bluescreen and that would be that. You're having video problems now, so check everything and make sure it's in good working order. If that still doesn't fix it, back up everything and do a fresh windows install, it might be windows itself. Fucking with bios can sometimes make windows go sideways.

 

[sir_kevith]

Seems odd. I would check the bios for any weird modes that could have enabled when you reset CMOS.

 

[oneran]

Have you tried re-seating the power connector on the graphics card and your board, maybe you loosened something while resting the bios?

Also are you sure there is nothing in event viewer it may be under warnings or information?

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

check out what type of bios you have and the beep codes for it

 

[epmode]

Goddammit.

It was my Oculus Rift.

The stupid thing must have powered itself back on when I reset the CMOS. The blinks coincided with the Rift enabling, then disabling itself.

The issue was happening most in Elite because it has native Rift support. The other games and programs must have ignored it after the initial launch.

Thank you so much for helping, GAF. I'm going to try an OC later but I think I need a day or two to recover.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Well that was easy

 

[Photolysis]

Hmm, well I just know that your CPU would not cause screen blinking. if something was going crazy with your CPU, it would bluescreen and that would be that.

CPU errors and indeed hardware errors in general can manifest themselves in very weird ways.

As an example off the top of my head, I noticed a CPU thermal problem after Windows randomly 'lost' a hard drive of mine.

Another example from this past week: I had a graphics card which had busted and prevented the system from even reaching POST, and when turned on the only way to get the machine off again was to disconnect the power supply. Even the tech Dell sent around said how weird it was (and I've never seen a failed card do that before either -- and I've seen more than my fair share).

 

[Aztechnology]

Goddammit.

It was my Oculus Rift.

The stupid thing must have powered itself back on when I reset the CMOS. The blinks coincided with the Rift enabling, then disabling itself.

The issue was happening most in Elite because it has native Rift support. The other games and programs must have ignored it after the initial launch.

Thank you so much for helping, GAF. I'm going to try an OC later but I think I need a few days to recover.

Whew, good outcome.