Introduction
Although the OS tuner does not take into account the potential of XMP memory, it does increase the multiplier to DDR3-1866 settings. In combination with the maximum overclocking of the processor to 103 MHz BCLK, the actual data transfer rate is increased to DDR3-1923 parameters.
Overclocking Guide and TurboV EVO
We used overclocking settings, described in our article to overclock the processor Intel Core i7-2600K up to 4.73 GHz at 1.35V operating voltage. In fact, we needed to set the operating voltage to 1.335 W, as well as activate the "Extreme" mode with a multiplier of 47x and 100.5 MHz BCLK.
Asus' top memory overclocking board also allows us to use the XMP-2200 profile in DDR3-2145 mode.
It only takes a single Windows reboot for Asus' TurboV EVO utility to activate the operating mode changes.
Both CPU-Z and AsusProbe II show changes in CPU core power in the run menu, but TurboV EVO does not show them. Perhaps this is because we have set the BIOS to a fixed mode. We believe that a relatively large gap in overclocking potential between software and firmware is explained by the difference in the "Load-Line Calibration" mode of operation with automatic (firmware) and manual (software) methods.
Gigabyte Smart QuickBoost
Many users are afraid to use the BIOS for overclocking due to the risk of hardware failures. Gigabyte solved this problem radically, without touching the BIOS at all during overclocking and using applications for Windows for this purpose.
Don't be fooled by the voltage in the CPU-Z screenshot. "TwinTurbo" mode sets the operating voltage to 1.38 - 1.39V; a reboot is required to activate Smart QuickBoost.
The frequency of 4.2 GHz is only the base value for overclocking in "TwinTurbo" mode. If we are talking about a quad-core processor, then the frequency of operation with two active cores will be 4.3 GHz, and when performing single-threaded operations, its value will increase to 4.4 GHz.
The Smart QuickBoost utility is not smart enough to use the XMP-2200 memory values and chooses the highest values by SPD.
Overclocking guide and EasyTune6
When working with the Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5, the operating frequency, according to our BIOS screenshot, was 4.68 GHz at a voltage level of 1.35V, while Load-Line was set to Level 6. Please note that CPU-Z does not output reliable CPU voltage values.
Good memory potential allowed us to use the XMP-2200 values, despite the fact that the base frequency was 101.6 MHz. As a result, the data rate was consistent with DDR3-2168 at CAS 9.
The EasyTune6 settings are not as detailed as Gigabyte's BIOS, so we don't have the option to select 101.6 MHz, and 101.8 MHz caused the system to crash.
Similarly, it was not possible to set the multiplier to 45x, and at 46x the system cannot be called stable. These two factors - inflexible settings and unstable operation - lead to the fact that we can overclock the equipment 200 MHz less than is potentially possible.
The core voltage could only be selected as 1.345V or 1.355V. We chose 1.345 because we were comparing Gigabyte overclocking to 1.350V BIOS-based overclocking.
MSI OC Genie
According to MSI, the OC Genie program allows for "one-touch" overclocking - using the EasyButton function. Instead of operating through the BIOS or software applications, the Z68-GD80 has a dedicated button to activate the overclocking function.
Overclocking is carried out up to 4.2 GHz regardless of the number of active processor cores. The indicator of the operating voltage of overclocked equipment is also stable - it is 1.34V. It can be said right away that this technology is one of the safest.
OC Genie can use XMP memory values, immediately starting to work on DD3-2133. With a base frequency of 99.8 MHz, the actual data transfer rate will be 2129 MT/s.
Overclocking guide and control center
We used the overclock settings from the MSI firmware screenshot and set the Z68A-GD80 operating parameters to 4.67GHz and 1.35V. The setting for "LowVDroop" is 1.355V, made to achieve the required voltage at full load.
The DRAM data rate limit of 2150 Mt/s prevented us from using XMP profiles and the 101.6 MHz BCLK frequency. We left the automatic memory mode active, as it uses the highest SPD settings.
Control Center from MSI allows you to configure many motherboard settings in Windows, including the processor multiplier, core voltage, and base clock speed. However, some of its values turned out to be inaccurately consistent with real indicators: for example, the parameter 1.3600V in the settings corresponds to the values in the firmware 1.355V and the real one is 1.344-1.352V.
However, even at these voltage values, we could not achieve the same result from the Control Center. The highest result it is capable of is 4.62 GHz. Although this is in any case a good increase in productivity.
Memory timings can be adjusted without rebooting the system.
Tests and equipment
| Test system configuration | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-2600K: 3.40 GHz, 8 MB cache, LGA 1155 |
| CPU cooler | Thermalright MUX-120 w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste |
| Memory | G.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD (16 GB) DDR3-2200 at DDR3-1600 CAS 9, 1.60 V |
| video card | nVidia GeForce GTX 580 1.5 GB 772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008 |
| Motherboard | ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3, BIOS 1.3 (9/28/2011) Asus P8Z68 Deluxe, BIOS 0706 (08/05/2011) Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5, BIOS F4e (08/25/2011) MSI Z68A-GD80, BIOS V17.2 (07/18/2011) |
| HDD | Samsung 470 MZ5PA256HMDR 256 GB SSD |
| Sound card | Integrated HD |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Nutrition | Seasonic X760 SS-760KM ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| video card | nVidia GeForce 270.61 WHQL |
| Chipset | Intel INF 9.2.0.1030 |
The Seasonic X760 power supply delivers a consistent level of efficiency to bring out the difference in motherboard power consumption.
The G.Skill RipJaws X DDR3-2200 16 GB kit allowed us to test the overclocking limits of a fully loaded memory controller, for tests we used only two memory modules (8 GB).
Motherboards are compared mainly in terms of performance. The nVidia GeForce GTX 580 minimizes the GPU bottleneck.
| 3D games | |
| crysis | Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Very High Quality, 8x AA |
| Metro 2033 | Full Game, Built-In Benchmark, "Frontline" Scene Test Set 1: DX11, High, AAA, 4x AF, No PhysX, No DoF Test Set 2: DX11, Very High, 4x AA, 16x AF, No PhysX, DoF On |
| Audio/video encoding | |
| iTunes | Version 9.0.3.15 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 –nores (160 kbps) |
| Media Espresso 6.5 | Version 6.5.1210_33281: 1080i HDTV (449 MB) to iPad H.264, 1024x768 |
| Media Converter 7 | Version7.1.0.68: 1080i HDTV (449 MB) to iPad, SmartFit profile |
| File Compression | |
| winzip | Version 14.0 Pro: THG-Workload (464 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
| WinRAR | Version 4.0 Beta 4: THG-Workload (464 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.2: THG-Workload (464 MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" |
The unchanged set of tests and equipment allows you to compare today's results with the results in previous articles.
Test results
crysis
Testing hardware in Crysis has proven to be convenient, as performance is affected by almost any hardware change. The changes are most apparent at low settings, such as 1280x720 and anti-aliasing disabled.
ASRock's higher "Turbo 4.6" frequency allows it to overtake Asus' hardware in "Auto" mode. In manual overclocking mode, Gigabyte finds itself in a slightly better position in terms of DRAM data transfer rates than Asus. The P8Z68 Deluxe seems more balanced.
At higher settings, the differences are minimal.
When playing at high settings, the frequency of the processor is crucial, but if you set the resolution to 1920x1080 and higher, then even this criterion fades into the background.
Metro 2033
Metro 2033 still outperforms Crysis in terms of hardware requirements, despite being over a year old. main reason The one thing we generally took into account in these tests of Crysis is that testing Metro 2033 will not be able to fully evaluate the overclocking of equipment, even at a resolution of 1280x720 and moderate video settings.
Small differences in processor frequencies disappear when we set the resolution to 2560x1600. Increasing detail simply reduces the performance impact of the game.
Audio and video encoding
Almost any overclocking is perfectly displayed in Apple iTunes, but the best of automatic methods it is worth recognizing the one offered by ASRock (4.6 GHz). And while manual overclocking performance is always better, the differences in the 28-second test are too small to be serious.
In this test, which lasts longer than a minute, Asus takes the lead. However, ASRock still comes out on top at auto-configuration.
MSI's technology overclocks the integrated graphics card so that the performance of MediaEspresso's QuickSync encoding is greatly improved.
In previous reviews, we have already said that MediaConverter7 is less efficient when working with Intel's QuickSync hardware compared to MediaEspresso, and the performance advantage of MSI is reduced accordingly.
File Compression
Technologies from Asus and ASRock are roughly comparable in efficiency when it comes to compressing in 7-Zip, despite ASRock dealing with a higher CPU clock speed. This can be explained by the higher RAM transfer rates in Asus. Manual overclocking is more effective in both cases.
MSI has the highest auto-overclocking performance, which should have an impact on archiving. A combination of good memory and high frequency processor work at Asus allows it to take the first line in our chart.
For WinZIP to work, only the operating frequency of the processor is relevant. The leaders in this indicator are technologies from Asus and ASRock.
Power and heat dissipation
We did not change the power settings after the programs completed the automatic overclocking of the equipment. After all, the idea behind automatic overclocking is that it should take care of all the overclocking work.
We can state a significant difference in the work of MSI and the other three technologies. Everyone else applies the same power-saving settings used in stock modes, changing only the multiplier and voltage for TurboBoost, while MSI concentrates on overclocking. Gigabyte is the best power saver.
The only thing MSI can brag about is the efficiency of the voltage regulators. Even with manually set high voltage, the Z68A-GD80 consumes less power than the competition.
In this test, we used a special sensor that measured the peak temperature in the hottest part of the processor. Z68XP-UD5 from Gigabyte is in the lead here, even with a couple of degrees of error, MSI follows.
Efficiency
ASRock has the highest hardware performance in automatic overclocking, but ASUS catches up with it when we run high-end games. bandwidth memory.
Asus overclocks better than others manually - up to 47 x 100.5 MHz. However, due to the multiplier being reduced to 46x, we were able to set the base clock speed to 101.6MHz with Gigabyte.
The performance advantage of fast memory is usually small. In any case, we note that Asus looks the best in overclocking.
Asus' maximum manual overclocking gives a real advantage when working with applications.
If we talk about average values, then technologies from Asus and ASRock will be approximately equal in efficiency. The differences in productive manual overclocking of Asus and Gigabyte turn out to be minimal. Asus looks like a real leader in this chart, but we should not forget that in some respects it can cope even worse than other solutions.
As for energy efficiency, no method shows 100% efficiency. We took the most energy efficient configuration as 100%. It should be noted that the worst solution for this criterion is the automatic overclocking technology from Asus.
Which auto overclocking technology is better to use?
Slogans modern technologies automatic overclocking equipment is somewhat reminiscent of drug advertisements: "safe, easy and effective." However, our testing today has shown that this is far from the truth. We insist that before applying automatic technologies, to understand what exactly will happen with your equipment.
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3
ASRock's technology can be called the best in terms of automatic overclocking efficiency - the processor's operating frequency in this case turns out to be 4.6 GHz. However, there is one problem here and it is insufficient optimization when used with different processor instances. And while we were pleased with the interaction of this technology with our test equipment, we cannot promise that everything will go as smoothly in other cases.
We applaud ASRock for ensuring that the maximum CPU core power is kept below 1.36V, as our experience is that this is the easiest way to ensure CPU security.
Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
Asus' OC Tuner is ahead of ASRock's technology in terms of the convenience of preset profiles. In addition, built-in stress tests allow you to determine which algorithms, according to the company's engineers, will be optimal for your processor. Asus has made sure that the user needs a minimum of action to overclock.
Unfortunately, overclocking to 4.43 GHz, which is provided by automatic technology, is not a good achievement, since this value is almost 200 MHz lower than what we got with manual setting. In addition, it cannot be said that the value of the processor core power of 1.45V is safe for the equipment.
If we talk about manual overclocking, then the board from Asus should be recognized as the best available. However, it must be said that this fact makes us abandon automatic overclocking and do everything manually.
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5
Technology from Gigabyte requires the user to download operating system Windows before starting the overclocking process. Perhaps this is a good idea, as some users are afraid to use the BIOS for overclocking. However, the most interesting solution from Gigabyte is multi-level operation with working multipliers. This method allows you to adequately work with energy-saving technologies from Intel. Thus, we get the most power-efficient overclocking, despite the rather risky value of the peak power supply of the core at 1.39V.
MSI Z68A-GD80
In MSI's technology, certain things are done perfectly, others are badly done. For example, the EasyButton feature does not use the BIOS or Windows applications and the ability to read and use the DDR3-2200 profile without manual user intervention are on the positive side. In addition, it should be noted the advantages that the integrated video chip can overclock. And, however, the final overclocking value - 4.2 GHz - cannot be called a good result.
Low CPU voltage means quite safe mode processor cores - the value does not exceed 1.34V. However, the whole point of this experiment is nullified due to the fact that the power settings are ineffective when the equipment is idle. Thus, MSI's position as the leader in "easy overclocking" is dubious.
As we expected, none of the considered technologies gives the efficiency that can theoretically be achieved with manual configuration. Although, it should be noted that ASRock is very close to our manual overclocking. However, we would have to a large number of tests on various hardware before seeing it as a practical recommendation. And, although it cannot be said that the operating frequency of overclocked equipment and power consumption of MSI OC Genie are satisfactory, we recommend it for its ease and safety of use for those who want to overclock their system, but do not know how (or do not have time to figure it out). ).
Today we will talk about speeding up the laptop. Due to their structural features given type devices may run slightly slower than normal Personal Computer. This is especially noticeable in cases where the laptop is running on battery power.
This situation may create additional inconvenience for users. Indeed, in some situations, fast loading of applications is required with the active use of the device. To speed up the laptop, it is not necessary to purchase additional RAM. In some cases, it is enough just to correctly configure startup and certain programs.
Speed up your laptop by optimizing the interface
Today, many laptop models operate on the basis of operating systems. Windows Vista or Windows 7. Both platforms use the Aero interface for the desktop and windows. This interface requires significant computer resources to function. So sometimes it makes more sense to disable given interface. To disable Aero, you need to press right click mouse over an empty area of the desktop. As a result, the screen will display context menu. In it, you must select the "Personalization" command. The right window will display the topics that are available for selection. You should select the options "Classic" or "Simplified". After that, you need to click on the "Save" button.
We speed up the laptop by setting autoload
There is another way to speed up the laptop. This is an adjustment to autorun programs. It is possible that on your laptop in background many programs are running at the same time. Moreover, you may not even suspect anything about it. These programs run at the same time as operating program without notifying the owner of the PC. Such applications can fill up the RAM, which will affect the speed of your laptop. To control the list of startup programs, you can use the special Ccleaner utility.
Working with CCleaner
When using this program, you can speed up your laptop in several ways. On the Internet you can find many free versions this program, however, they will be limited in their functionality. For our purposes, any version will do. First of all, launch the Ccleaner program and open the "Tools" tab. Here you will need to select the "Startup" item. A new window will open, listing all the programs that start with the Windows operating system. Now it's enough just to uncheck the boxes next to those items that you do not use. It is recommended to leave only the most popular programs in the startup menu, such as an antivirus or an email client.
CPU
Are there ways to speed up the processor? First of all, you will need to install the full package of drivers on your computer, including the chipset driver. Some users do not install this driver because all computer functions work optimally even without installing this software. But this is only at first glance. Installing such a driver can significantly optimize the performance of the laptop. To install it, use the disc that came with your laptop when you bought it. Insert it into the drive and wait for the media to start. After that, you need to go to the "Driver" tab and select the "Chipset drivers" component. After that, the installation process will begin. Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer.
Windows Registry
If you are looking to optimize and speed up your laptop, there is another way to try. Next, we'll talk about cleanup. Windows Registry. To do this, you will need to download and install the Tune Up Utilities program on your computer. In the main menu of the program, you can select a component called "System Optimization". There is also a tool called "Registry Cleaner". When you select this option, the program will automatically remove all unnecessary and unnecessary components from your laptop. This will speed up the laptop.
Improving the video card
Next, we will try to deal with the issue of overclocking a graphics adapter on a laptop. Today, there are two types of graphics adapters that are used in laptop computers. These are external adapters and integrated. The second type of video cards uses the resources of the laptop's RAM in the course of its work. For this reason, such video cards have lower performance compared to external ones. From time to time, the resources of the video card are not enough even to ensure the stable operation of the game or application. How can this situation be corrected?
Video card overclocking
Usually, under overclocking a graphics adapter, they mean a change in the operating parameters of the device, which can affect the performance level while working with applications. At the same time, integrated graphics adapters independently take the necessary part from the laptop's RAM. Thanks to this, the device can automatically feed its resources. External graphics adapters have their own RAM, which allows them not to use the main resources of the computer. Therefore, when using such graphics adapters, the device does not slow down.
Before you start overclocking your graphics card, you need to disable those settings that can slow down applications. These are parameters such as vertical sync, 3D buffering and anisotropic filtering. In the event that none of these options is of particular importance when running applications used by the user, they can be disabled. To do this, you need to use the graphics adapter control panel. If you are using a Radeon graphics adapter, then a dedicated ATI application must be used.
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Introduction
Although the OS tuner does not take into account the potential of XMP memory, it does increase the multiplier to DDR3-1866 settings. In combination with the maximum overclocking of the processor to 103 MHz BCLK, the actual data transfer rate is increased to DDR3-1923 parameters.
Overclocking Guide and TurboV EVO
We used overclocking settings, described in our article in order to overclock the Intel Core i7-2600K processor to 4.73 GHz at an operating voltage of 1.35V. In fact, we needed to set the operating voltage to 1.335 W, as well as activate the "Extreme" mode with a multiplier of 47x and 100.5 MHz BCLK.
Asus' top memory overclocking board also allows us to use the XMP-2200 profile in DDR3-2145 mode.
It only takes a single Windows reboot for Asus' TurboV EVO utility to activate the operating mode changes.
Both CPU-Z and AsusProbe II show changes in CPU core power in the run menu, but TurboV EVO does not show them. Perhaps this is because we have set the BIOS to a fixed mode. We believe that the relatively large gap in overclocking potential between software and firmware is due to the difference in "Load-Line Calibration" mode of operation between automatic (firmware) and manual (software) methods.
Gigabyte Smart QuickBoost
Many users are afraid to use the BIOS for overclocking due to the risk of hardware failures. Gigabyte solved this problem radically, without touching the BIOS at all during overclocking and using applications for Windows for this purpose.
Don't be fooled by the voltage in the CPU-Z screenshot. "TwinTurbo" mode sets the operating voltage to 1.38 - 1.39V; a reboot is required to activate Smart QuickBoost.
The frequency of 4.2 GHz is only the base value for overclocking in "TwinTurbo" mode. If we are talking about a quad-core processor, then the frequency of operation with two active cores will be 4.3 GHz, and when performing single-threaded operations, its value will increase to 4.4 GHz.
The Smart QuickBoost utility is not smart enough to use the XMP-2200 memory values and chooses the highest values by SPD.
Overclocking guide and EasyTune6
When working with the Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5, the operating frequency, according to our BIOS screenshot, was 4.68 GHz at a voltage level of 1.35V, while Load-Line was set to Level 6. Please note that CPU-Z does not output reliable CPU voltage values.
Good memory potential allowed us to use the XMP-2200 values, despite the fact that the base frequency was 101.6 MHz. As a result, the data rate was consistent with DDR3-2168 at CAS 9.
The EasyTune6 settings are not as detailed as Gigabyte's BIOS, so we don't have the option to select 101.6 MHz, and 101.8 MHz caused the system to crash.
Similarly, it was not possible to set the multiplier to 45x, and at 46x the system cannot be called stable. These two factors - inflexible settings and unstable operation - lead to the fact that we can overclock the equipment 200 MHz less than is potentially possible.
The core voltage could only be selected as 1.345V or 1.355V. We chose 1.345 because we were comparing Gigabyte overclocking to 1.350V BIOS-based overclocking.
MSI OC Genie
According to MSI, the OC Genie program allows for "one-touch" overclocking - using the EasyButton function. Instead of operating through the BIOS or software applications, the Z68-GD80 has a dedicated button to activate the overclocking function.
Overclocking is carried out up to 4.2 GHz regardless of the number of active processor cores. The indicator of the operating voltage of overclocked equipment is also stable - it is 1.34V. We can immediately say that this technology is one of the safest.
OC Genie can use XMP memory values, immediately starting to work on DD3-2133. With a base frequency of 99.8 MHz, the actual data transfer rate will be 2129 MT/s.
Overclocking guide and control center
We used the overclock settings from the MSI firmware screenshot and set the Z68A-GD80 operating parameters to 4.67GHz and 1.35V. The setting for "LowVDroop" is 1.355V, made to achieve the required voltage at full load.
The DRAM data rate limit of 2150 Mt/s prevented us from using XMP profiles and the 101.6 MHz BCLK frequency. We left the automatic memory mode active, as it uses the highest SPD settings.
MSI's Control Center allows you to configure many motherboard settings in Windows, including CPU multiplier, core voltage, and base clock speed. However, some of its values turned out to be inaccurately consistent with real indicators: for example, the parameter 1.3600V in the settings corresponds to the values in the firmware 1.355V and the real one is 1.344-1.352V.
However, even at these voltage values, we could not achieve the same result from the Control Center. The highest result it is capable of is 4.62 GHz. Although this is in any case a good increase in productivity.
Memory timings can be adjusted without rebooting the system.
Tests and equipment
| Test system configuration | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-2600K: 3.40 GHz, 8 MB cache, LGA 1155 |
| CPU cooler | Thermalright MUX-120 w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste |
| Memory | G.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD (16 GB) DDR3-2200 at DDR3-1600 CAS 9, 1.60 V |
| video card | nVidia GeForce GTX 580 1.5 GB 772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008 |
| Motherboard | ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3, BIOS 1.3 (9/28/2011) Asus P8Z68 Deluxe, BIOS 0706 (08/05/2011) Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5, BIOS F4e (08/25/2011) MSI Z68A-GD80, BIOS V17.2 (07/18/2011) |
| HDD | Samsung 470 MZ5PA256HMDR 256 GB SSD |
| Sound card | Integrated HD |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Nutrition | Seasonic X760 SS-760KM ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| video card | nVidia GeForce 270.61 WHQL |
| Chipset | Intel INF 9.2.0.1030 |
The Seasonic X760 power supply delivers a consistent level of efficiency to bring out the difference in motherboard power consumption.
The G.Skill RipJaws X DDR3-2200 16 GB kit allowed us to test the overclocking limits of a fully loaded memory controller, for tests we used only two memory modules (8 GB).
Motherboards are compared mainly in terms of performance. The nVidia GeForce GTX 580 minimizes the GPU bottleneck.
| 3D games | |
| crysis | Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Very High Quality, 8x AA |
| Metro 2033 | Full Game, Built-In Benchmark, "Frontline" Scene Test Set 1: DX11, High, AAA, 4x AF, No PhysX, No DoF Test Set 2: DX11, Very High, 4x AA, 16x AF, No PhysX, DoF On |
| Audio/video encoding | |
| iTunes | Version 9.0.3.15 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format |
| Lame MP3 | Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 –nores (160 kbps) |
| Media Espresso 6.5 | Version 6.5.1210_33281: 1080i HDTV (449 MB) to iPad H.264, 1024x768 |
| Media Converter 7 | Version7.1.0.68: 1080i HDTV (449 MB) to iPad, SmartFit profile |
| File Compression | |
| winzip | Version 14.0 Pro: THG-Workload (464 MB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r" |
| WinRAR | Version 4.0 Beta 4: THG-Workload (464 MB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
| 7-Zip | Version 9.2: THG-Workload (464 MB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5" |
The unchanged set of tests and equipment allows you to compare today's results with the results in previous articles.
Test results
crysis
Testing hardware in Crysis has proven to be convenient, as performance is affected by almost any hardware change. The changes are most apparent at low settings, such as 1280x720 and anti-aliasing disabled.
ASRock's higher "Turbo 4.6" frequency allows it to overtake Asus' hardware in "Auto" mode. In manual overclocking mode, Gigabyte finds itself in a slightly better position in terms of DRAM data transfer rates than Asus. The P8Z68 Deluxe seems more balanced.
At higher settings, the differences are minimal.
When playing at high settings, the frequency of the processor is crucial, but if you set the resolution to 1920x1080 and higher, then even this criterion fades into the background.
Metro 2033
Metro 2033 still outperforms Crysis in terms of hardware requirements, despite being over a year old. The main reason why we took Crysis in these tests at all is that testing Metro 2033 will not fully evaluate hardware overclocking, even at 1280x720 resolution and moderate video settings.
Small differences in processor frequencies disappear when we set the resolution to 2560x1600. Increasing detail simply reduces the performance impact of the game.
Audio and video encoding
Almost any overclocking is perfectly displayed in Apple iTunes, but the best of the automatic methods is the one offered by ASRock (4.6 GHz). And while manual overclocking performance is always better, the differences in the 28-second test are too small to be serious.
In this test, which lasts longer than a minute, Asus takes the lead. However, ASRock still comes out on top at auto-configuration.
MSI's technology overclocks the integrated graphics card so that the performance of MediaEspresso's QuickSync encoding is greatly improved.
In previous reviews, we have already said that MediaConverter7 is less efficient when working with Intel's QuickSync hardware compared to MediaEspresso, and the performance advantage of MSI is reduced accordingly.
File Compression
Technologies from Asus and ASRock are roughly comparable in efficiency when it comes to compressing in 7-Zip, despite ASRock dealing with a higher CPU clock speed. This can be explained by the higher RAM transfer rates in Asus. Manual overclocking is more effective in both cases.
MSI has the highest auto-overclocking performance, which should have an impact on archiving. Asus' combination of good memory and fast processor speeds puts it at number one on our chart.
For WinZIP to work, only the operating frequency of the processor is relevant. The leaders in this indicator are technologies from Asus and ASRock.
Power and heat dissipation
We did not change the power settings after the programs completed the automatic overclocking of the equipment. After all, the idea behind automatic overclocking is that it should take care of all the overclocking work.
We can state a significant difference in the work of MSI and the other three technologies. Everyone else applies the same power-saving settings used in stock modes, changing only the multiplier and voltage for TurboBoost, while MSI concentrates on overclocking. Gigabyte is the best power saver.
The only thing MSI can brag about is the efficiency of the voltage regulators. Even with manually set high voltage, the Z68A-GD80 consumes less power than the competition.
In this test, we used a special sensor that measured the peak temperature in the hottest part of the processor. Z68XP-UD5 from Gigabyte is in the lead here, even with a couple of degrees of error, MSI follows.
Efficiency
ASRock has the highest hardware performance in automatic overclocking, but ASUS catches up with it when we run games that require high memory bandwidth.
Asus overclocks better than others manually - up to 47 x 100.5 MHz. However, due to the multiplier being reduced to 46x, we were able to set the base clock speed to 101.6MHz with Gigabyte.
The performance advantage of fast memory is usually small. In any case, we note that Asus looks the best in overclocking.
Asus' maximum manual overclocking gives a real advantage when working with applications.
If we talk about average values, then technologies from Asus and ASRock will be approximately equal in efficiency. The differences in productive manual overclocking of Asus and Gigabyte turn out to be minimal. Asus looks like a real leader in this chart, but we should not forget that in some respects it can cope even worse than other solutions.
As for energy efficiency, no method shows 100% efficiency. We took the most energy efficient configuration as 100%. It should be noted that the worst solution for this criterion is the automatic overclocking technology from Asus.
Which auto overclocking technology is better to use?
The slogans of modern technologies for automatic overclocking of equipment are somewhat reminiscent of drug advertisements: "safe, easy and effective." However, our testing today has shown that this is far from the truth. We insist that before applying automatic technologies, to understand what exactly will happen with your equipment.
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3
ASRock's technology can be called the best in terms of automatic overclocking efficiency - the processor's operating frequency in this case turns out to be 4.6 GHz. However, there is one problem here and it is insufficient optimization when used with different processor instances. And while we were pleased with the interaction of this technology with our test equipment, we cannot promise that everything will go as smoothly in other cases.
We applaud ASRock for ensuring that the maximum CPU core power is kept below 1.36V, as our experience is that this is the easiest way to ensure CPU security.
Asus P8Z68 Deluxe
Asus' OC Tuner is ahead of ASRock's technology in terms of the convenience of preset profiles. In addition, built-in stress tests allow you to determine which algorithms, according to the company's engineers, will be optimal for your processor. Asus has made sure that the user needs a minimum of action to overclock.
Unfortunately, overclocking to 4.43 GHz, which is provided by automatic technology, is not a good achievement, since this value is almost 200 MHz lower than what we got with manual tuning. In addition, it cannot be said that the value of the processor core power of 1.45V is safe for the equipment.
If we talk about manual overclocking, then the board from Asus should be recognized as the best available. However, it must be said that this fact makes us abandon automatic overclocking and do everything manually.
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD5
Technology from Gigabyte requires the user to download an operating Windows systems before starting the acceleration process. Perhaps this is a good idea, as some users are afraid to use the BIOS for overclocking. However, the most interesting solution from Gigabyte is multi-level operation with working multipliers. This method allows you to adequately work with energy-saving technologies from Intel. Thus, we get the most power-efficient overclocking, despite the rather risky value of the peak power supply of the core at 1.39V.
MSI Z68A-GD80
In MSI's technology, certain things are done perfectly, others are badly done. For example, the EasyButton feature does not use the BIOS or Windows applications, and the ability to read and use the DDR3-2200 profile without manual user intervention is a plus. In addition, it should be noted the advantages that the integrated video chip can overclock. And, however, the final overclocking value - 4.2 GHz - cannot be called a good result.
The low voltage of the processor also means a fairly safe mode of the processor core - the value does not exceed 1.34V. However, the whole point of this experiment is nullified due to the fact that the power settings are ineffective when the equipment is idle. Thus, MSI's position as the leader in "easy overclocking" is dubious.
As we expected, none of the considered technologies gives the efficiency that can theoretically be achieved with manual configuration. Although, it should be noted that ASRock is very close to our manual overclocking. However, we would have to run a large number of tests on various hardware before this would be a practical recommendation from observation. And, although it cannot be said that the operating frequency of overclocked equipment and power consumption of MSI OC Genie are satisfactory, we recommend it for its ease and safety of use for those who want to overclock their system, but do not know how (or do not have time to figure it out). ).
Many laptop owners would like to increase the graphics performance of the video card installed in the laptop. This is especially true when a new product enters the market. computer game, and the graphics subsystem of the laptop is not ready to cope with this game. The reason for this is usually high system requirements new game to the laptop graphics system. Therefore, the laptop owner is faced with the question of whether to buy new laptop, which, let's say, is very expensive, or increase the performance of the graphics subsystem. The only way to increase the performance of a graphics card is overclocking. How to overclock a video card on a laptop, we will tell in this material.
So, first consider what are the video cards for laptops. On the this moment There are three types of mobile GPUs.
1. Built in CPU graphic solution Integrated Graphics, this is when on the same CPU chip, in addition to the computing cores, there is also a graphic one, which is responsible for displaying the image on the display and processing it. Integrated graphics allow you to build a computer without separate video adapter cards, which reduces the cost and power consumption of systems. This solution is usually used in notebooks of the lower price category, which do not require a high level of graphics performance. The graphics core integrated into the CPU can be found both in processors by Intel, and AMD. Embedded graphics cards from Intel are called HD Graphics. they are found in all processors of the "Core i" family and new models of Celeron. At AMD, integrated graphics cards are called AMD Radeon R7, AMD Radeon R6, AMD Radeon R5 and so on, they are contained in all laptop AMD processors, such as AMD A10, AMD A 8, AMD A6, AMD A4.
2. Discrete video cards are a separate board that contains a graphics chip and its own video memory. A discrete video card is inserted into a special slot on the motherboard or simply soldered on it. A discrete (separate) video card has higher performance than the built-in one, but when buying a laptop with such a video card, this will definitely be reflected in its cost. This type of video card is used for games and other resource-intensive applications that require high graphics performance.
3. Hybrid graphic solution Hybrid Graphics. The essence of hybrid graphics, which is also called Hybrid Crossfire, is the presence in the laptop of two video cards, built-in and discrete, which, under certain scenarios, can process graphics together. Hybrid graphics can only have laptops in which both the processor and the video card are developed by AMD.
Overclocking a video card is perhaps the simplest and safest of all actions related to overclocking a laptop. The performance of integrated video cards still leaves much to be desired, and it makes little sense to overclock them. But it is quite possible to overclock discrete solutions, and both AMD Radeon and Nvidia Ge Force. Further, we will talk about them. So, what is video card overclocking? Overclocking a video card is an increase in the frequencies at which the graphics core and memory operate. The main problem when overclocking a mobile video card is the rise in temperature, which in laptops is already close to the limit. Therefore, the temperature should always be monitored, although modern video chips are not so easy to burn. It is absolutely normal for a mobile video chip to operate at 100 degrees Celsius. When overclocking a video card in a laptop, you should always pay attention to the cooling system, in some models of laptops are especially thin, the processor and video card hang on the same heat pipe and are cooled by only one fan, and they can also be soldered on the motherboard, therefore, during overclocking, the video card will also heat up the processor, which, when it reaches 95 degrees, will go into throttling, that is, reset its operating frequencies. In addition, the higher the temperature of the GPU, the lower the stable frequency during overclocking. Therefore, without a normal cooling system, it is highly not recommended that the video card go beyond 90 degrees during overclocking. And if your video card heats up to this temperature even without overclocking, then you can safely forget about overclocking. The best option, this is when the heating of the GPU during overclocking does not exceed the bar of 70 degrees.
Perfect for overclocking your video card. MSI program AFTERBURNER. With it, you can overclock both Nvidia and AMD Radeon graphics cards. It should be noted right away that overclocking a video card increases the likelihood of its failure. Another important factor, in some laptops, overclocking is blocked at the hardware level in Bios.
There is a certain technique for overclocking video cards for laptops. It is best to start overclocking the video card from the core, the fact is that the video chip gets very hot under load and heats up motherboard around itself along with all the other elements on it. Almost always, video memory also gets here, because. it is placed next to the video chip. It, like a video chip, has a maximum stable frequency that decreases with increasing temperature. And if the memory is overclocked first, and then the video chip, then it may happen that the memory, warmed up by the overclocked chip, will start to fail at the frequencies that it previously kept calm. The overclocking technique is quite simple. We will overclock the video card gradually in steps of 10-20 MHz. for the core and 20-40 MHz for the memory.
I want to remind you that you do any manipulations with your video card and other components at your own peril and risk. The laptop as a result of such manipulations may fail. You perform all actions with your iron at your own peril and risk.
After each step, we test the video card for artifacts and heating. Usually artifacts are yellow dots or dashes, or whole stripes. If there are no artifacts and overheating, then we continue overclocking. And so on until artifacts appear. As soon as they appeared, we roll back to the last frequency at which they were not. Then we reduce the step to the minimum possible and again increase the frequency. When artifacts appear, we roll back to the last stable frequency and start global testing lasting at least half an hour. If no artifacts were noticed during this time, then you have found the maximum stable frequency of your instance.
Do not think that if you have an average FPS level of 15 in a game, then when overclocking a video card, you still won’t get the coveted 30 cd / s, since the overclocking level of video cards for laptops is small, about 40-50%, depending on the video card model and cooling systems.
For overclocking you will need utilities MSI Afterburner, which you need to download and install on your laptop. This utility is free and suitable for almost all models of video cards, such as AMD Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce.
In the settings, you can select the interface language, and when you hover over buttons and other elements, a tooltip appears. This will help you quickly understand the interface and understand how this program works, even if you have never gone into such engineering complexities before. After installing the program, go to the settings by clicking on the Settings button and configure it as you wish. Then we go back and start moving the Core Clock and Memory Clock sliders until artifacts appear, as soon as artifacts appear on the screen, you need to roll back to the last stable frequency. In conclusion, let's say that when overclocking the Nvidia Ge Force GTX 850m video card in GTA 5, at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and high graphics settings, we got an increase of about 10-12 FPS at 27-29 FPS when playing without overclocking.
Overclocking any processor through BIOS
Safe overclocking of the processor through BIOS
Immediately make a reservation that if there is no special need, it is better to leave the laptop unchanged. But if you decide to overclock, then remember that Asus laptops have an option when, upon reaching maximum values overclocking, the device returns to the original settings. For example, we took up the overclocking of the Asus x550c laptop.
Overclocking via software. Auto mode
Turbo Boost is a feature built into Intel processors, starting with i3-based processors. This utility allows you to increase or decrease the speed of the processor, depending on your desires and requirements. Make sure your processor supports overclocking. this program, you can on the official website of Intel.
Now download Turbo Boost from the Internet and install the program.
Nothing more is required of you! software in automatic mode will speed up your processor and replace the voltage parameters needed to power it. View new options clock frequency, as well as the voltage and temperature of the processor, you can use the CPU-Z utility, which is just as easy to tell on the Internet.
In addition to Turbo Boost, there are many other programs on the Internet that will automatically overclock your processor. The undoubted advantage of this kind of software is its security and versatility. The risks of disrupting the correct operation of the laptop while using it are minimized. Using such software, you will not have to apply for laptop repair due to its unsuccessful overclocking. The success of any operation is guaranteed by the software manufacturer and verified by thousands of users. However, if something went wrong, our specialists will always help you.
Overclocking via BIOS. Manual mode
Let's go into the BIOS, for this we reboot / turn on the laptop and press the F2 key during boot. AT top menu of the window that appears, look for the “Ai Tweaker” tab and go to it.
Now we are interested in a menu item called "BCLK Frequency", the value of which must be changed so much so as not to overload the processor.
We had the parameter "133", we changed it to "162", which is acceptable, given the coefficient 21. The coefficient can be seen in the same menu, in the CPU Ratio Setting line.