i7-4790k Current Throttling

[Insevin]

I have this i7 installed in a server build and get throttling for current, but only with Turbo Boost turned on. Basically any amount of Turbo Boost engages throttling and its basically reduced to stock speeds anyway. So I turned off Turbo in BIOS. Could I use XTU and adjust the current limits so I get to use Turbo Boost? Just concerned about stability.

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Insevin, Thank you for posting in the Intel® Communities Support. What is the model of the server board? Is this a new computer? Was it working fine before? Did you make any recent hardware/software changes? When did the issue start? Regards, Alberto R. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[Insevin]

HPE Board 810842-001

Its not new. I have observed this ever since installing a 4790k. The server came installed with an i3-4150, this is an aftermarket part.

This has happened ever since I observed on XTU that I get throttling (current only) while Boost is active. I did try once to use a very high current limit on XTU that avoided throttling but eventually I then got some thermal throttling so I have a cooler on the way (right now I have only a pitiful heat sink that was suited to the i3).

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Insevin, I just wanted to check if you saw the information posted previously and if you need further assistance on this matter? Regards, Alberto R. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[Alberto_R_Intel]

Insevin, thank you very much for providing that information. When using the Intel® XTU tool, you will be able to modify different settings for the processor, but actually, we recommend to use the PC at stock configurations with the default BIOS settings: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000006022/processors/processor-utilities-and-programs.html Altering clock frequency or voltage may damage or reduce the useful life of the processor and other system components, and may reduce system stability and performance. Product warranties may not apply if the processor is operated beyond its specifications I was searching for the model of the server motherboard to confirm if the processor is fully compatible with it, because normally this type of processor is not used under a server environment, and that could be a reason for throttling, but I did not find the model. For us to be able to clarify that information, please provide the SSU report: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility Regards, Alberto R. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[Insevin]

I uploaded my SSU report to the ticket that was created.

[Alberto_R_Intel · Accepted solution]

Insevin, Thank you very much for providing the report. From our side, what we can confirm is that The Intel® Turbo Boost can only be enabled/disabled in the BIOS depending on the type of board that you are using. The Intel® XTU tool also allows you to enabled/disabled it and monitor that feature, we do not recommend to change the values in the application because the processor might get damage. You can always look for possible documents or suggestions in the Internet but in 3rd party sites, since what we suggest is to use the unit at stock configurations. I looked for the specifications of the motherboard in order to try to find the list of processors that are compatible with your server board, according to the details showing in the following link, the Intel® Core™ i7-4790K processor is not fully compatible with the board, page 3: https://h20195.www2.hpe.com/v2/getdocument.aspx?docname=c04567801 That might be the reason why the processor is throttling, since the components inside the computer including the motherboard are not fully compatible with it. In the following link you will also see more details about the Intel® Turbo Boost: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000007359/processors/intel-core-processors.html In this case, as an option, you can always get in contact with HP directly since they are the manufacturer of the PC for them to provide further suggestions on this matter: https://support.hp.com/us-en Regards, Alberto R. Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[Insevin]

Thanks, this answer is what I supposed was correct. I assume the board design can't handle the current when Turbo is enabled. As I said, XTU reports no issues when I manually turned it off via the BIOS, but when it was on, it's positive effect was essentially negated. I guess this was the risk I took buying a potentially unsupported product. Thanks for your reply.