Overclocking an HP Z820 with Xeon 1680 v2 CPU

[Storm-Chaser]

The new z820 showed up today! I was sure to get the later model revision and 1125W PSU. 

 

The CPU is in hand, and it has an unlocked multiplier, so I am eager to get this up and running. 

 

The build log will be posted here. Pics and OC results to follow. 

 

Expect an update in the evening sometime

[Storm-Chaser]

The z820 has great potential for overclocking. Great airflow through the case and excellent liquid cooling. Active cooling on the ram modules. Take a look at this CPU heatsink for example

 

 

This is HPs idea of a wholly integrated fan assembly (‘shroud’) that holds 6 fans in total and is designed to cool the CPU, RAM banks and VRMs altogether. It is made up of

2x 92mm axial fans, designed to cool the CPUs
 

Nidec T92T12MS3A7 – 57 A03
 

HP ASSY PN 647113-001 REV A
12V DC, max. 0.35 A
each 4-Pin, presumably standard pinout PWM driven

 

3x OEM radial fans, Delta BUB0712HF, designed to cool the RAM banks
HP ASSY PN 670051-001 Rev A
12V DC, max 0.86 A (-BE04)

 

1x 60mm axial fan, designed to cool the VRMs
AVC DS06025B12U
HP P/N 670050-001 Rev. A
12V DC, max. 0.7 A

These six fans are each connected via presumably standard 4-pin PWM connectors

[mouacyk]

wth am I a looking at? probably needs some more angles.

[Storm-Chaser]

17 minutes ago, mouacyk said:

wth am I a looking at? probably needs some more angles.

sorry lol I can see why that doesn't make sense if you have never seen this before... thats the "hood" that "drops in" above both CPUs. Here are a couple more pictures so you get a better idea at what I am talking about. First, with the hood removed:

 

 

Hood still removed, to show liquid cooling system

 

The first picture u saw was look at the bottom of the hood. This is the top and it just drops into place, and cools the RAM and the VRMs and the CPU at the same time. The entire PC is tool less.

 

 

 

RAM and CPU configuration:

Edited March 9, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[Storm-Chaser]

BAM! We are up and running. Zero snags along the way including, fresh install of win 10 on the new 500GB SSD.

This is what it looks like stock. Video card is just a spare to get me through the month.
 

stock run with CPUz:

Now for the overclocking!

 

 

[schuck6566]

20 hours ago, Storm-Chaser said:

The z820 has great potential for overclocking. Great airflow through the case and excellent liquid cooling. Active cooling on the ram modules. Take a look at this CPU heatsink for example

 

 

This is HPs idea of a wholly integrated fan assembly (‘shroud’) that holds 6 fans in total and is designed to cool the CPU, RAM banks and VRMs altogether. It is made up of

2x 92mm axial fans, designed to cool the CPUs
 

Nidec T92T12MS3A7 – 57 A03
 

HP ASSY PN 647113-001 REV A
12V DC, max. 0.35 A
each 4-Pin, presumably standard pinout PWM driven

 

3x OEM radial fans, Delta BUB0712HF, designed to cool the RAM banks
HP ASSY PN 670051-001 Rev A
12V DC, max 0.86 A (-BE04)

 

1x 60mm axial fan, designed to cool the VRMs
AVC DS06025B12U
HP P/N 670050-001 Rev. A
12V DC, max. 0.7 A

These six fans are each connected via presumably standard 4-pin PWM connectors

OMG! last time I saw that many squirel cages was when I pulled the blower off the oil furnace.

[Storm-Chaser]

4 hours ago, schuck6566 said:

OMG! last time I saw that many squirel cages was when I pulled the blower off the oil furnace.

lol sorry I dont get it....

 

EDIT: Got it! I was thinking hamster wheel

Edited March 10, 2022 by Storm-Chaser

[Storm-Chaser]

Anyone have experience overclocking a xeon of this vintage using software methods? 

So far I cant find the pattern. I've tried both with power / power save features turned on and then off and every combination in the middle.

 

 

So I just cant get this config sorted out to save my life. Not that it's an unreliable OC, no, basically, I'm just having trouble "managing" my software OC. Reliability aside for now, I cannot get a meaningful tune going for the rig. You would think throttlestop would be fast and easy right out of the gate, like it has every time before this, but this is not the case. I have to use it in conjunction with XTU and even then it's not giving me the right numbers. For example, I have the multi set to 42x in XTU, and the multi set to 42x in TS and under power limits in TS I have the max multiplier set to 42x as well, and it still hovers at 40x under light load/idle and then under full load it drops down to 3.9GHz. Yes I know, this is still much better than stock, but I can't figure out the rhyme or reason behind these numbers.
 

/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.overclock.net/attachments/1647008950734-png.2551665/

/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.overclock.net/attachments/1647009028814-png.2551666/

 

/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/https://www.overclock.net/attachments/1647009089400-png.2551667/

 

 

 

-I've tried every combination of power setting in the bios menu. And in windows. I tried with speed step on, turbo off (obviously that didnt work), turbo on, with extended power savings, turbo on with normal power savings, power savings completely disabled, etc. IF I cant GET a viable OC out of this thing I am going to just buy two 2696 v2s and call it good with 8 channel memory.

[mouacyk]

No sure if you knew this, but the memory write-speed is bugged on all straps except 16x when using using bus strap of 100Mhz. Could be attributing to instability, but definitely to performance. I was using 38x multiplier with bus strap of 124MHz to bench at 4.7GHz, because 100x47 wasn't remotely stable (odd). 124x38 was mostly stable for 24/7, but I don't use it because the temp was too high (>85C) compared to 4.5GHz (<80C).

Edited March 11, 2022 by mouacyk

[Storm-Chaser]

Thanks for the tips and recommendations, all.

 

Since this was more or less a failure, I've decided to plan my next workstation build and I intend it to be a little more competitive than a dual processor Z820, which could just out perform a 1950x threadripper.

 

I can purchase a barebones z840 for about $350, plus another $300 for two 2696 v3 18 core processors. 

 

When the time comes and Im ready to go I will start a new thread and update with progress. 

 

That along with 8 channel ddr4 memory should allow me to do pretty well in some benchmarks. Wonder what the power draw will be lol