AM4 OC: Substituting a questionable x370 with an x470?
AM4 OC: Substituting a questionable x370 with an x470?
So. My OC build has started to exhibit some serious issues starting up, cold boot or not.
* Always get's stuck at least once during POST.
* BIOS often resets, but loading the profile again usually works
* GPU is not always detected (doesn't seem to be a seating issue)
* Ram downgrade did not help
Current specs:
Corsair Carbide 600C
Ryzen 1700 @ 3.8GHz - Vcore: 1.42V SoC: 1.35V
NZXT Kraken X62 aio ^
Gigabyte x370 Gaming K7
XFX XFR 850W PSU
Gainward gtx 960 *
* (borrowed from other computer, waiting for a good deal on 1070 or higher)
Current RAM:
G.Skill FlareX 2400MHz CL15 2x8GB
Preferred RAM:
Corsair CMR32GX4M2C3333C16 (2 x 16 GB)
Final timings: 16-18-18-36 (tRC=64) for 3333MHz
I'm suspecting the mobo isn't good and i'm looking to try another board to verify my thoughts.
I've narrowed the list of interesting boards down to 3 (perhaps 4) down below:
* ASRock X470 Taichi
* MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC
* ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate (redundant?, don't need wifi)
* Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero
- But i don't know which one to pick
I'm planning to start over on my main rig, starting with :
* Getting a ram/cpu/mobo that can do 3.8GHz / 3200-3600 Mhz
* New case: Lian-Li - PC-O11DW
(The current case is quite horrible when it comes to cable management)
My thoughts are that your vcore isn't high enough, so it's recommended to go above 1.4v. The board you have doesn't provide a strong VRM, which might be the issue. A Taichi X470 would be ideal.
I own a carbide 600c and really like it. I'm not sure about the cable management problems.
So. My OC build has begun showing significant startup problems, even when cold booted.
* It frequently gets stuck at least once during POST.
* BIOS often resets, but refreshing the profile usually resolves the issue.
* The GPU isn’t always recognized (it doesn’t appear to be a seating problem).
* Downgrading the RAM didn’t help.
........
Getting halted at POST with frequent resets was consistently the clue pointing to memory issues, though you mentioned downgrading your RAM, so I assume this means running it at 2400 and still facing these problems.
At 1700 with only 3.8Ghz requiring 1.42V seems quite poor performance from the silicon side. May I inquire about when you acquired this CPU? Was it released very early in the Ryzen 1 series? I had one of the initial 1700 models which also needed high voltages to achieve 3.8G and became extremely hot even under moderate stress tests.
It also suffered from a Linux segfault, which AMD addressed via an RMA. The replacement unit was a noticeable improvement—day to night difference—and reached 3.9G at 1.4V (VRM constraints on my B350 board), running P95 much more efficiently.
Just a thought: if you’re experiencing this issue due to the upgrade bug, it might not be worth the trouble. Just proceed with the build.
The CH VII stands out as the better motherboard overall, but it’s excessive if you 1) don’t require its features and 2) aren’t planning extreme overclocking in a real-world lab setting. This board is tailored for overclocking under LN2 conditions.
One piece of advice: avoid using a Ryzen 2000 CPU and pushing it to just 3800; it’s better to do so yourself. Especially if you’re targeting the very early 1700 series (2600/2700X), which shouldn’t be overclocked at all, let alone pushed beyond conventional limits. Even an unoverclocked X-core CPU can boost two cores/4 threads up to 4.35G and maintain that performance for extended periods on quality boards like this. You could significantly hurt gaming performance (which rarely exceeds 4 threads with just one heavily loaded) if you limit it to a lower all-core overclock, even at 4.2G.
The key when overclocking these chips is to extend their sustained boost using PBO. Look into some guides on the subject.
My concerns revolve around your vcore level; it appears to be below optimal, especially since you're not exceeding 1.4v. The VRM on your board isn’t robust enough, which might be the main issue. A Taichi X470 would be ideal.
I own a carbide 600c and really enjoy it. I’m unsure about your cable management problems.
drea.drechsler :
At 1700 MHz with only 3.8Ghz requirements and 1.42V, that’s quite low for silicon. Could you clarify when this CPU was released? Was it early in the Ryzen 1 launch? I remember having one from that era that needed high voltages to reach 3.8G and became very hot even under light stress tests.
I believe it came from one of the very first 1700s models, which also struggled with high voltages for similar performance. Temperatures stayed around 55°C during extended use.
This was done in mid-2017 when we purchased the components.
Concerning cable management; arranging all necessary connections for four HDDs, GPU, etc., is tricky. The space between the motherboard tray and side panel isn’t very clear yet.
Mobo/Ram/Cpu were bought during the middle of summer 2017.
Regarding cable routing, there are challenges with space constraints.
drea.drechsler :
It also had a Linux segfault issue, which AMD fixed in an RMA. The replacement CPU was significantly better—performance jumped to 3.9G at 1.4V (VRM limitations on my B350 board) and handled P95 much more efficiently.
Just a note: if you’re dealing with an upgrade bug, don’t waste time. Just proceed.
The CH VII stands out as the better motherboard overall, but it might be excessive if you don’t need its advanced features or plan to overclock aggressively in a real-world lab setting. It’s built for extreme overclocking under cryogenic conditions.
One tip: avoid using a Ryzen 2000 CPU and pushing it to just 3800MHz. Even a modest boost to 3.9G on a standard board can be a big advantage, especially with high-end platforms like the B350. Overclocking an X-core CPU (even without extreme settings) can shave off two cores/4 threads to 4.35G and keep them stable for longer periods. You might see noticeable gains in games that don’t demand more than four threads or one heavily loaded thread.
For overclocking techniques, check some guides—PBO is a useful tool.
I’m not sure about the 2700 series, but I’ve heard mixed opinions.
Regarding PBO: I’m not familiar with it and haven’t found it particularly helpful early on.
I don’t know how Ryzen’s clock scaling works independently. My current setup uses a static 3800MHz across all cores—still a solid baseline, though not the most advanced.
Please note: even if you try to push a low-end CPU to 3800MHz, it won’t deliver exceptional results unless you’re willing to experiment with aggressive overclocking on robust boards.
I only use an NVME M.2 drive, so I don't need cable management. The Tye Taichi board will work well and provide better memory support.