Can a CPU "break-in"?
Can a CPU "break-in"?
Even though I'm posing this question, I still find it quite puzzling. Break-in phases are generally for mechanical components that adapt to each other at the beginning. Still, silicon remains sensitive to temperature changes. In a way, it might be "adjusting" because heat leads to slight expansion, then contraction when it cools.
This is why I'm asking. I'm experimenting with overclocking a Ryzen 2700X. During testing, I was running at a lower base clock speed, only reaching around 3.8GHz at 1.275Vcore with Turbo LLC. Then I increased it to 3.9GHz, but the core returned to 1.275Vcore, Turbo LLC. I'm struggling to make the chip fail during a stress test.
Another observation was that at 3.8GHz, the stock cooler limits were being reached. When using an NZXT Kraken X62 cooler, I noticed voltage improvements could push the speed up to 3.9GHz without triggering a crash, even when lowering the voltage back down.
Could it be that my testing is causing the CPU to "break in"? Might the original cooler being too restrictive have contributed to unexpected problems? Is it true that Ryzen is highly sensitive to heat, and despite similar core temperatures during stress tests (~70°C), better liquid cooling helps maintain stability at lower voltages? Any insights or experiences would be invaluable. This remains a mystery for now.
The "Brake in period" vanished when using the 8086, usually indicating that all parts were loaded fully to test stability and prevent overheating, checking cooling effectiveness, and similar checks. Only the TIM paste might need extra time at high temperatures to spread thinly for better cooling. Placing it under good cooling and on a decent-sized motherboard allows tuning to 4.2GHz or higher; lowering it to 3.8-3.9GHz via OC reduces performance compared to automatic turbo settings.
Just to confirm, I have some personal, somewhat private reasons for trying lower clockspeeds. I updated the post with a new test from my 4.2GHz manual overclock. Even after just a few days, I noticed a significant reduction in required voltage to keep the clock speed stable. I'm struggling to find an explanation other than a break-in phase. =/