High-end specs don't always mean great performance scores. Check how it handles real-world tasks.
High-end specs don't always mean great performance scores. Check how it handles real-world tasks.
After updating the BIOS while keeping the same configurations and using the Curve Optimizer on every core at -5, I experience a reduced Cinebench score compared to before.
Updating the BIOS is always advised. Latest versions resolve issues and occasionally introduce new features. The optimal choice with Zen3 is a negative curve optimizer. It reduces voltage at each frequency, enabling higher clock speeds on standard voltage/power settings. You may raise your PBO limits beyond defaults if you have adequate cooling, aiming for maximum performance without exceeding 90°C during full load. This lets the CPU draw more power, helping it sustain higher frequencies under stress. Increasing power usage generally yields the greatest improvement in performance. Both PBO and Curve Optimizer are developed by AMD and approved by them. As long as you only modify these two settings, you won’t risk damage. Just monitor your temperatures. Personally, I recommend keeping voltages at stock levels. You probably won’t see significant gains beyond using PBO with any curve adjustment, which is safe. Your scores might drop around -5 because the previous +150MHz offset performed better. You should achieve much higher results than -5 on your curve. After identifying the most stable curve, consider adding a small +MHz offset if it remains reliable. Focus first on maximizing the curve, then add as much offset as possible while staying stable. Test and compare to your earlier performance. If you’re new to overclocking, don’t worry if your PC crashes occasionally. Crashes are normal during this process. You may not reach -30 without instability, so you’ll need to tweak the curve until it’s fully steady again. I concur with others—check out some YouTube tutorials on PBO 2.0 and curve optimization. Optimum Tech has a solid video on default power targets; I think raising your power limits as high as possible while keeping temps and noise within limits is ideal. Have fun with your powerful CPU!
I turned on PBO and adjusted the Curve Optimizer to -10 across all processors, and now my Cinebench r20 score is about 8600—finally a decent result.