I attempted to use 1usmus clocktuner - CTR
I attempted to use 1usmus clocktuner - CTR
Earlier today 1usmus shared his new overclocking tool for Zen 2 CPUs. I tested it on my 3700x and it worked wonders—my CB20 rose from around 4750 to about 4970. It successfully pushed the chip to 4.2Ghz for CCX1 and 4.175Ghz for CCX2 at 1.275V, which matches the SVI2 TFN. I’m confident it’s safe, temperatures stayed stable, and it’s energy efficient too!
Please note that before this, I couldn’t get my chip to run at 4.2Ghz across all cores—it was unstable even at 1.375V. Have you tried it yourself? What was your experience like?
FYI... without a consistent voltage/frequency overclock, my CB20 MT scores range from 5140 to 5160, and ST scores between 510 and 513. With a 3700X on PBO, I'm using 1.275V as a stable setting. It seems that keeping it at this level during a CB20 MT run could actually improve performance. The main issue is that lowering the voltage unnecessarily hurts performance, even though it's safe for fixed settings.
Completely not, it's still early silicon and far from the quality foundries today, with a well-established method. I'm only achieving 5 cores at 4400, though three are hitting 4425 and two consistently around there. Users with recent 3700X models are seeing all 8 cores boost to 4450-4475 on adjusted PBO.
I've been relying on this CPU since I purchased it, but the top performance I achieved was around 4.1Ghz with all cores and PBO adjustments. Running on CB20, daily tasks averaged about 4300 in 3 cores, while gaming scores ranged from 4175 to 4350 depending on the game.
It's worth noting that reaching the maximum boost clock (or exceeding it) mainly feels good, since it doesn't significantly improve performance. Nonetheless, my adjustments (boosting some cores to 4425 in light, burst tasks) still handle their actual workloads across all cores at speeds between 4.1-4.3 Ghz. This is typical for video rendering or a CB20 MT test run.
At 4.1Ghz during the boost phase, it behaves similarly to your fixed OC, but mine can increase to around 4.3Ghz when core temperature and motherboard power margin permit. That's the benefit of keeping it in AUTO mode, which is why I achieve better results.
Also: what setup did you use? My advice is to keep things straightforward—likely what 1Usmus follows from one of his guides. Install the AMD chipset drivers, follow the recommended power plan, and enable Cool n Quiet, Advanced C States, Processor CPPC, and CPPC Preferred Cores settings. Leave core voltage and clock in AUTO.
Additionally: I found a simple overclocking configuration from Buildzoid, who previously overclocked his 3700X with what he considered a safe fixed voltage. He used basic presets—enable PBO in Manual mode, set PPT to 330, EDC and TDC to 230. It works well for most systems.
I configured Auto Overboost to +200Mhz (may not suit your specific motherboard). I also set PBO Scalar to 5x; others suggest no more than 1x, as it keeps a higher core voltage than needed, which can accelerate degradation. I’m unsure if that’s the case on my board.
Lastly, cooling is crucial. Ryzen tends to boost more when thermal margins are available, so better cooling is essential. Performance drops on warm days, resulting in lower CB20 scores—sometimes staying below 4250 during a test run.
I don’t claim to be an expert, but I enjoy experimenting with these tools even without full knowledge. It’s always enjoyable to play around with them. 😉
It has successfully maintained a stable all-core overclock just above 4.3 at 1.25v and a temperature of 58 degrees on my 3600X.
You need a more recent 3600X model. The 7nm manufacturing method has really improved; I’d love to swap in for a device built on the latest silicon. It would definitely be an interesting project!
CTR mentions your 3600x sample is Bronze and notes difficulty in increasing beyond 4200 at 1.275v.