Issues with overclocking the Ryzen 5 1600x
Issues with overclocking the Ryzen 5 1600x
Hello forums! I apologize for the long message, but I didn’t want to leave out any important points.
With the release of the second generation Ryzen processors, my doubts about not having the newest components have come to the surface.
To address this and boost my confidence, I chose to try overclocking my 1600x.
I’m aware that the base model clocks at 3.60GHz, but I hoped to push it up to around 3.80–3.90GHz with some adjustments.
However, I’ve been unable to exceed 3.70GHz no matter what I attempt.
I’m relatively new to overclocking and suspect there might be something missing. I also think the quality of the silicone I used could be limiting, and I’ll likely remain stuck at 3.70.
I understand that many people ask similar questions, but right now I’m overwhelmed with information.
I’ve discovered some users suggesting my board doesn’t support deeper tweaks, and I’ve read about adjusting the LLC and RAM settings, though I’m struggling to apply these changes effectively.
Do you have any advice? I’m still getting the hang of this, so explanations might need to be clearer.
Technical details below:
- Node 202 case (cooling isn’t ideal; processor stays under 70°C under load and around 38°C at idle, usually about 45°C with normal use)
- Cryorig C7 cooler
- AMD Ryzen 5 1600x
- ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/AC - BIOS Rev 3.60 (current version)
- RAM: 2x8GB Corsair CMK16GX4m2A2666C16R
- Samsung 960 Evo NVMe 250GB SSD
- Overclocking status:
- 3.60 GHz – stable, no issues
- 3.70 GHz – stable, no issues, passed stress test
- 3.75 GHz – boots normally, crashes after 90 seconds under stress (temperature reached 64°C)
- 3.80 GHz – won’t boot at all; CMOS reset needed
- Voltage: currently 1.375; can’t reach stable above 3.70 even with higher voltage (1.40 or 1.425)
- RAM overclocking – stable at 1.4v @ 3200MHz
I’m also willing to share pictures of my BIOS settings if that could help clarify the available options.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I'm not an expert, but it might just be a matter of bad luck with silicon; it can turn either way. I own a 1600 and was very lucky because it turned out to be one of those rare 8-core 1600 CPUs, currently running at [email protected]. Although your motherboard isn't the most overclocked setup, I don't think it's the main reason. Have you tried running the RAM at its default speed before attempting to boost the CPU? Maybe some of the more seasoned folks can help identify the issue and offer guidance.
I believe reducing the RAM to 2666 could yield the extra 200MHz on the CPU.
To be honest, 1.375V is near the maximum I can safely use with Ryzen, and my cutoff for that model is around 1.38V.
The C7 cooler isn't suited for running at 1.4V, so you'd likely see similar performance at 3.8GHz with 2666MHz RAM compared to 3.6GHz with 3200MHz RAM.
I'm sticking with 3.7 in a node 202 setup using that cooler personally.
Hey everyone, thanks for the helpful tips. It seems like reducing the RAM to stock (1.20v, 2666) helped me start up at 3.80 GHz. Anyone know how the RAM clock and CPU clock interact and what might be causing this change? I thought they operated independently.
I managed a few passmark tests without issues, but I don’t have time right now to run a more intense test like AIDA. When I do, I’ll check the actual voltage and share the results. It’s worth mentioning that my passmark fell from just over 14,000 on the CPU to around 13,700, which is quite notable. This could be related to the RAM performance now.
I also think it makes sense to keep the RAM below 1.375, especially since I’m mostly using open-case for experimentation and learning. I’ll stick with 1.375 for regular use, as I can run smoothly at 3.70.
By the way, I achieved 3.80 at 1.4v but didn’t push higher or lower without changing the voltage, which is all I could manage tonight. I’ll do more testing soon and let you know.
Hey there, everyone. Sorry for missing this chat. I finally identified the problem.
I attempted to reduce RAM to stock, but it didn’t make much difference.
Switching to manual CPU settings in BIOS automatically set the voltage to 1.375v, which I thought was the minimum setting.
After some research and reading about overclocking at lower voltages, I decided to try it.
After a few hours of experimentation, I achieved a stable overclock of 3.75 at 1.225v.
I also had success with a 3.8 setting, though after stress testing (temperatures stayed between 65-70°C), I couldn’t reboot immediately. If I tried to restart, the computer wouldn’t respond. A cold boot helped—leaving it for about 10 minutes allowed it to come back online.
It felt like a cooling period, but I was surprised since the CPU didn’t hit its throttling temperature of 75°C before this. I never experienced OS crashes at 3.80 with 1.225v, only post-issues after stress testing.
During this process, I managed to keep my RAM at 3200MHz with a voltage of 1.2v, which seemed beneficial for my needs.
I’m okay with 3.75 because I don’t plan to overclock much, but keeping the system cool is important to me.
Curious though, anyone have ideas about what could cause these post-issues and possible fixes?
Regarding voltages, CPU-Z shows around 1.232 and AIDA64 CPUID reports roughly 0.615v. These values match whether I’m running under normal load or stressing the system with AIDA64. Which one should I trust?
I observed that with AIDA64 the voltage measurement appears unusual. It might simply be a misunderstanding, but the CPUZ seems more reliable. For better accuracy, you can try HWmonitor.