Question: What happens when the CPU reaches 1.38 volts?
Question: What happens when the CPU reaches 1.38 volts?
More information and details needed. When does that happen?
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Not too high but have you considered adjusting the Curve Optimizer in BIOS to -10 up to -30? This should automatically reduce voltage to a high level within 1.20 seconds. It needs PBO enabled, which is in the menu. Depending on your motherboard and BIOS, disabling PBO also turns off some voltage controls, so it doesn’t really improve performance.
I see that the Zen 5 CPU mirrors Zen 3 and 4 by needing a fairly high voltage for single-thread, single-core boost to reach its peak frequency during normal use. For light tasks, it can operate at 1.45 to even 1.5 volts when the chip is adequately cooled. These boosts typically last only a few milliseconds, yet they appear as a single peak in monitoring tools. The more effective the cooling, the more often this happens.
When the processor is working intensely in multi-core or all-core tasks, it should stay within a 1.2 to 1.3 volt range, dropping further if overheating occurs due to poor cooling.
Check the CPU’s SVI2/TFN or core voltage readings in telemetry data. VCore often reflects the VRM output, which can be significantly higher than the actual core voltage.
HWInfo64 is a recommended tool for tracking voltages and other metrics, offering clear distinctions between current, peak, and average values. It also lets you visualize parameters over time to detect brief spikes.
To adjust performance safely, enable PBO and use Curve Optimizer to dynamically lower the voltage on Zen 3, 4, and 5 CPUs per core. This approach mimics overclocking by leveraging the design margins for stability, especially when cooling is sufficient. It helps reduce voltage-related stress, protecting the semiconductors from long-term damage.