Ryzen 3950X - First-time question!
Ryzen 3950X - First-time question!
Hey, welcome! I’m still getting familiar with PC building and it’s a bit overwhelming at first. I used to buy laptops but now I’m diving into this more technical side. I recently switched from a 3800X to a 3950X to boost my modeling and video encoding speed. On the old CPU, using the SHQ preset in HandBrake would make the CPU run at full capacity all the time—100% in Task Manager. With the new 3950X, it fluctuates between 55-90%. In Ryzen Master I see it hitting 100% a lot, which is unusual. I noticed it sometimes reaches about 91% for a short moment (around 4.01Ghz), then drops back down to around 60-70%. It does hit 100% during ray tracing in PyMol, but the fans stay off and it runs at 4.20Ghz without any complaints. If there’s even a small chance something’s wrong, I’m open to sharing more details. Otherwise, it seems like the new chip behaves differently than expected.
It looks like the current power capacity is limiting performance. Maybe the VRM isn’t powerful enough or requires adjustments. Could you tell me what motherboard you’re using?
The updated processor speeds up the gameplay by roughly 60 to 80 minutes for comparable videos. It runs smoothly on MSI MPG X570 GAMING PLUS.
Configure the fan to deliver air straight onto the VRMs, and rerun your tests. The power handling on that board isn't designed for a 3950X. Based on my experience, Handbrake will make full use of all the threads you generate, so near 100% utilization shouldn't pose an issue. @yfbcjw
I checked with HWiNFO64 and noticed the VRM temperatures are within normal range. The readings seem acceptable, though I see the concern about VRM temps being low. You mentioned worries about high VRM temps causing issues—would you like advice on how to verify or adjust them?
Got it! I appreciate it. The download and testing worked perfectly, achieving 100%.
Handbrake isn't fully utilizing all available cores or threads. It continues to operate beyond what was feasible with the 8c/16t setup, though scaling doesn't happen at 100% CPU usage (16 cores vs 8). Pushing limits in Ryzen Master is typical, and PBO generally makes optimal use of resources during heavy workloads.