The Ryzen 5 2600x CPU is locked at its highest speed.
The Ryzen 5 2600x CPU is locked at its highest speed.
Hello! I'll start by apologizing in advance if I ask any stupid questions, it's my first attempt at building a PC.
I recently purchased an AMD Ryzen 5 2600x processor which I paired with a B450 Tomahawk Motherboard from MSI. I put it all together, but i am getting some strange readings from my CPU frequency.
When I first put it all together the only thing I messed with in BIOS is A-XMP profile (basically selected profile 2 which boosts my DRAM frequency to 3200, as I've mainly understood it significantly helps Ryzen performance).
First thing I did after installing a fresh OS (windows 10) was check my temperatures.
I was somewhat shocked to see my cpu @45-55 idle, and rising easily to 75-85 under workload (tested with some games like GW2 which is on the heavy side of CPU resource consumption and benchmarks of Aida64), this being caused by the fact that my CPU is CONSTANTLY running at the maximum frequency of 4.2 GHz which I don't want to have especially using the stock cooler (wraith spire). Having 1.4 V+ constantly running through my CPU when 50% of the time not even 20% of that is needed seems useless and I'm concerned it will shorten the lifespan of the CPU.
This is a screenshot of my BIOS configuration, it's clearly on AUTO and (please correct me if i'm wrong) there should be no reason my CPU reached more than 3600 MHz with this, since it's not OC'd.. right? (also cool'n'quiet is active)
So basically, for some reason, my CPU is always at maximum frequency, regardless of workload.
What I did to go around this was play with the power plan configuration, and set the maximum CPU usage to 95%. This lowers my MAX frequency to 3200 MHz.
I should mention that any value in the 85-99% I use for "max" will always cap my frequency at 3200. At this point the frequency on all cores starts to oscilate between 2200 and 3200 RANDOMLY and CONSTANTLY.
Even with no workload the frequency will not drop below 2200
Question is why is this happening?
How can a not-Overclocked 3600 CPU reach 4200?
At this point I'm not sure if it's a configuration issue or maybe a piece of hardware is actually broken?
If anyone has any idea and a minute or two to hint what might be the issue here your time will be greatly appreciated. Have a good one!
I don't rely on any overclocking programs, whether it's windows or bios-based. The OC level in your bios is essentially a pre-set overclock that forces your processor to consume more voltage than necessary. You should return to the factory settings or use the default configuration. Save your changes and restart the system. Open Windows, then restart the machine and reapply the bios settings again. In bios, navigate to settings or advanced options and adjust accordingly to ensure smooth operation.
Ignatmarius91 is reaching out with some concerns about his recent PC build. He bought an AMD Ryzen 5 2600x paired with a B450 Tomahawk motherboard from MSI, and after assembling everything, he noticed unusual CPU frequency readings. He adjusted the BIOS to the A-XMP profile, which increased his DRAM frequency to 3200 MHz, expecting better performance for the Ryzen. After installing Windows 10, he checked temperatures and found his CPU running at idle between 45-55°C, rising to 75-85°C during tasks like playing GW2. He expressed worry that the constant high frequency—especially with a stock cooler—might reduce the CPU's lifespan. He shared a screenshot of his BIOS settings, noting the auto mode and the concern about reaching over 3600 MHz without overclocking. He tried changing the power plan to limit maximum CPU usage to 95%, which lowered the frequency cap to 3200 MHz. He also mentioned that even without any load, the frequency would stay around 2200-3200 randomly. He asked for advice on why this behavior occurs and whether his setup might be flawed or if hardware is faulty. He hopes someone can help him understand the issue better.
I do not use any overclocking programs, whether Windows or BIOS-based. The OC level in your BIOS is essentially a predefined overclock that forces the processor to consume more voltage than necessary. You should revert to the original factory settings or "use default options." Save and restart. Open Windows, then restart the machine and reload the BIOS. In BIOS navigate to settings or advanced settings and adjust accordingly to ensure smooth operation. Set your machine to D.O.C.P. mode—it will automatically recognize your RAM speed and timings, allowing you to select the standard values for your RAM. Confirm your RAM voltage matches the approved specifications and avoid leaving it on AUTO. Adjust the Vcore with a small negative offset (around 0.100V) to help keep the processor cooler. Set SOC to manual and 1.1V; this is better than leaving it on AUTO, which tends to draw excessive current through the memory controller. These steps should get your system running properly. You may later fine-tune voltages for improved thermal performance by running tests like Memtest or stress tests to verify stability. The settings provided should allow you to enable Precision Boost Overdrive immediately, but ensure proper cooling and VRM health for optimal results.