Voltage performance characteristics of the Ryzen 5 5600X
Voltage performance characteristics of the Ryzen 5 5600X
Hi there! I just set up a new system and bought a Ryzen 5 5600X. I’m worried about its voltage performance. During games, it stays steady at about 1.38V at 4.25GHz, sometimes reaching 1.42 or 1.45. I’ve never worked with AMD CPUs before, but I know anything above 1.35V isn’t safe anymore. I’ve tried lowering the voltage and overclocking it to 4.5GHz at 1.175V, which works well without overheating. When I undervolt and overclock, it stays cool (around 60°C) with a Hyper 212 cooler, but at stock settings it gets hotter (up to 70°C). The main issue is that the voltage seems stuck at 1.175V even when idle. Should I worry about long-term damage from keeping it at those high levels? Or should I keep it undervolted even if the voltage stays high? Will this affect the chip over time? Thanks, Albert.
My Ryzen 5 3600 operates at 4.3 GHz with 1.45 volts. It’s been stable at 45°C idle since August 2020. The only issue arises when I modify hardware or attempt repairs. No system problems detected; the real problem seems to be from my actions.
Hey there! Welcome to the forums. It looks like things are shaping up well. I noticed the stock voltages on Ryzen seem elevated, which can generate more heat. They usually recommend a maximum of 1.3625V for longevity, and at 1.175V it should be fine under normal use. If your Windows Power Plan is set to High Performance, adjust the advanced power settings by changing the minimum processor state to 5%, keeping the maximum at 100%, and setting the system cooling policy to Active.
Thank you for your assistance with SpiderMan. I’ll maintain it overclocked since it performs better and stays cooler without harming the CPU’s longevity. I usually run Windows Balanced (the Ryzen plan isn’t available for the 5000 series) and I’ll consider your suggestions. Appreciate your help, Albert.
Hey Ragnarok! Glad you're hearing well. The CPU is working smoothly without overheating thanks to the high voltage. I'll stick with the overclock—it speeds things up and keeps things cooler. Every time I run my PC, it's for gaming, so I don't let it sit idle. Thanks again, Albert.
Think about using PBO2 to optimize your 5600x setup. I lowered the voltage and kept it around 0.98V when idle, rising to 1.15V during turbo boosts. At first, it hit 1.145 but settled at 1.15V after a while. Then it maintained steady at both 4.6V and 1.15V throughout the 30-minute stress test with Cinebench R20.