Yes, CPU undervolting can lead to artifacting.
Yes, CPU undervolting can lead to artifacting.
I'm adjusting the voltage on my Ryzen 5600x CPU to lower it for better performance in hot weather. I'm using the Gigabyte B550 board and have set the core voltage to Normal with an offset of -0.096. After making these changes, I noticed some minor visual issues in the game. Could undervolting affect graphics performance or cause artifacts? It seems possible, but it might depend on the game.
It's feasible. When you adjust the CPU voltage to "Normal," the actual value applied depends on whether it's offset or not. The base setting you choose influences the precise voltage reaching the chip after applying the offset. If you manually fix the voltage at a specific level and then apply an offset, the result will vary slightly each time. Changing the offset value alongside a different base voltage will yield different outputs. Using a consistent offset makes the behavior more predictable, but results can still differ based on the chip's original voltage baseline. Setting the base manually removes the need for offsets altogether, allowing direct adjustment until you reach the desired performance.
It seems like the adjustments need careful consideration. A drop of 25 could be significant, while -30 appears to be a more reasonable limit. Trying -20 or variations like -18/-15 might work better.
Ryzen 5000s tend to reach higher temperatures or spike more during gaming compared to previous generations like the 3000s (previously had a 3900X). On the 5600X, reaching 85°C in games is unusual; your cooler seems adequate, but check installation or fan curve settings. For the 5900X, you rarely hit 80°C on a 280mm AIO, typically staying around 70°C with proper settings—usually around 65°C, lower power usage and clock speeds.