CPU overclocking:
Currently, to overclock an AMD processor, you can either do it directly via the BIOS or via the AMD Ryzen Master software. We chose the latter solution for our first tests. As our processor is cooled by an Alphacool Eiszeit 2000 chiller , we’ll be in exactly the same cooling conditions as during our previous tests with this Ryzen 9 9950X3D. What’s more, now that temperatures are starting to drop, we’ll also be able to lower its operating temperature.
Protocol:
Before you start, you need to have one or more reference scores with your processor at the original frequencies. It’s also very important to have a sheet of paper handy, so that you can keep a record of all the tests you’re going to carry out, as well as any results or failures. Personally, I have hundreds of test sheets to which I sometimes return to find out how the processor behaved on a particular motherboard or in a particular test condition. My own little bible.
For H24 overclocking, you’ll of course need to take more time to fine-tune the voltage to the minimum necessary, but you’ll also need to set each core independently if you want to enjoy the best performance.
The Ryzen 9 9950X3D features two CCDs. Each CCD has a single CCX with 8 cores. In the case of our 9950X3D, none of the CCX cores are disabled, so that each CCD has 8 cores, for a total of 16. The idea is to see how the CCDs behave when all the cores are activated. We know from our own experience that CCD1 performs better than CCD0 in terms of frequency. It will therefore be possible, via Ryzen Master, to try to push this one higher than the other.
Ryzen Master has undergone a facelift, as well as an overhaul of some parameters within the software, as you can see from our various screenshots, but it’s still as easy to get to grips with as ever.
Overclocking our Ryzen 9 9950X3D :
Of course, we’ve already tested our Ryzen 9 9950X3D to see what it can do. The idea now is to check whether we can achieve the same performance when overclocking this MSI B850 MPOWER.
Please note that, as mentioned above, the two CCDs do not behave in the same way. The CCD0’s 8 cores are pushed to 5450 MHz and the CCD1’s 8 cores to 5600 MHz, giving us a score of 48524 points. Note that our overclocked memory profile remained active during our tests.
