How to TUNE your Ryzen 7 5700X3D on ANY Motherboard!

Summary

In this video, Tech Yes City explores the benefits of undervolting the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, demonstrating how this simple tweak can improve gaming performance and reduce temperatures, even on budget air cooling setups. By using the PBO2 Tuner program, users can adjust voltage settings for a cooler, more efficient CPU without the need for expensive water cooling. The video covers testing with different undervolt settings, the impact on FPS and power consumption, and tips for automating the undervolting process on startup. It’s a cost-effective way to boost performance and extend the lifespan of your CPU.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Ryzen 7 5700X3D offers exceptional value around $150, delivering 8 cores, 16 threads, and strong gaming performance thanks to 3D V-Cache.
• 😀 Undervolting Ryzen X3D CPUs can significantly improve temperatures, power efficiency, and performance without sacrificing stability when done correctly.
• 😀 Precision Boost Overdrive 2 (PBO2) dynamically boosts CPU clocks based on temperature and power headroom, making undervolting especially effective.
• 😀 PBO2 Tuner is a practical software solution for undervolting X3D CPUs, especially on budget motherboards that lack proper BIOS undervolting options.
• 😀 A blanket all-core undervolt is recommended for simplicity and long-term stability, rather than per-core tuning.
• 😀 A -30 mV undervolt is considered a universally safe setting across most X3D chips, while -40 mV often represents the sweet spot for extra gains.
• 😀 Pushing undervolting to -50 mV generally provides no meaningful benefit over -40 mV and may risk instability on some chips.
• 😀 Air-cooled systems benefit the most from undervolting, with noticeable reductions in power draw, temperatures, stuttering, and improvements in FPS and 1% lows.
• 😀 In gaming tests, undervolting on air cooling reduced power usage by around 10 watts while increasing average FPS and stabilizing performance.
• 😀 Water cooling shows fewer FPS gains from undervolting but still benefits from lower temperatures and reduced power consumption.
• 😀 Cinebench testing shows undervolting can reduce peak power consumption by ~15 watts and lower temperatures by around 8°C.
• 😀 Undervolting can even slightly increase CPU boost clocks, particularly on air cooling, resulting in higher benchmark scores.
• 😀 System instability is the main risk of undervolting, and users should revert to -30 mV if crashes or errors occur.
• 😀 Task Scheduler can be used to automatically apply undervolt settings at Windows startup without keeping the program running.
• 😀 Overall, undervolting delivers better efficiency, thermals, and gaming smoothness, making it especially valuable for budget and air-cooled PC builds.

Q & A

What is the Ryzen 7 5700X3D and why is it considered good value?

The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU with AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology. It is considered good value because it offers excellent gaming performance, strong 1% lows, and low stuttering at a relatively low price, often around $150 or less on sale.

What is undervolting and why is it beneficial for the 5700X3D?

Undervolting reduces the voltage supplied to the CPU while keeping stock behavior. For the 5700X3D, this lowers temperatures and power consumption, allowing the CPU to boost higher under Precision Boost Overdrive 2, which can improve performance and stability.

What tool is recommended in the video for undervolting X3D CPUs?

The video recommends using PBO2 Tuner, a Windows-based tool that allows undervolting X3D CPUs even on budget motherboards that lack advanced BIOS options.

Why is Precision Boost Overdrive 2 important for X3D CPUs?

Precision Boost Overdrive 2 dynamically adjusts CPU clocks based on temperature and power limits. By undervolting, the CPU runs cooler and uses less power, which allows PBO2 to boost clocks higher more consistently.

What is a safe undervolt setting for most Ryzen X3D CPUs?

A -30 mV all-core undervolt is considered a very safe setting that generally works across most X3D CPUs without causing instability.

What undervolt setting showed the best results for the 5700X3D in the video?

The testing showed that -40 mV was the sweet spot for the Ryzen 7 5700X3D, providing better results than -30 mV, while -50 mV offered little to no additional benefit.

How does undervolting affect gaming performance on air cooling?

On air cooling, undervolting significantly improves performance by reducing temperatures, lowering power draw by about 10 watts, increasing average FPS, and improving 1% and 0.1% lows, resulting in smoother gameplay.

Does undervolting improve FPS when using water cooling?

With water cooling, undervolting does not significantly improve average FPS, but it still reduces temperatures and power consumption, which can be beneficial for efficiency and system longevity.

What were the Cinebench results after undervolting?

In Cinebench, undervolting reduced power consumption from around 100 watts to the mid-80s, lowered temperatures by about 8°C, and increased boost clocks, resulting in higher benchmark scores, especially on air cooling.

What happens if the undervolt setting is too aggressive?

If the undervolt is too aggressive, the system may become unstable, leading to crashes or errors. In such cases, it is recommended to revert to a safer setting like -30 mV.

Why does the video recommend a blanket all-core undervolt instead of per-core tuning?

A blanket all-core undervolt is easier to apply, quicker to adjust, and less likely to cause future instability due to temperature changes, while still providing most of the performance and efficiency benefits.

How can PBO2 Tuner be set to apply undervolting automatically on startup?

The video explains that you can use Windows Task Scheduler to create a task that launches PBO2 Tuner at startup with the chosen undervolt parameters, then automatically closes after applying the settings.