[SOLVED] Help with correct bios settings for AMD 7 2700x and ROG Strix X470-F gaming MB

[Rgmiket]

MB: ROG Strix X470-f Gaming
RAM: 32 GB Hyperx Predator DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8)
GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6gb mem)
PSU: Corsair TX 850M (850W 80 plus Gold)
CPU: Ryzen 7 2700X and stock Prism Wraith cooler

So when on PBO or full auto I get phenomenal Speeds but Core V shows in Ryzen Master as 1.45 to 1.55...for short time that I viewed it before shutting system down. Temps were still under spec but were up there 75 to 84c and EDC (CPU) was like 1000% or something incomprehensible from what I remember correctly and RED.

So I shutdown right away and started reading up on what I should do...I would like, but don't always need, that level of performance..and I am a noob at this whole OC thing...and read that i shouldn't even try since the 2700x does it so well...but if I turn everything off. I get stock 3.7...and would rather better than that.

So I was hoping someone could give me a method to get to a stable setting with PBO and let Ryzen do its thing..without burning down the house..lol

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I don't need PBO but would like to see the numbers higher on CPU without being so hot and such a high voltage which is why the heat is so high.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[NightHawkRMX]

XFR has been known to use a lot of voltage to get to higher frequencies.
I would lock the voltage at 1.3v and leave clocks alone and see what happens. If you do this the cpu might not turbo as much.

 

[Rgmiket]

XFR has been known to use a lot of voltage to get to higher frequencies.
I would lock the voltage at 1.3v and leave clocks alone and see what happens. If you do this the cpu might not turbo as much.

Ok so right now I have the following results in Bios
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-Lf4I4euJziDjLOQCcHzaD-lbrNLoDFS

Current settings in AI Tweaker
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-9i41udSoO4CARZQyzosCZxa_E-ifddQ
and
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zQaAT_dQdJZGNvD5Bd4uSAGB8urR_NNf

Are you saying change the following setting on second page of AI Tweaker
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-D4udOqeSuCa94G78RoOB3h-kpfZ28jJ

What I would like is to remove the multiplier and basically let XFR/PBO or whatever do its thing but limit Voltage/Temp so as not to cause issue. Now within Windows I have high performance power plan on but I lowered the min to 80% from 100%...

and with the current settings just booting computer I see 60C hit...now Clock looks nice (not sure I believe it but hey!!)
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1T-e7yZE11p8bkNYNu655ad62An_OegUL

So hopefully you can see all the images..

Oh and running CB R20 with current settings received 4019 but hit just above 85C near the end of the run.

Please advise...

Thank you,
Mike

 

[DMAN999]

Why not use the Ryzen Balanced Power Plan?
That way your CPU will clock down when idle and only boost up when needed.
That should significantly lower your CPU idle Temps too.

 

[Rgmiket]

Why not use the Ryzen Balanced Power Plan?

I have switched over to Ryzen Balanced we'll see what it can do for the lower end temps...but it is the higher end Volts/Temp I want to reign in if I can. and I would like to be able to let Ryzen do it thing without setting target.

Here are the HWMonitor results during a CbR20 run just now with current settings.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UgqZfZF5JV1KbIXIqfIAGURpqfYGZ3-B

I would lock the voltage at 1.3v and leave clocks alone and see what happens.

I tried just locking the voltage as in the screen shot attached in my first reply...could not get CB R20 to run froze up and I had to hold power button to shutdown. I probably didn't do it right...I suspect other settings got in the way not sure at this point...

Think I need more clarification....damn noobs...ehhh!!! lol

Thank you,
Mike

 

[Redneck5439]

MB: ROG Strix X470-f Gaming
RAM: 32 GB Hyperx Predator DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8)
GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6gb mem)
PSU: Corsair TX 850M (850W 80 plus Gold)
CPU: Ryzen 7 2700X and stock Prism Wraith cooler

So when on PBO or full auto I get phenomenal Speeds but Core V shows in Ryzen Master as 1.45 to 1.55...for short time that I viewed it before shutting system down. Temps were still under spec but were up there 75 to 84c and EDC (CPU) was like 1000% or something incomprehensible from what I remember correctly and RED.

So I shutdown right away and started reading up on what I should do...I would like, but don't always need, that level of performance..and I am a noob at this whole OC thing...and read that i shouldn't even try since the 2700x does it so well...but if I turn everything off. I get stock 3.7...and would rather better than that.

So I was hoping someone could give me a method to get to a stable setting with PBO and let Ryzen do its thing..without burning down the house..lol

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I don't need PBO but would like to see the numbers higher on CPU without being so hot and such a high voltage which is why the heat is so high.

Cheers,
Mike

I have the same motherboard you do, and the same processor. I have my settings all set in bios to load 4.35Ghz all core and have my RAM overclocked to 3600Mhz CL14 with fast sub-timings. In Cinebench R15 I get 2020 from this rig, and its totally stable. I usually run it at 4.25Ghz all core for 24/7 use. I'll walk you though how to set up your processor for PBO.

First off you are going to need better cooling if you want to be clocked at 4.35Ghz, there really isn't anyway around this. I am running a Noctua NHU-14S with 2 140mm fans in a push pull configuration, it is a premium solution and works very well. I can also help you clock your system for ~4.2Ghz all core which the Wraith Prism may be able to handle depending on your ambient room temperature. Now to get to the bios settings:

First of all you have to update your bios to the newest version 4602 which changes and optimizes a few things. You will also have to update your chipset drivers. I'm posting links:

ROG STRIX X470-F GAMING | Motherboards | ROG Global

Best AMD Ryzen ATX motherboard with Aura Sync, SupremeFX, ROG Audio, Dual M.2, Intel LAN, VR functionality, M.2 heatsink and USB 3.1 Gen 2

www.asus.com

https://www.amd.com/en/support/chipsets/amd-socket-am4/x470

Next in bios you should set your RAM at default speeds (for your kit) by enabling DOCP under AI overclock tuner. After that you will want to set Performance Enhancer - now this is going to be the main overclock for PBO... If you set it to level 2 you will boost to around 4.16Ghz all core, if you set it for level 3 (OC) you will boost to 4.20 - 4.25Ghz and if you set it for level 4 (OC) you will boost to 4.35Ghz. With using the stock cooling I would recommend setting for level 2 or 3, however you can also set for level 4 if you want to do on the fly adjustments using Ryzen Master. What I do is have it set for level 4, but then once I boot into Windows I use Ryzen Master to adjust the EDC using Creator Mode and Precision Boost Overdrive. If I set the EDC at ~152 it will boost to 4.25Ghz all core with 98% EDC limit (really EDC at 100% seems to be totally fine and stable). The lower you set the EDC the lower the all core boost, the higher you set it the higher the all core boost. You can also use this method using level 3 and then lowering the EDC till you hit 4.2Ghz all core which the Wraith Prism may be albe to handle. So its up to you what you set Performance Enhancer to, but keep in mind you need to keep your temps under control. Unless you upgrade your cooling I would highly suggest using level 2 or level 3 if you are intending to then use Ryzen Master to lower the EDC and lower your all core overclock boost (no higher than 4.2Ghz with the Prism, and it may not be able to handle that).

Next option in bios is Performance bias which will automatically optimize a few settings, I like to use the Aida/Geekbench setting. Next you will want to enable Precision Boost Overdrive and set the scalar for 10X. After that you will want to set your Vcore, which on our boards is called VDDCR CPU Voltage. With previous bios I set a negative offset, but with the optimizations of bios version 4602 I found I now need a positive offset. Every processor is different so I can't give you a voltage that will be totally optimized for your rig, however to run at 4.35Ghz all core totally stable I need a positive offset of 0.05000V. You will know if you don't have enough voltage because your machine will start and shut down 3 times then tell you your unstable. If this happens you have to increase voltage. Once you can boot into windows you have to test your stability with something like Prime 95 or Aida64 stability test, if your not stable you will have to go back into bios and increase voltage offset till you are. In bios I would also recommend setting VDDCR SOC Voltage to manual and setting it for ~1.02 which should be fine with default DOCP RAM settings. Once you have the PBO overclock set the way you like I would recommend using the Ryzen Ram Calculator to set your sub-timings for fast which will really improve your performance.

Once your all set and in logged into Windows you will have to choose your Power Plan. I personally use Balanced with a minimum state of 5% and a max state of 100% (default for Balanced).

Its really not as difficult as it first seems as Ryzen does a very good job at overclocking itself, the hardest part is figuring out what your positive Vcore offset has to be for PBO to work properly with Performance Enhancer to get the most out of your rig.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Likely if you change the voltage to 1.3 your going to have to use 1.35v.
I think the setting is vddcr cpu voltage.

 

[Redneck5439]

Likely if you change the voltage to 1.3 your going to have to use 1.35v.
I think the setting is vddcr cpu voltage.

I have found that when allowing the R7 2700X to overclock itself through the use of PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) the system is much more stable with a voltage offset. I had my rig set at 1.3V (no offset) utilizing PBO and Performance Enhancer level 4 @ 4.35Ghz all core. It would boot, would run most games without issue and would even allow some benchmarking, but it wasn't actually stable. Typically I could only get about 15 to 20 min of Prime 95 and it wouldn't pass Aida64 stability testing either. After applying a positive offset I obtained 100% stability.

I should also note that the bios versions for the Strix X470-F are very different, in the "out of the box" bios - I think version 4024 maybe, I actually needed a negative offset, however as Asus made revisions and improvements I had to use a positive offset in the later bios versions.

Really the very first thing the OP should do is update the chipset drivers utilizing my above link and then flash the very latest bios version 4602. Version 4602 provides the best stability of any of the bios versions that predate it (and I have used them all). After that setting DOCP will allow the memory to run at its packaged specs, Performance Enhancer will determine PBO's maximum all core boost (for the OP either level 2 or possibly level 3) and then set for the positive offset. For using Performance Enhancer level 2 I would think that a positive offset of 0.03000 would be sufficient and for level 3 the offset would be around 0.04000. Of course every processor is different, but these would be a good "base" settings to use and then find the actual offset for your processor through testing. With bios version 4602 there is also settings for PBO right above the RAM sub-timings menu I believe and in that new PBO menu you can activate PBO and set the scalar (10X is the best scalar to use).

Really setting the RAM, the Performance Enhancer level, PBO, and the Vcore offset is all you have to do to obtain PBO overclocking boosting to 4.15 - 4.35Ghz all core. After that you can always go back and tweak different settings and RAM timings to get even more performance. I have been able to tweak my system fairly well and have Cinebench R15 score of 2020 and Cinebench R20 score of 4443, however the Cinebench R15 test was run at 4.35Ghz all core and the Cinebench R20 test was run at 4.30Ghz all core, and it requires premium aftermarket cooling.

With my most extreme "overclock" PBO boosts my system to 4.35Ghz all core, with the positive offset I see some strange voltages, but noting unsafe. When all cores are engaged 100% (running Cinebench or Prime 95, ect) I see a constant voltage of 1.35V, however when doing single core Cinebench I'll see a constant voltages of 1.41 - 1.44V. There has been times when launching programs I've even seen voltage spikes of 1.5V (usually only for a brief second or so). These voltage spikes are nothing to worry about, and AMD has stated the same, its just the "nature of the beast", it seems to be totally normal for PBO. I wouldn't worry too much about voltage spikes or even single core voltages up to 1.44V as it seems to be normal for PBO, as long as your temps are under control you are fine. As far as temps go the best monitor for temp is Ryzen Master and I don't feel comfortable with any temp over 75C, but like to see temps of 70C and under (as reported by Ryzen Master). Temps will be different for everyone, however your best defense is a well ventilated case, plenty of case cooling, and a good processor heat sink. With good case cooling the Prism should be enough to run 4.2Ghz all core, which was my experience, however I have a well ventilated case and have 6 140mm case fans.

 

[spencer.cleaves2]

I have found that when allowing the R7 2700X to overclock itself through the use of PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) the system is much more stable with a voltage offset. I had my rig set at 1.3V (no offset) utilizing PBO and Performance Enhancer level 4 @ 4.35Ghz all core. It would boot, would run most games without issue and would even allow some benchmarking, but it wasn't actually stable. Typically I could only get about 15 to 20 min of Prime 95 and it wouldn't pass Aida64 stability testing either. After applying a positive offset I obtained 100% stability.

I should also note that the bios versions for the Strix X470-F are very different, in the "out of the box" bios - I think version 4024 maybe, I actually needed a negative offset, however as Asus made revisions and improvements I had to use a positive offset in the later bios versions.

Really the very first thing the OP should do is update the chipset drivers utilizing my above link and then flash the very latest bios version 4602. Version 4602 provides the best stability of any of the bios versions that predate it (and I have used them all). After that setting DOCP will allow the memory to run at its packaged specs, Performance Enhancer will determine PBO's maximum all core boost (for the OP either level 2 or possibly level 3) and then set for the positive offset. For using Performance Enhancer level 2 I would think that a positive offset of 0.03000 would be sufficient and for level 3 the offset would be around 0.04000. Of course every processor is different, but these would be a good "base" settings to use and then find the actual offset for your processor through testing. With bios version 4602 there is also settings for PBO right above the RAM sub-timings menu I believe and in that new PBO menu you can activate PBO and set the scalar (10X is the best scalar to use).

Really setting the RAM, the Performance Enhancer level, PBO, and the Vcore offset is all you have to do to obtain PBO overclocking boosting to 4.15 - 4.35Ghz all core. After that you can always go back and tweak different settings and RAM timings to get even more performance. I have been able to tweak my system fairly well and have Cinebench R15 score of 2020 and Cinebench R20 score of 4443, however the Cinebench R15 test was run at 4.35Ghz all core and the Cinebench R20 test was run at 4.30Ghz all core, and it requires premium aftermarket cooling.

With my most extreme "overclock" PBO boosts my system to 4.35Ghz all core, with the positive offset I see some strange voltages, but noting unsafe. When all cores are engaged 100% (running Cinebench or Prime 95, ect) I see a constant voltage of 1.35V, however when doing single core Cinebench I'll see a constant voltages of 1.41 - 1.44V. There has been times when launching programs I've even seen voltage spikes of 1.5V (usually only for a brief second or so). These voltage spikes are nothing to worry about, and AMD has stated the same, its just the "nature of the beast", it seems to be totally normal for PBO. I wouldn't worry too much about voltage spikes or even single core voltages up to 1.44V as it seems to be normal for PBO, as long as your temps are under control you are fine. As far as temps go the best monitor for temp is Ryzen Master and I don't feel comfortable with any temp over 75C, but like to see temps of 70C and under (as reported by Ryzen Master). Temps will be different for everyone, however your best defense is a well ventilated case, plenty of case cooling, and a good processor heat sink. With good case cooling the Prism should be enough to run 4.2Ghz all core, which was my experience, however I have a well ventilated case and have 6 140mm case fans.

Wow this is a very detailed troubleshoot that a lot of people could benefit from. Hats of to you for the easy to follow advice

 

[Redneck5439]

Wow this is a very detailed troubleshoot that a lot of people could benefit from. Hats of to you for the easy to follow advice

Thank you, I tried to make it detailed yet easy to follow. I have overclocked every processor I've ever had going all the way back to Pentium and Athlon, but Ryzen is a totally different beast. I went through weeks of torment with the 2700X till I figured out that it "overclocks" best when you just let PBO do its thing, then it was a case of getting the settings optimized for PBO. Once I had it figured out it turns out "overclocking" with the 2700X is actually much easier, and I was making it much more difficult on myself. The only real challenge with the 2700X is finding the proper Vcore offset voltage to use, well and SOC, and RAM voltage when you get into fine tweaking and optimizing the RAM. Really though overall I am totally impressed with how well PBO works.

I also highly recommend everyone on Ryzen+ (and probably the upcoming Zen 2) utilize the Ryzen DRAM Calculator and optimize their RAM. The DRAM calculator will help to set the sub-timings and voltage, and the faster the RAM and lower the latency you can get has a huge effect on your overall performance. AMD's Infinity Fabric that is the interconnect in the processor works on the same frequency as the RAM so the faster the RAM, the tighter the sub-timings, the better the processor's performance.

 

[DMAN999]

I agree 100%.
Great job Redneck5439.
Detailed posts like yours will be very beneficial to anyone trying to OC a 2700x on an ROG Strix X470-F MB.

 

[drivinfast247]

I wanted to improve my OC but unfortunately the Prime-x470 4602 BIOS is different. It does not have the "Performance Enhancer" option.

 

[DMAN999]

I wanted to improve my OC but unfortunately the Prime-x470 4602 BIOS is different. It does not have the "Performance Enhancer" option.

^ That's exactly why it is so important to research a BIOS for your MB before you update.
I am using a BIOS that is 3 versions behind the newest available for my MB because it is the most stable for my CPU/RAM combo.

 

[Redneck5439]

I wanted to improve my OC but unfortunately the Prime-x470 4602 BIOS is different. It does not have the "Performance Enhancer" option.

I went back and forth several times between the Prime X470 and the ROG Strix X470-F before finally purchasing the Strix. The motherboards themselves are quite similar, however the Strix had better VRMs being 6+2+2 phase and I believe the Prime X470 is a 4+2 phase, and the Strix bios is basically just a restricted version of the Hero VII bios. I was actually going into Ryzen+ after upgrading from a FX 8370 so I was of the mindset I won't have to overclock so the Hero VII was too overkill, but I should have known my OCD would make me push the limits of what I could get out of my 2700X.

I do believe the Stix board will be able to do fine with upgrading to a 3700X, 3800X, possibly even the 3900X and go though 2020 but after working on my friends rig with a Hero VII if I had to do it over again I would have gotten the Hero VII. The bios options of the Hero VII allowed us to overclock his rig (using PBO) to 4.4Ghz all core on a NH-D15 cooler (2 140mm fans push pull), and I'm sure his processor would have done 4.5Ghz on a custom loop. I know I could push my processor harder as I have thermal overhead, but there simply is no way of doing so with the Strix's bios. The fine tweaking capabilities that enable higher PBO overclocking were reserved for the Hero VII exclusively.

 

[drivinfast247]

I went back and forth several times between the Prime X470 and the ROG Strix X470-F before finally purchasing the Strix. The motherboards themselves are quite similar, however the Strix had better VRMs being 6+2+2 phase and I believe the Prime X470 is a 4+2 phase, and the Strix bios is basically just a restricted version of the Hero VII bios. I was actually going into Ryzen+ after upgrading from a FX 8370 so I was of the mindset I won't have to overclock so the Hero VII was too overkill, but I should have known my OCD would make me push the limits of what I could get out of my 2700X.

I do believe the Stix board will be able to do fine with upgrading to a 3700X, 3800X, possibly even the 3900X and go though 2020 but after working on my friends rig with a Hero VII if I had to do it over again I would have gotten the Hero VII. The bios options of the Hero VII allowed us to overclock his rig (using PBO) to 4.4Ghz all core on a NH-D15 cooler (2 140mm fans push pull), and I'm sure his processor would have done 4.5Ghz on a custom loop. I know I could push my processor harder as I have thermal overhead, but there simply is no way of doing so with the Strix's bios. The fine tweaking capabilities that enable higher PBO overclocking were reserved for the Hero VII exclusively.

I was also stuck deciding between those two boards. I went with the Prime as it had a more grown-up appearance. I just hope they will make a high performance x570 board that doesn't look like it was designed by a 12 year old Fortnite player.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I like the looks of the asrock taichi boards. Simple, grey, but high end components.

The msi pro carbon boards look pretty cool aswell, but a bit more childish (were all children at hear haha)

 

[Rgmiket]

First of all you are going to need better cooling if you want to be clocked at 4.35Ghz, there really isn't anyway around this. I am running a Noctua NHU-14S with 2 140mm fans in a push pull configuration, it is a premium solution and works very well. I can also help you clock your system for ~4.2Ghz all core which the Wraith Prism may be able to handle depending on your ambient room temperature.

Thank you so much for the detailed steps...I have had a crazy couple of days at work and will start going through this tonight probably. I am trying to figure out if the Noctua will fit in my case without opening it up and taking tape measure out...I figure that since you have same board it will fit fine MB RAM/GPU just need to check the height...I have the EVGA DG-77 case..was actually looking at the D15 but think it is overkill even if it fits...

A little scary when you say +offset..since one of my concerns is the V on cores but I will trust the advice you have given...only other item is bios update which I guess is my starting point...again I considered it when I built and setup the system but saw some FAQ's that steered me away from it...figure I would leave it alone until there was a good reason to do so... Now I have one..

I will report on progress as I make it for the folks who care.. and I may very well have more questions...Great group of people thanks for all your suggestions and recommendations.

Later All,
Mike

 

[Rgmiket]

So Chipset and bios updated.
Current setting returned to previous settings.
CB20(4029) HWMonitor results
https://drive.google.com/open?id=19usECq6Q2UqPgDamGlvEFwM6YUrPuAna

Will now I will do this...setting at PE at level 2 I will skip +offset for now unless I can't boot or there is some other problem.

Next in bios you should set your RAM at default speeds (for your kit) by enabling DOCP under AI overclock tuner. After that you will want to set Performance Enhancer - now this is going to be the main overclock for PBO... If you set it to level 2 you will boost to around 4.16Ghz all core, if you set it for level 3 (OC) you will boost to 4.20 - 4.25Ghz and if you set it for level 4 (OC) you will boost to 4.35Ghz. With using the stock cooling I would recommend setting for level 2 or 3, however you can also set for level 4 if you want to do on the fly adjustments using Ryzen Master. What I do is have it set for level 4, but then once I boot into Windows I use Ryzen Master to adjust the EDC using Creator Mode and Precision Boost Overdrive. If I set the EDC at ~152 it will boost to 4.25Ghz all core with 98% EDC limit (really EDC at 100% seems to be totally fine and stable). The lower you set the EDC the lower the all core boost, the higher you set it the higher the all core boost. You can also use this method using level 3 and then lowering the EDC till you hit 4.2Ghz all core which the Wraith Prism may be albe to handle. So its up to you what you set Performance Enhancer to, but keep in mind you need to keep your temps under control. Unless you upgrade your cooling I would highly suggest using level 2 or level 3 if you are intending to then use Ryzen Master to lower the EDC and lower your all core overclock boost (no higher than 4.2Ghz with the Prism, and it may not be able to handle that).

Next option in bios is Performance bias which will automatically optimize a few settings, I like to use the Aida/Geekbench setting. Next you will want to enable Precision Boost Overdrive and set the scalar for 10X. After that you will want to set your Vcore, which on our boards is called VDDCR CPU Voltage. With previous bios I set a negative offset, but with the optimizations of bios version 4602 I found I now need a positive offset. Every processor is different so I can't give you a voltage that will be totally optimized for your rig, however to run at 4.35Ghz all core totally stable I need a positive offset of 0.05000V. You will know if you don't have enough voltage because your machine will start and shut down 3 times then tell you your unstable. If this happens you have to increase voltage. Once you can boot into windows you have to test your stability with something like Prime 95 or Aida64 stability test, if your not stable you will have to go back into bios and increase voltage offset till you are. In bios I would also recommend setting VDDCR SOC Voltage to manual and setting it for ~1.02 which should be fine with default DOCP RAM settings. Once you have the PBO overclock set the way you like I would recommend using the Ryzen Ram Calculator to set your sub-timings for fast which will really improve your performance.

fingers crossed...still have to order cooler..looks like it should fit in case just fine...Prism is 6.3inch and 14S is only 6.5 I have probably 3 or more inches(guess) of room above the prism now in my case.

 

[Rgmiket]

So I followed all the settings(Without +offset just let it be but Max V seen in HWM is 1.531V that is safe??) and ran CB20 (3919) but only hit 83C instead of 85C... will download one of the to programs to test stability...and report back.

Cheers.

 

[Redneck5439]

So Chipset and bios updated.
Current setting returned to previous settings.
CB20(4029) HWMonitor results
https://drive.google.com/open?id=19usECq6Q2UqPgDamGlvEFwM6YUrPuAna

Will now I will do this...setting at PE at level 2 I will skip +offset for now unless I can't boot or there is some other problem.


fingers crossed...still have to order cooler..looks like it should fit in case just fine...Prism is 6.3inch and 14S is only 6.5 I have probably 3 or more inches(guess) of room above the prism now in my case.

I've had great luck with the NH-U14S, just remember to call Nocuta as soon as you order and get the mounting kit for AM4 as the only mounts that come with it are for Intel and AM3 socket AMD. I had the NH-D15S on my old build (AM3+ FX 8370) but during cleaning I noticed that the cooler had actually cracked my board (Asus Sabertooth). I know that it was probably a fluke but the cooler is also heavier than the 14S so I figured I would error on the safe side and went for the 14S. I've done full rendering projects with all cores at 4.35Ghz and so far haven't seen a temp above 74C. When running at my normal 4.25Ghz every day settings my temps have never exceeded 70C when doing content creation and never exceeded 55C when gaming. Its a great cooler, especially with 2 140mm fans in push pull.

At level 2 you may not need a voltage offset, I can't remember when I had to start adding additional voltage. I know that to run PE level 4 I needed to up the voltage to 0.05000 which worried me at first, but it gave me total stability and the voltages have been well within the safe zone. I think that before upgrading to the 14S I was able to use PE level 3 with a 0.03000 (I think) positive voltage offset on the stock Prism cooler. However back when I done that it was winter outside so there may have been a convenient draft helping to cool things down, and as before mentioned I'm a bit of a "cooling nut" so I have 6 140mm case fans. I've found over the years that the cooler you can keep all the components the longer everything will last and the better the performance you'll get.

 

[Redneck5439]

Thank you so much for the detailed steps...I have had a crazy couple of days at work and will start going through this tonight probably. I am trying to figure out if the Noctua will fit in my case without opening it up and taking tape measure out...I figure that since you have same board it will fit fine MB RAM/GPU just need to check the height...I have the EVGA DG-77 case..was actually looking at the D15 but think it is overkill even if it fits...

A little scary when you say +offset..since one of my concerns is the V on cores but I will trust the advice you have given...only other item is bios update which I guess is my starting point...again I considered it when I built and setup the system but saw some FAQ's that steered me away from it...figure I would leave it alone until there was a good reason to do so... Now I have one..

I will report on progress as I make it for the folks who care.. and I may very well have more questions...Great group of people thanks for all your suggestions and recommendations.

Later All,
Mike

You already updated your bios so you shouldn't need to worry about the positive voltage offset. The first bios I worked with, 4205 I think, had the default voltages set very high. With everything on AUTO and stock I was seen voltage spikes of 1.55V, much higher than anything I've seen at 4.35Ghz and my current positive offset. With each bios update Asus improved on the "stock" voltages and now to get into an overclocked state you need a positive offset for stability. All the voltages I have monitored (with my current settings) are actually less than the voltages I was seeing with the fist bios and everything on AUTO.

 

[Redneck5439]

I was also stuck deciding between those two boards. I went with the Prime as it had a more grown-up appearance. I just hope they will make a high performance x570 board that doesn't look like it was designed by a 12 year old Fortnite player.

High performance boards in the X570 generation won't be an issue. Facing very expensive boards will be an issue. I plan on upgrading to the R7 3800X or the R9 3900X once I have reviewed the independent reviews, but am staying with my Strix X470-F. The motherboards of the Zen 2 generation are going to be very expensive, and include a lot of new technology that has never been used before by any company (PCIe 4.0 and all bells and whistles for high speed M.2 and GPUs). All the boards of the new generation sport huge heat sinks, and cooling fans built into the heat sinks. The high end boards are sporting insane VRMs, highest I've heard of so far is 14 phase!! With all the new tech, huge power draw and huge cooling needs these boards are going to be very expensive and will probably have bugs to work out and "teething issues". I don't see PCIe 4.0 as being enough of a reason to pay the premium for the new motherboards as it will be a year or more before we have high end GPUs that can even use PCIe 4.0 and I don't plan on upgrading to PCIe 4.0 M.2 till they perfect it.

I may upgrade when they release X670 and Zen 2+, or I may wait for X770 and 5nm Zen 3. By then they will have the teething issues of PCIe 4.0 worked out, will probably be running a lot cooler, will be a much more reliable board and hopefully not as expensive. I think that a lot of the high end boards were designed with the R9 16 core (yet to be officially announced) in mind as 12 - 14 phase VRM is just overkill for even 12 cores 24 threads. With the content creation I do the 12 core would be nice but I would also be happy with a more efficient, higher clocked 8 core with 15% IPC gain.

 

[Rgmiket]

You already updated your bios so you shouldn't need to worry about the positive voltage offset. The first bios I worked with, 4205 I think, had the default voltages set very high. With everything on AUTO and stock I was seen voltage spikes of 1.55V, much higher than anything I've seen at 4.35Ghz and my current positive offset. With each bios update Asus improved on the "stock" voltages and now to get into an overclocked state you need a positive offset for stability. All the voltages I have monitored (with my current settings) are actually less than the voltages I was seeing with the fist bios and everything on AUTO.

So basically I am sitting at 1.5 V on all cores at rest (no offset applied at all in bios)...they do jump around but HWM is showing all above 1.4 I would say average is around 1.47ish without average column it is hard to tell... I still haven't tested stability will run Aida64 stab test to see...

 

[Redneck5439]

So basically I am sitting at 1.5 V on all cores at rest (no offset applied at all in bios)...they do jump around but HWM is showing all above 1.4 I would say average is around 1.47ish without average column it is hard to tell... I still haven't tested stability will run Aida64 stab test to see...

I don't use HWmonitor for Ryzen, in my experience it wasn't displaying the correct information. See what the voltage is in Ryzen Master and HWinfo64. Ryzen Master is the trusted program for monitoring temp. I have noticed that when only a single core or four cores are being stressed the voltage is higher than when all cores are being stressed. When stressing a single core or up to four cores the voltages I've seen are usually in the 1.43V range, when all cores are engaged, like in a Cinebench render test, the voltage is a steady 1.36V. This is not hugely surprising as 1 - 4 cores would be a "boost mode" as in the processor is supposed to boost up to four cores to 4.35Ghz so by default it provides more voltage to ensure stability in its "boost state". When you "overclock" via PBO it boosts the all core state to a higher state and @ 4.35Ghz all core my processor only requires 1.36V which is set in bios by the offset. The advantage to using an offset is the voltage will go down to a "resting state" of 0.831V @ 2.19Ghz with "balanced mode" set in windows. When doing a single core Cinebench run one of my cores is pegged at 4.35Ghz, all the other cores are at 2.19Ghz but the core voltage is 1.43V because the processor basically overcompensates for single core boost, but that just how PBO works. Its just the nature of the beast.

Now if your sitting at 1.5V as reported by HWinfo64 when running a Cinebench render then your processor or motherboard is actually supplying too much power by default and with your particular hardware you will need to set a negative offset. I would start by just going one click at a time, enter windows do a Cinebench run with HWinfo64 open and monitor your Vcore when all cores are engaged. Your goal is to get the Vcore to around 1.36V which should be stable for 4.2Ghz (Mine is stable at 1.36V @ 4.35Ghz as a reference). Once you have your setting you can either be happy with it (if stable) or continue to lower the Vcore till your unstable then reset to the last stable negative offset, and you have found where optimal Vcore for level 2 is. Every processor and motherboard is a little different due to the silicon lottery. With bios 4205 I needed a negative offset, with the newest bios I need a positive offset, but that is with my particular processor, yours may still require a negative offset even with the newest bios. Once you have your optimal Vcore you should see voltage spikes of 1.44, 1.45 max, single core boost may have the voltage at the same level, but all core rendering should be around 1.36V or lower. Ryzen is perfectly safe with voltage spikes up to 1.55V and even sustained voltages of 1.5V, but once you optimize it you really should see regular operation of voltages no higher than 1.46V (in boost mode) and a few one second spikes of 1.5V.

 

[Redneck5439]

Just thought I'd post a little update, I just noticed today that on Asus's website they have updated the bios to version 4804.

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I just flashed the new bios and spent the day testing it. It seems to have slightly better memory stability as I was able to tighten up my timings a little more, but on the CPU side I now only need a positive offset of 0.03125V to have all core boost of 4.35Ghz (utilizing PBO). Every processor and motherboard is different for what voltages they will require, but evey bios version is also different. With the newest bios I actually require less voltage to be 100% stable. It takes several hours at least to do the testing to find the proper voltage for your personal system, but it is definitely worth it.