Enabling AMD Performance Boost through Tips and Tweaks causes CPU temp to skyrocket

[ms4sman]

Hi all. 

 

I recently upgraded my unRAID server from a Ryzen 1700 to an 5900X. I kept my same motherboard for reference, a Gigabyte X370 board, but upgraded the BIOS to the latest to get support for the 5900X.

 

I've had problems ever since upgrading with the CPU temp being crazy high with any load at all (say 10-20%). If all my dockers and VMs are stopped and CPU usage is a couple of percent, CPU temps are OK. 40-50s. About what I'd usually get on my old CPU with all my stuff running. But again, this is with everything stopped. But if everything is running and CPU usage is around 20-30%, my temps go wild and are in the 70's or 80's. Under a heavy load they barely go any higher which is strange too.

 

I finally tracked this to the AMD Performance Boost setting in Tips and Tweaks. I've had this on for a long time, including with my old CPU and had no issues. But turning it off, my temps go back to where I'd expect. 40-50's, even with everything running. Turning it back on, temps shoot back up again.

 

I'm not super familiar with this feature, is this how it's meant to work? I know this isn't really unRAID related, it's a CPU feature but maybe someone knowledgeable here can explain. Should this feature really cause a 30 degree delta whenever there's even a light 10-20% load on the CPU? This seems kind of reckless...

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

[MAM59]

not sure if I can help, but I would turn it off and forget about the feature.

There are so many updates in hardware between your old and your new one, you can expect, that any former "boost" has already been built in now.

(But I just took a look at my own box (5700G), boost is on here too. And no strange jumps in temperature. You may have a different problem then, or your board is not good for your processor?)

 

70-80° is quite a normal operational temperature for a 5xxx. Unless it goes over 96, you do not need to worry.

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by MAM59

[MAM59]

Getting curious, I researched that "boost" feature a bit deeper.

It actually controls the CPUs ability to switch to "Turbo mode" as long as Current and Temperature are within allowed ranges.

Turning it off gives you a "dumb" CPU that always runs with its specified frequency (and below if idle).

 

And yes, between ON and OFF are about 20°C here too (~25° if OFF, 40-50° if ON). I just had to wait a few minutes for temps to adjust.

 

If you go over 70° I would say your cooling for the CPU is not optimal. Maybe you are using the stock cooler? With a HUGE and HEAVY one, temps are much lower. On the burnin tests of this box I managed to run it with 5Ghz, still not overheating.

But the new hype is "undervolting", running it below specs and saving energy.

Its up to you.