I upgraded from a Ryzen 7 9800X3D to a Ryzen 9 9950X3D. With the 9800X3D, I ran PBO with a +200 MHz boost override and a -20 Curve Optimizer offset. So far, -20 seems stable on the 9950X3D. Should I enable PBO and try a boost override as well, or are the real-world gaming gains too small to justify the extra testing? I'm mainly interested in whether it offers a meaningful improvement rather than gaining a few frames per second at very high frame rates.
3 Answers
The 9950X3D can benefit from PBO when you have thermal and power headroom, mainly by maintaining higher clocks. However, gaming performance gains may be modest, especially if you’re already getting high frame rates. It’s worth trying if you enjoy tuning, but don’t expect a dramatic improvement.
Keep in mind that the two CCDs don’t necessarily respond identically. The V-Cache CCD is generally more sensitive, so Curve Optimizer values should be configured per CCD rather than applying one aggressive offset everywhere. A setup such as -20 on one CCD and -25 on the other may work for some chips, but stability testing is essential and every processor is different.
It’s reasonable to enable PBO, but start with the basic setting and leave the other controls alone. If your temperatures are under control, you can then test a boost override. Don’t assume the +200 MHz setting that worked on the 9800X3D will also be stable or useful on the 9950X3D.
So the safest approach is to enable PBO first, then test higher boost values gradually instead of immediately copying the old +200 setting?
That’s what I’m trying to avoid—spending hours tuning for only a couple of extra frames per second.