I upgraded from a Ryzen 7 9800X3D to a Ryzen 9 9950X3D. With the 9800X3D, I used PBO with a +200 MHz boost override and a -20 Curve Optimizer setting. The 9950X3D seems stable with CO -20 so far. Should I enable PBO, and if so, is using a +200 MHz override worthwhile for a gaming-focused system, or would the performance gain be too small to matter?
3 Answers
PBO can be worthwhile if you have enough thermal headroom, since it may let the processor sustain higher clocks. However, the gaming improvement is likely to be modest, especially if you are already getting around 150 FPS. It is probably not worth chasing extreme settings for only a few additional frames.
Consider tuning Curve Optimizer separately for each CCD rather than applying one value everywhere. The cache-equipped CCD can be more sensitive, so it may need a less aggressive negative offset than the other CCD. Start conservatively, increase gradually, and test with both stress tests and your usual games.
For a simple, low-effort setup, enable PBO and leave the more advanced settings alone. If your motherboard has a reasonable automatic or motherboard-limit option, that can provide a small boost without much manual tuning. Make sure temperatures and stability remain under control.
Would you use the same +200 MHz override as on the 9800X3D, or start lower and test it?