AMD Agesa ABBA with Boost Clock Fix Tested on Ryzen 3900X

[TheLostSwede]

ASUS has also made available the Beta 1.0.0.3ABBA Bios, it is available over here:

[Übersicht] - Ultimative AM4 UEFI/BIOS/AGESA Übersicht

Inhaltsverzeichnis: UEFI Collection | Hersteller Support Links | UEFI Mods | Weiterführende Links Keine weiteren Updates mehr geplant! AM5 UEFI/BIOS/AGESA Übersicht ASRock ASUS Biostar Gigabyte MSI EVGA NZXT B350 B450 B550 X370 X470 X570 B350 B450 B550 X370 X470 X570 B350 B450...

www.hardwareluxx.de

There is a beta version 1001 for my ASUS Crosshair VIII WIFI there.
I have Ryzen 3700x and memory is 16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-3200 CL14.

Everything in bios is at default except for memory set to use D.O.C.P profile.
I have a custom water cooled set. Maximum CPU temperature was in range of 62°C and average in 50°C range during benchmark.

With old bios maximum boost for me was 4317.5MHz. Now with new bios maximum reaches 4392.5MHz.
But as in the previous bios these maximum boost frequencies are for very short time.

I suppose I am not the luckiest with regards to my 3700x sample as I never saw until now boost as high as 4400MHz.


Here are the screenshot during run of CPU Mark:
View attachment 131768


Here are from run of Cinebench 20 Multi Thread:
View attachment 131769

Just leave HWinfo running in the background for a bit, don't try running benchmarks. Games should work though. That said, you still seem to have some weird issue.

 

[turbogear]

If you tweak Your memory timing , CPU will stay on 4400Mhz ?

I have not yet worked on tweaking the timing for 3700x.
I just put the new build together very recently, but I not sure if memory timing has anything to do with maximum achievable CPU boost clock.

Looking at Ryzen Master during these benchmarks I was hitting EDC/PPT limit.

From next week, I have more time and I will play around the bios and try different things like raising EDC limits, PBO and of course also try to tweak memory timing further over default D.O.C.P of my DDR 3200 CL14 memory.

Besides, there was another thread were some comparison was done with multiple mainboard vendor regarding the boost clock using same 3800x processor. As far as I remember, ASUS mainboard was showing lower boosts than some others.
I suppose and hope ASUS is working on tweaking that.

I don't have link to that thread at the moment.

 

[Chomiq]

Yeah, a "bug". Amazing how complaints come in and then there's a fix. And part of the fix is raising the temp limit.

1 W difference between runs, temperature are the same? Or have you verified it on your 9900K?

 

[turbogear]

Just leave HWinfo running in the background for a bit, don't try running benchmarks. Games should work though. That said, you still seem to have some weird issue.

I will also try after unintalling iCUE and Aquasuite software (used with Vision Touch).
These are two potential causes of problem as these are monitoring tools new Ryzen does not seem to like being monitored.
In iCUE I have already removed check for enable SDK, but that did not make any difference.

 

[sutyi]

Yeah, a "bug". Amazing how complaints come in and then there's a fix. And part of the fix is raising the temp limit.

Well in all honesty they did fix something in the boost algorithm. If you look at launch day testing, then you find that the release SMU FW in the press BIOSes had higher temp limits in the first place compared to the one in 1.0.0.3ABB and even that did not delivery proper boost clocks it should have.

 

[Emanulele]

Mindfactory also ships
Was my go-to shop when living there.

Not shipping to consumers outside Germany since 2017: https://www.mindfactory.de/info_center.php/icID/13

huh? Amazon USA ships globally, direct shipped and sold by USA. you just have to wait awhile for delivery and pay whatever VAT taxes your country has.

I'm aware, but that's hardly a real option unless you have money to burn.

 

[Dragonsmonk]

Not shipping to consumers outside Germany since 2017: https://www.mindfactory.de/info_center.php/icID/13
[...]

Ah, didn't order with them (outside of Germany) since 2015.

Cyberport still delivers though!

Versand- und Servicekosten: Lieferungen in EU-Länder & Drittland

Von Belgien bis Zypern: Auf dieser Seite finden Sie alle Versandkosten und Zahlungs-Besonderheiten übersichtlich zusammengefasst.

www.cyberport.de

Most of the tech should also be able to be delivered to Ireland from amazon.de though.

 

[HD64G]

Towards the end of the video (@12min), Steve mentions of a patreon member of his channel who had problems with his 3900X and went to Steve's home to test the same CPU with his board that allowed him to boost his 3900X properly. Guess what: it wasn't the CPU that prevented the boost to reach the designeted frequency but the member's board. So, Zen2 cpus are well made and some of the boards needed a firmware update to allow them reach the frequencies they were supposed to.

 

[Shatun_Bear]

Saw some other 'reviews' and they similarly saw the same boosting above the advertised boost clocks now, up to 4.7Ghz, which is pretty awesome (on paper at least!).

I wonder if the 3950X will boost up to 4.8Ghz on one core? AMD getting ever closer to 5Ghz.

 

[cadaveca]

Well in all honesty they did fix something in the boost algorithm. If you look at launch day testing, then you find that the release SMU FW in the press BIOSes had higher temp limits in the first place compared to the one in 1.0.0.3ABB and even that did not delivery proper boost clocks it should have.

Temperature "limits" in a BIOS are for controlling heat, and numerous methods are used to reduce that heat; via fan speed, clock speeds, etc; but what's not really talked about is the delay involved in a system responding to temperatures compared to current. Controlling a CPU with such a delayed response just isn't practical, so putting any emphasis on these limits except at the utmost extremes might be misleading.

 

[turbogear]

Just leave HWinfo running in the background for a bit, don't try running benchmarks. Games should work though. That said, you still seem to have some weird issue.

I did some further tests.
Here is a screenshot while sitting on Desktop.

3700x is boosting all the time while at desktop.
The reason for that seems the following three services:

LightingService is part of ASUS Aura Sync, CorsairService is iCUE and Aqua Computer Service is the part of Aquasuite.
I iCUE is used to monitor the Corsair HX1200i power supply for system power draw.
Aquasite is used for monitoring water cooling loop's temperature and flow rate through an inline USB flow sensor. It monitors also CPU temps and frequency.


After stopping these services as well as Zonealarm, here is how the idle behavior of my 3700x looks like:

In any of the cases, I have not seen my processor with the ASUS (ABBA) Beta 1001 bios going to 4.4GHz.
As I mentioned previously, the boost with this new bios goes 75MHz higher than with previous bios.
It used to go to maximum of 4317MHz and now goes to 4392MHz.


Anybody else here with Crosshair VIII Hero WIFI and also owns a 3700x?
It would be nice to compare the results.

 

[sutyi]

Temperature "limits" in a BIOS are for controlling heat, and numerous methods are used to reduce that heat; via fan speed, clock speeds, etc; but what's not really talked about is the delay involved in a system responding to temperatures compared to current. Controlling a CPU with such a delayed response just isn't practical, so putting any emphasis on these limits except at the utmost extremes might be misleading.

The SMU and the BIOS / UEFI are different bit of kit. The SMU is running its own circuitry with a mini-kernel and governs how the internals clock / boost under certain conditions. Adjusting cooling is basically the last thing it does (unless you are already thermal throttling for some reason) since a sudden thermal load migrates to your CPU heatsinks fin-stack very slowly as the bottom of the cooler is not soldered directly on the die... and even then it wouldn't be quick enough to remove heat.

So if you are not thermally or electrically constrained it will raise the voltage and clockspeeds until it hits an electrical limit at any temperature. Obviously as the temps go up the cooling gets ramped up but as you stated it reacts very-very slowly compared to what the SMU is doing so then clocks start to come down until it hits thermal equilibrium with your cooling solution. Makes sense?

 

[turbogear]

Here is a photo of my ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero WIFI with Ryzen 37000x system under water-cooling.

The cooling of 3700x should be good. It is supposed to not be limiting the boost frequency for me.
Maximum CPU temperature under a stress test was in range of 68°C.

As mentioned in previous post, I am reaching maximum 4392MHz with new ABBA bios.
According to Ryzen Master, my CPU is reaching PTT/EDC limits.


My 3700x is in a water loop together with Radeon VII.
Three Rad are used: 120mm, 240mm and 360mm.
Radeon VII is overlocked to 1901MHz@1072mV. Maximum temperature on GPU remains below 45°C and 75°C for Junction.

 

[Imsochobo]

Here is a photo of my ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero WIFI with Ryzen 37000x system under water-cooling.

The cooling of 3700x should be good. It is supposed to not be limiting the boost frequency for me.
Maximum CPU temperature under a stress test was in range of 68°C.

As mentioned in previous post, I am reaching maximum 4392MHz with new ABBA bios.
According to Ryzen Master, my CPU is reaching PTT/EDC limits.


My 3700x is in a water loop together with Radeon VII.
Three Rad are used: 120mm, 240mm and 360mm.
Radeon VII is overlocked to 1901MHz@1072mV. Maximum temperature on GPU remains below 45°C and 75°C for Junction.

Then it runs out of power, as easy as that, try carefully adjusting the values using pbo up and up till scaling falls off.
if you set unlimited it's likely it reduces performance

 

[turbogear]

Then it runs out of power, as easy as that, try carefully adjusting the values using pbo up and up till scaling falls off.
if you set unlimited it's likely it reduces performance

Yes that is one of thing I am planning to try tomorrow.
I have not yet tried PBO on new bios. It did not do anything with older bios.

 

[Xzibit]

Like I pointed out in the other thread

1.0.0.3abba (Beta)
4.400x6, 4350x2

Interesting notes:
The favored cores in Ryzen Master at least for me change depending on AGESA version.
Final Bios versions in my case are extremely difficult to hit max turbo if at all. Betas are a breeze in comparison.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I did some further tests.
Here is a screenshot while sitting on Desktop.

View attachment 131827

View attachment 131834


3700x is boosting all the time while at desktop.
The reason for that seems the following three services:

View attachment 131830

LightingService is part of ASUS Aura Sync, CorsairService is iCUE and Aqua Computer Service is the part of Aquasuite.
I iCUE is used to monitor the Corsair HX1200i power supply for system power draw.
Aquasite is used for monitoring water cooling loop's temperature and flow rate through an inline USB flow sensor. It monitors also CPU temps and frequency.


After stopping these services as well as Zonealarm, here is how the idle behavior of my 3700x looks like:

View attachment 131833

View attachment 131835


In any of the cases, I have not seen my processor with the ASUS (ABBA) Beta 1001 bios going to 4.4GHz.
As I mentioned previously, the boost with this new bios goes 75MHz higher than with previous bios.
It used to go to maximum of 4317MHz and now goes to 4392MHz.


Anybody else here with Crosshair VIII Hero WIFI and also owns a 3700x?
It would be nice to compare the results.

Check your bus speed, it's 99.8MHz, rather than 100MHz. This is why your not seeing 4,400.

 

[bug]

I did some further tests.
Here is a screenshot while sitting on Desktop.

View attachment 131827

View attachment 131834


3700x is boosting all the time while at desktop.
The reason for that seems the following three services:

View attachment 131830

LightingService is part of ASUS Aura Sync, CorsairService is iCUE and Aqua Computer Service is the part of Aquasuite.
I iCUE is used to monitor the Corsair HX1200i power supply for system power draw.
Aquasite is used for monitoring water cooling loop's temperature and flow rate through an inline USB flow sensor. It monitors also CPU temps and frequency.


After stopping these services as well as Zonealarm, here is how the idle behavior of my 3700x looks like:

View attachment 131833

View attachment 131835


In any of the cases, I have not seen my processor with the ASUS (ABBA) Beta 1001 bios going to 4.4GHz.
As I mentioned previously, the boost with this new bios goes 75MHz higher than with previous bios.
It used to go to maximum of 4317MHz and now goes to 4392MHz.


Anybody else here with Crosshair VIII Hero WIFI and also owns a 3700x?
It would be nice to compare the results.

That's weird, why would a CPU boost that high for a meager 4% load?

 

[turbogear]

Check your bus speed, it's 99.8MHz, rather than 100MHz. This is why your not seeing 4,400.

Thanks for the hint.
This made me investigate further and dig deeper.
The BCLK was set correctly in the bios, but I was getting 99.8MHz reading with HWinfo and CPU-Z.
First I was thinking that this was some reading issue from the tools as in bios it was set correctly.

Investigating further, I have found the reason for that.
Well usually only thing that will decrease it would be Spread Spectrum.

It was SB Clock Spread Spectrum which was set to Auto in bios.
After turning it to Disable, the BCLK reading with HWinfo went to 100MHz instead of 99.8MHz and the processor now boosts to 4.4GHz.

 

[John Naylor]

Much appreciate the updated reviews but would it be possible to see performance graphics where we don't have to do the math ? Right now to do a valid comparison ...

a) Take numbers from original comparison review
b) Add in the + / -from this review
c) Try and gauge what / how changes affect overclocking