Overclocking

The overclocking process using a Ryzen 9 7950X is exactly the same as the previous Ryzen generations. However, AMD has already tuned the turbo algorithm to the ceiling, very little room is left for manual overclocking. This is a good thing for those who have no desire to overclock, but also leaves those who like the hobby somewhat unsatisfied. Gone are the days of heavy all-core overclocks being beneficial, what is left is AMD Ryzen Precision Boost Overdrive. When configured correctly, you can have similar performance to a stock CPU setup, but with a lower power draw. In some cases, upwards of 5% increases in CPU performance are achievable as well. It is worth taking the time to go through the settings and set it up correctly according to your hardware and use case.


If you are not keen on using the BIOS for CPU overclocking, AMD provides a piece of software called Ryzen Master. This is a all-in-one tool for overclocking on Ryzen platforms. You can also have the software try to auto optimize PBO, or use the AMD ECO mode preset to limit the AMD 7950X to 90 Watts. Multi-threaded scores are reasonable considering the lower power target, with just over 30,000 pt in Cinebench R23.


ASRock has provided TPU with a piece of software called Blazing Tuner. This has some of the same functions as the ASRock A-Tuner, but is mainly used for what can be considered quick and dirty overclocking. It is a great way to test out different PBO configurations without needing to be in the motherboard BIOS.

Memory Overclock

Another echo of previous B650E / X670E reviews here. DDR5 support for the AM5 platform is somewhat sporadic. However, the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi is on the lower side of supporting higher frequency memory. DDR5-6200 will boot, but it requires the changing the memory configuration to 2:2:1, which in turn lowers system performance, negatively impacting benchmarks. Similar to previous Ryzen CPUs, it's better to run at the highest frequency without breaking this ratio for best performance results. This will vary per processor, as not all memory controllers are equal.


Using DDR5-6000 as a good stopping point, the timings were lowered to get some great results. Not much more can be done without running into stability issues or another voltage bump. Considering how flaky the memory is on AM5 and this motherboard, it is highly suggested to stick with DDR5-6000 and not bother with anything higher.