Any news update on VRM temps? This board is now available on newegg again and I'm planning purchase it now cause I miss it 3 times. But seeing overclock3d video make me stop and confused. I'm planning use this board with R7 1700, wraith spire stock cooler and normal usage (no overclocked)
Here we go! Managed to get the Creator update on this thing, and that's solved my issues so far. No BSoD in sight!
Found some interesting results:
My CPU was only boosting to 3.15 on all cores, though I'd previously always seen 3.2
Setting the frequency to 3.15GHz in bios resulted in Windows reading 3.09
Setting the frequency to 3.2GHz in bios resulted in Windows reading 3.19
Take that as you will, but that's why the 1.15 undervolt + manual clock isn't set at 3.15 like the auto clocked tests are.
Single-core boosting up to 3.6 GHz seems to need as much power as overclocking all the cores to 3.6 GHz. At 1.1875V, it would work, but as soon as it tried to single-core boost at 1.15V, the PC gave up the ghost.
Stock speeds and voltage together seem to give the lowest-possible load power consumption. Even at 3.2GHz manual, I couldn't get to post any lower than 1.15V, and the combination of stock speed and voltage brings that down to 1->1.1V.
Stock speeds and voltage together are also the lowest-possible idle power consumption, as long as everything is 100% idle. As soon as anything happens, the processor draws 1.4V! Simply crazy!
Underclocking the CPU frequency doesn't appear to remove the ability to dynamically change its clocks with Windows power plans. Overclocking does. Not that this seems to have any effect on idle power consumption.
The voltage does not dynamically change when set to Auto if the Frequency is not also set to Auto.
If you're curious about the temps, they were all leveling off when I snapped the results, all within ~.5C of max temp they eventually reached. I was more concerned with getting consistent timings than waiting for the temps to take their first little dip below max.
My recommendation,
@sodhc718 depends what you're trying to do. Unless you're maxing 16 threads on that thing all the time, I'd recommend undervolting, keeping stock frequencies, and calling it a day. That prevents the CPU from drawing ridiculous voltage whenever it decides to boost one core to 3.6 GHz. If you don't mind losing single-core boost, I'd recommend manually setting the frequency to 3.2 GHz and getting the lowest VCore you can on that. 1.15 runs well within fine temps on CPU and VRM, even in my wicked-hot testing environment.
If you're looking, as I am, to just get the best performance while not risking temps, go for that 3.6 GHz OC and 1.1875V. It produces pretty much the same heat and power consumption as the stock frequency, while boosting ALL the cores instead of just one of them. I only recommend stock frequency and voltage if you are looking for good (not as good) performance and really really care about a few Watts/degrees.