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Can high PBO limits damage the CPU/Motherboard?

reddit.com › r › Amd › comments › f6kdf2 › can_high_pbo_limits_damage_the_cpumotherboard

Maxing out at 1000 for everything is what The Stilt did for zen+: https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/ryzen-strictly-technical.2500572/page-72#post-39391302 Where is the limit? In order to get the most accurate answer for this question I ended up “asking” the CPU itself. As stated previously, the CPU features various different limiters / safe guards (Package Power Tracking: PPT, Thermal Design Current: TDC, Electrical Design Current: EDC, thermal protection and FIT). “FIT” as the name suggest is a feature to monitor / track the fitness of the silicon and adjust the operating parameters to maintain the specified and expected reliability. Many semiconductor manufacturers utilize such feature to eke out every last bit of performance, in an ERA where most of the semiconductors are process bound in terms of performance. In short: FIT feature allows the manufacturers to push their designs to the very limit out of the box, without jeopardizing the reliability of the silicon In theory, the FIT sensors on the CPU should prevent degradation. The FIT will determine how much voltage to use based on the PPT, TDC, EDC limits. full silicon reliability can be maintained up to around 1.330V in all-core workloads (i.e. high current) and up to 1.425V in single core workloads (i.e. low current). Use of higher voltages is definitely possible (as FIT will allow up to 1.380V / 1.480V when scalar is increased by 10x), but it more than likely results in reduced silicon lifetime / reliability. By how much? Only the good folks at AMD who have access to the simulation data will know for sure. Only AMD knows for sure, and only they have the simulation data for degradation. I wouldn't trust PBO scalar though maybe, most likely x10 scalar is not safe "longterm". Answer from canned_pho on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/amd › does pbo degrade cpu?

r/Amd on Reddit: Does PBO degrade CPU?

December 11, 2022 -

Does PBO degrade cpu? Like putting higher number on ppt, tdp, etc, and scalar like 1x?

Does putting like +50mhz or +100mhz on "Max CPU Boost Clock Override" degrade cpu?

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Turning the CPU on at all degrades the CPU.

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In theory, no. Even with PBO limits raised, the CPU will still obey FIT limits. It will still regulate itself based on power and thermals. You only incur serious degradation risk if you set a manual Voltage (or multiplier), because that disables FIT limits. If you ensure to run a low, safe, Voltage, there's no risk to doing this BTW. In practice, PBO could have a slight risk of accelerated degradation, mostly if the system has inadequate cooling, or a shitty motherboard BIOS that likes to over-Volt the CPU for some reason.

Tom's Hardware Forum

forums.tomshardware.com › home › overclocking

[SOLVED] - Does PBO degrade the CPU? | Tom's Hardware Forum

April 17, 2020 - AMD’s product warranty does not cover damages caused by overclocking, even when overclocking is enabled via AMD hardware and/or software. PBO voids your CPU warranty, but dumping LN2 onto it and leaving it stock technically does not void the warranty. From an AMD video, "Learn how updates ...

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pugetsystems.com › home › hardware articles › amd ryzen 7950x: impact of precision boost overdrive (pbo) on thermals and content creation performance

AMD Ryzen 7950X: Impact of Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) on Thermals and Content Creation Performance | Puget Systems

October 3, 2022 - In the case of our X670E motherboard, it is two specific settings that we found to be causing the CPUs to run at dramatically higher temperatures: Core Performance Boost (CPB) allows the processor to run faster than its rated frequency when below power, temperature, and current specifications. Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) allows the processor to run beyond the defined voltage values to the limits of the board, and allows it to boost at higher voltages for longer durations than default.

reddit.com › r/amd › can high pbo limits damage the cpu/motherboard?

r/Amd on Reddit: Can high PBO limits damage the CPU/Motherboard?

February 20, 2020 -

Hi there guys, just was wondering after the Post your cinebench scores post [here] (https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/f6ay0x/share_your_cinebench_r15r20_scores_v2/) that various people did various changes to PBO limits

First of all, PBO enabled vs PBO auto it's different (In my case for some reason), I use a MSI B450 MB and a 2600X

With PBO auto and enabled, the limits are

PBO Limits	PPT (W)	TDC (A)	EDC (A)
Auto	128	95	115
Enabled	1000	114	168

Changing from Auto to Enabled, did some great jump in multicore performance, not so much in Single core. (It can mantain 4.1Ghz in all cores without much issues, on PBO it's near 4-3.75Ghz)

And now my question, you can put Manual, and with this, you can even set 1000W/1000A/1000A

My question is, can you actually damage your CPU/Motherboard by using limits that are above than enabled (I guess these limits are defined by the MB); for example with PBO auto I was limited by EDC, now with Enabled I'm limited by TDC.

I'm on AGESA 1.0.0.1 (Latest useful one for Zen+, CMIIW tho), but for Zen2 I guess PBO should work the same? I'm not sure on this, sorry.

Thanks in advance!

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Maxing out at 1000 for everything is what The Stilt did for zen+: https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/ryzen-strictly-technical.2500572/page-72#post-39391302 Where is the limit? In order to get the most accurate answer for this question I ended up “asking” the CPU itself. As stated previously, the CPU features various different limiters / safe guards (Package Power Tracking: PPT, Thermal Design Current: TDC, Electrical Design Current: EDC, thermal protection and FIT). “FIT” as the name suggest is a feature to monitor / track the fitness of the silicon and adjust the operating parameters to maintain the specified and expected reliability. Many semiconductor manufacturers utilize such feature to eke out every last bit of performance, in an ERA where most of the semiconductors are process bound in terms of performance. In short: FIT feature allows the manufacturers to push their designs to the very limit out of the box, without jeopardizing the reliability of the silicon In theory, the FIT sensors on the CPU should prevent degradation. The FIT will determine how much voltage to use based on the PPT, TDC, EDC limits. full silicon reliability can be maintained up to around 1.330V in all-core workloads (i.e. high current) and up to 1.425V in single core workloads (i.e. low current). Use of higher voltages is definitely possible (as FIT will allow up to 1.380V / 1.480V when scalar is increased by 10x), but it more than likely results in reduced silicon lifetime / reliability. By how much? Only the good folks at AMD who have access to the simulation data will know for sure. Only AMD knows for sure, and only they have the simulation data for degradation. I wouldn't trust PBO scalar though maybe, most likely x10 scalar is not safe "longterm".

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The only thing that can really do any damage to the cpu is the scalar.

Linus Tech Tips

linustechtips.com › computer hardware › cpus, motherboards, and memory

PBO and CO questions. new to this. - CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory - Linus Tech Tips

February 11, 2025 - is it safe to turn on pbo (have everything on auto) and turn curve optimizer to -30? will that degrade the CPU or give me a warranty issue if i should ever need to RMA my 9800x3d?

How-To Geek

howtogeek.com › home › windows › got an amd cpu and aren't using pbo? you’re missing out

Got an AMD CPU and Aren't Using PBO? You’re Missing Out

April 11, 2025 - Luckily, if you have an AMD Ryzen chip, there's an easy way to get a performance boost without the hassle. PBO is considered a form of overclocking. If your CPU is damaged as a result of overclocking, AMD's warranty will not cover the product.

Tom's Hardware Forum

forums.tomshardware.com › home › overclocking

[SOLVED] - Does PBO degrade the CPU? | Page 2 | Tom's Hardware Forum

April 18, 2020 - FIT is still enabled with PBO. Where is the limit? The maximum safe voltages for CPUs are an eternal riddle, as neither of the two manufacturers release this information for public consumption. Public or even the NDA documents generally specify a vague limit, which most of the time relates to a point where the catastrophic failures become more common instead of specifying the voltage that is safe to sustain without causing any damage to the silicon.

reddit.com › r/buildapc › what is pbo and is it safe?

r/buildapc on Reddit: What is PBO and is it safe?

January 11, 2024 -

I’ve just upgraded my cpu and gpu and have been loving the increase in performance however it wasn’t as much as I thought it would be in the game I’m playing “the finals” I decided to look up a video of playing with the same cpu and gpu I have bought and they’re getting over 100 more fps than I am running the same settings, I asked in the comments and someone said to try PBO for my cpu. I am not sure what that is and am just trying to find out what it is and if it is safe and safe for components.

Also is there a way of achieving that fps naturally or just through certain settings?

This is the spec list https://pcpartpicker.com/list/b9xdMV

And this is the video I’m referring to https://youtu.be/GFIzMMjrI2E?si=PGMHZG-l1rTyfyEA

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PBO stands for Precision Boost Overdrive. It's basically the CPU looking at available power and thermal overhead and deciding that it can use some additional voltage to override the default maximum clockspeed. It is completely safe. Needs to be enabled in the BIOS. And while you're there, make sure that XMP is enabled, as a LOT of folks don't realize that's necessary so their RAM is running at 2133MHz rather than the 3600MHz you paid for.

Find elsewhere

reddit.com › r/overclocking › gaming performance with pbo enabled

r/overclocking on Reddit: Gaming performance with PBO Enabled

January 31, 2025 -

Hi all,

Does anyone experience better gaming performance with PBO enabled in BIOS for cpus like ryzen 5 3600/5600? I'd get the same frames with pbo on or off but the smoothness/registry of game improved significantly and this was in games like CS2 and Rust. Though, after a few weeks of it being on it seems that it would revert back to its original 'state' before it was turned on in BIOS. Even though it was still selected as 'enabled' in BIOS. Now when I turn it off and back on again, it doesn't seem to make a difference anymore.

- Has anyone experienced this before?

- Was this increased smoothness from having it 'on' a result of pbo supplying more voltage/power?

- Could this have 'damaged' the CPU and caused it run slower because of the high voltage being supplied over time even though the temps were normal?

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No, enabling PBO alone cant hurt the CPU, the safe voltages are already set withing the motherboard. It was probably smoother because of the PBO, try to do advanced PBO, and set it yourself, ( Look up on YT if somebody has your CPU and MB model ) I would also suggest you look into ram tunning just so you can get more perfomance out of your Ryzen CPU.

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PBO on unless you don't have the cooling for it... And also make sure you have your ram sorted. Expo or similar.

reddit.com › r/overclocking › will "motherboard" pbo limits degrade my cpu?

r/overclocking on Reddit: Will "motherboard" PBO limits degrade my CPU?

February 4, 2025 -

I was messing with the PBO settings on my non-x ryzen 7 7700 and got some nice results in cinebench r23, about 2000 points more. Now, that does sound nice but that got me thinking... Even though the cpu is undervolted with the -30 curve otpimizer (+200 pbo clock offset, pbo limits set to motherboard) while doing Prime95 small FFTs, the power consumption is as high as 180w. Thats quite a bump over the 88w stock PPT limit dont you think?

Wouldn't that degrade it?

Temps also go to 95c within 10 seconds of p95 test.

I have it paired with the Gigabyte B650 EAGLE motherboard.

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Use Aida64 stability test with CPU,fpu,cache selected to stress test. As you experienced prime 95 hits super hard so things won't really get tested at higher clock speeds

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You can check your motherboard pbo setting to activate the thermal limits. I set mine to 88 degrees and it still run fast in benchmarks

reddit.com › r/overclocking › does pbo scalar degrade cpu even if thermals stay low?

r/overclocking on Reddit: Does pbo scalar degrade CPU even if thermals stay low?

December 20, 2023 -

I have a 5600x undervolted and want to use PBO scalar to keep higher boost clocks as I have thermal headroom. my temps under load stay around 65. People say PBO scalar degrades your CPU as it increases voltage, will it degrade my CPU even if my temps stay low?

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7950x3d + Arctic Freezer 3 420mm - half a year with scalar x10, my ccd1 cores went +4 on CurveOptimizer during recent Hydra scan. For example I had "-5" set and verified for my core 13, and now it needs "+1" to stay as stable during Y-cruncher. Funny tho, CCD0 CO values went down at the same time. Core 7 for example used to be -20, but now its -25. I would say its a lottery, and now I switched to 1x and disabled boost limit override (had +200), because I'm now afraid if this continues. So imo - meh, doesn't worth it, performance is temporal, but damage is eternal.

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I’ve run x10 from launch on my 5800X with overkill cooling, the only degradation I have is one core that dropped 25 MHz after I benched Y-Cruncher at 1.5V manual all core >_> (can still hit 5050 on all cores PBO but it takes more cooling now…)

XDA Developers

xda-developers.com › home › cpu › 3 reasons you should make sure pbo is enabled for your amd ryzen cpu

3 reasons you should make sure PBO is enabled for your AMD Ryzen CPU

February 22, 2026 - This is best for when you're limited on CPU cooling and want to enjoy slightly longer boost times before the CPU throttles back. PBO set to "on" is when the fun begins. This is when you'll consider upgrading to a 240mm AIO cooler if using a stock or aftermarket air cooler. The amount of heat generated by the AMD chip with PBO enabled can be considerable.

Level1Techs

forum.level1techs.com › hardware hub › cpu

Chip degradation from voltage offset / PBO crank? - CPU - Level1Techs Forums

August 30, 2019 - Sooo I followed buildzoid’s guide for undervolting / cranking PBO on Zen+. At first I was able to get stable performance at -0.0812 offset…then the freezes started occurring. They seem to occur mostly at idle. No big deal, I figured my chip just needs a bit more juice that I initially believed.

reddit.com › r/buildapc › did cpb/pbo destroy my cpu?

r/buildapc on Reddit: Did CPB/PBO destroy my CPU?

September 1, 2021 -

Motherboard X570 Aorus Xtreme rev. 1.0. I had a 3900X CPU in the board since January 2020 and never used any overclocking except XMP. Back in July I thought I'd give auto overclocking a go, so I enabled CPB, then a day later I tried PBO (all on auto, I didn't change anything). The following day I started getting BSOD crashes with the error CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT. This never happened once while I was running at stock, and reverting back to stock didn't fix the problem. The CPU did actually fail and I got a replacement from AMD.

All is fine now, I've not dared enabling the OC again.

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CPB shouldn’t have affected it because it would just automatically overclock if it has the thermal and power headroom. PBO, however, could have fried it if one of the automatic voltage limits was too high (I don’t know offhand if auto sets the voltage limit according to the specs of the CPU, motherboard, or socket). My brother’s MSI motherboard sets the voltage limit to insanely high values (like 10 times what the socket allows). PBO is safe if you know what you’re doing, so it’s important to know each value involved with PBO before you start enabling and adjusting the settings associated with it.

It Fix

itfix.org.uk › overclocking-your-amd-cpu-safely-with-pbo-and-curve-optimizer

Overclocking Your AMD CPU Safely With PBO and Curve Optimizer - Computer Repairs

October 27, 2024 - Improper overclocking can result in system instability, increased power consumption, and even permanent damage to your hardware. That’s why it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of overclocking and the specific tools and techniques ...

Overclock.net

overclock.net › home › forums › graphics cards › amd

What's the point of PBO? | Overclock.net

December 31, 2024 - Normally all users undervolt (minus values), but this can also lead to unstable cores, if insufficient voltage is given (undervolted too far). 'Unstable cores' normally means that your PC reboots unexpectedly.

reddit.com › r/buildapc › can pbo kill your components?

r/buildapc on Reddit: Can PBO kill your components?

November 17, 2020 -

Can tweaking the pbo limits kill your cpu or motherboard? Also what are the best options to get the best performance on gaming? My cpu: ryzen 7 3700x Mobo: b550m mortar

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PBO is noted by AMD to not be expressly overclocking.

Enable PBO and let it do its thing, stop messing with it.

These chips to noobs dont overclock as well as chips did years ago where you can get 10% by changing 3 settings in bios. You can get 5% out of it if you drop them on a good motherboard, cool them well, have good VRMs, and mess around for 4 hours with a BIOS toggling voltages, swapping out RAM and adjusting sub timings.

SunbeamTech

sunbeamtech.com › home › hardware guides › what is pbo? precision boost overdrive explained simply

What Is PBO? Precision Boost Overdrive Explained | SunbeamTech

2 weeks ago - Raising EDC limits to 200A on a B550 board with a 4-phase VRM is asking for instability. Not CPU damage, but crashes and throttling. Use PBO Advanced settings aggressively only if your motherboard’s VRM can actually handle the load.

CGDirector

cgdirector.com › home › hardware › what is pbo (precision boost overdrive) and should you enable it?

What is PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) and Should You Enable It?

August 27, 2023 - Overall, PBO serves as a fairly harmless way to squeeze a little bit of extra performance out of your CPU. Improving your system cooling should help it push your CPU farther under load, and if you’re really dedicated, you can get down in the ...