394-1 v3: Overclocked Ryzen 8-core, cool & quiet

Show off your quiet rig.

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Jotunn
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:43 pm
Location: Jötunheimr

394-1 v3: Overclocked Ryzen 8-core, cool & quiet

Post by Jotunn » Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:05 pm

Just tidied this one up with a final dialing in of the overclock today. Good for gaming, content creation, and crunching many-layered audio. No pictures currently, but I will probably take some soon.

Main System
CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 1700x @ 3.80 Ghz 1.39v
Motherboard: ASRock X370 Taichi AM4 BIOS v2.40
Memory/RAM: G.SKILL TridentZ Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 3200Mhz CAS 14-14-14-34
CPU Cooler: Scythe SCNJ-4000 Ninja 4
CPU Cooler Fan: GlideStream 120 PWM
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW 08G-P4-6286-KR
SSD 1 (C:): Samsung 950 PRO 512GB
SSD 2 (D:): Samsung 850 EVO 256GB
SSHD (E:): Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSHD 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
HDD (F:): Samsung Single-Platter 500 GB
Power Supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 650w
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro PH-ES614P_BK
Front Intake: Phanteks PH-F200SP_BK 200mm
Rear Exhaust: Phanteks PH-F140SP_BK 140mm
Top Exhaust (x2): Phanteks PH-F140SP_BK 140mm

I just dialed in the overclock a few hours ago. I was able to hit 4.0Ghz at 1.425v, but that is the maximum 24/7 voltage Ryzen is safe to use, and it hit 82 C when running folding on 8 of the 16 threads, so I opted to drop down to 3.8Ghz, and after some trial and error, 1.35v was the lowest stable voltage. UPDATE: 1.35 would crash the system after about 36 hours of continuous folding, so I turned it up to 1.39v.

The main thing I can say is that when you go to install windows on any Ryzen system, make sure the install media is no older than 4 months. I used my 9 month old copy of windows 10 Pro, and it BSOD'd repeatedly until I used the Media creation tool to get an ISO of the most recent update and made a UEFI installer stick, and reinstalled using that.

Outside of that, the Taichi is an amazing value board, and has either the best or second best CPU and SOC power delivery according to several reviewers. It is also able to run Intel XMP 2.0 memory profiles, and does so automatically. Only minor complaints so far, such as the built in Wi-Fi+BT 4.2 card losing BT functionality a day in, which I fixed by replacing the card with a much newer model from Intel. The adhesive used on the CPU backplate is utter crap, so expect to have to hold the plate from the other side when installing your heatsink. It also has no built in USB 2.0, which I need for a microphone input DAC that BSODs windows when it is plugged into a USB 3.0 port. Those are my only grievances with the Taichi. While the on-board Wi-Fi+BT card is not entirely necessary, it is nice to have.

The fans were chosen after reading the fan roundups here, and seeing that the Phanteks models struck a good balance between noise levels and performance. The 200mm front intake came with the Enthoo Pro case, so I leverage that by simply having it spin between 20%-30% power at all times, feeding a steady stream of fresh air. Similar philosophy with the top exhaust fans, which are wired into a PWM splitter, so they run at approximately the same speed, and between 25% power at idle, and ramp up to about 50% under heavy system load. The rear exhaust has a wider curve that moves with the CPU temperatures a bit more closely, since it acts as a pull to the heatsink fan's push. I would have the CPU fan blowing upwards, but it would be sucking air directly off the backplate of the GPU.

CPU at idle sits around 40°C and with F@H running on 8 of the 16 threads, it tops out at around 70°C, with a noise delta of maybe +5db. This is with F@H also running the GPU at 100% scant inches below the CPU. Scythe has yet to disappoint for me. The Taichi also has effective VRM cooling, which some reviewers say is the best on an X370 board.

In conclusion, I am very happy with Ryzen. I have doubled my core count from my previous Intel setup and paid a bit under two thirds the cost, while only losing about 200Mhz of CPU clockspeed. Once you dial in the clocks and voltage to get the most out of it, this runs cool and quiet. While it is nowhere near the quietest, I was looking to hit a nice balance of sub 25 db performance, and I think I have done as I set out to do.

Abula
Posts: 3662
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:22 pm
Location: Guatemala

Re: 394-1 v3: Overclocked Ryzen 8-core, cool & quiet

Post by Abula » Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:00 pm

Thanks for sharing your experience, would be great to see some pictures.

Btw how did you install your Scythe SCNJ-4000 Ninja 4? to what i knew it didn't came with AM4 mount

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