How to Overclock Ryzen 5 2600 – Improve CPU Speed

by Daniel J.

Ryzen processors have practically revolutionized the long-established processor market. Usually,  Ryzen processors are very fast, but you can make them even faster by overclocking. You can overclock both the first generation processors, released in 2017. However, many sources report that the new generation is chasing and performing better overall.

We will talk about overclocking the AMD ryzen 5 2600 processor with the MSI B450 Tomahawk motherboard. So, if you don’t know how to overclock Ryzen 5 2600, you can do it after reading our article. However, this guideline should work for other processor models and other motherboards since most steps are similar. Want to buy a new motherboard? Well, you can choose any motherboards for AMD 2600 from our list.

Nowadays, the risk of damage to equipment during overclocking is not so great, but there is a chance that something will go wrong if you set dangerous voltage parameters, so keep that in mind. We are not responsible for possible damage to your equipment.

Preparing for Overclocking AMD Ryzen 2600

Believe it or not, one of the most important steps in preparing for overclocking is making sure your cooler, fans, and heatsink are clean and do their job well. Even the best water cooling system will not perform well if fans and radiators are clogged with dust. Therefore, first of all, open the case and clean everything from dust. It is best to run the various cables from the back of the motherboard.

It must also be said that the default cooler that comes with Ryzen 2600 and 2600x processors will not be enough for overclocking. Even without overclocking in Turbo Boost mode in the AIDA64 test, the processor heats up to 95 degrees. And this is already too much for such a processor. Processors do not like high temperatures, as it increases the rate of degradation of their components and reduces the service life.

While the case is open, take a look at your power supply. Does it have enough power to power an overclocked processor? Usually, the rated power for which it is designed is written in the case of the power supply. If your PSU is already running at maximum power, it might be time to upgrade and get something better. This not only fixes potential power issues but also prepares your build for future updates, such as replacing your graphics card with a more powerful one.

From the software, we need tests with which you can check the system’s stability. Most of these programs are free and easily found on the Internet. To test stability, you can use AIDA64; the program has a 30-day trial period or the free Prime95 or Intel BurnTest. You can use Cinnebench or 3DMark’s Firestrike and TimeSpy benchmarks to measure performance, which is free to download on Steam.

Also, before overclocking, it is advisable to go to your motherboard’s website and check if there are any BIOS firmware updates there. It may have been a long time since the release of your motherboard, and it is advisable to update the BIOS to get all its benefits and new features.

How to Overclock Ryzen 5 2600 Processor?

Overclocking is traditionally done through the BIOS. You can, of course, use the Ryzen Master for overclocking. But if you want your settings to be saved permanently, whether you want it or not, you will have to go to the BIOS. The BIOS interface of modern motherboards is not so scary; there is even a mouse there so that you can handle it. Now let’s move on to how to overclock AMD ryzen 5 2600 processor.

More Read: How to Build a Gaming PC: Easy Guides for Beginners

Step 1: Open Bios

To open the BIOS settings, you need to press the Del or Esc or F8 button during boot. In most motherboards, this is Del. However, the combination of the Shift keys and one of the F keys may come across in some laptops. For example, Shift + F2.

Step 2: Configure the Interface

If you haven’t opened the BIOS before, then in the MSI interface, you must first press the Advanced button at the top in the middle of the screen:

Overclocking AMD Ryzen 2600

Only after that will the OS menu appear on the left side of the screen, which is responsible for overclocking the processor. You also need to open it.

Step 3: Configure the Processor

The frequency of the processor is responsible for the speed of the processor. However, lifting it is not so easy. The processor frequency is calculated based on two values:

  • Base frequency (BCLK)
  • Multiplier (Multiplier or Core Ratio);

The base frequency is usually 100 MHz, which determines the frequency of the processor, chipset, and other components on the motherboard. It is not worth changing this parameter because it greatly affects stability. Other components that use this setting are not as overclocked as the processor. For beginners, it’s best to leave this parameter alone. But experienced overclockers can increase it a little to squeeze a few more MHz out of an overclocked processor or RAM.

We will overclock the processor using a multiplier. It is with this parameter that most of the work is connected. As the name suggests, the maximum processor frequency is determined by multiplying the base frequency by a factor. For example, if the base frequency is 100 MHz and the multiplier is 40, then the operating frequency will be 4 GHz. Most Ryzen processors can be overclocked to 3.9 – 4.2 GHz. The second-generation processors can deliver 200-300 MHz more than the first.

In the BIOS interface, you can find the current frequency. For example, I have it 3.6 GHz. This means that the multiplier is 36. To increase the frequency, you can increase the multiplier to 37, 38, and then 40. For example, set the multiplier to 38, for this change the value of the CPU Ratio parameter:

Overclocking AMD 2600

Step 4: Testing Overclocking

There is no need to increase the multiplier by a very large number at once. You don’t know if your processor will be able to take that frequency. Increase the multiplier by one, restart your computer and run the AIDA64 test. In the program interface, click on the icon with the graph.

Then mark Stress CPU and Stress Memory and click Start at the bottom of the screen:

Testing Overclocking

Then wait about 20 minutes. If all is well and the program does not stop the test, you can go back to the BIOS and understand the multiplier a little more. Also, watch the temperature. The temperature should not be higher than 85 degrees.

Step 5. Stabilizing the Overclocking

So that the processor can work stably at high frequencies, it can raise the CPU Voltage. However, an increase in voltage will lead to an increase in heat generation. You will have to find a balance between multiplier, voltage, and heat dissipation. That’s why we needed a good cooler.

The Ryzen processor works best at 1.35 – 1.37 volts. You can raise the voltage even higher, up to 1.45 volts, but this already requires a very good cooling system, which can shorten the life of your processor. I do not recommend setting Vcore voltage higher than 1.4 volts.

how to Overclock AMD Ryzen 2600

Also, to increase the system’s stability, you can set the SoC Voltage in the range of 1.1-1.15 volts. The manufacturer says that this parameter does not need to be set above 1.20.

In addition, after overclocking the Ryzen processor, you can slightly increase the RAM voltage, the DRAM Voltage parameter. Its value should be in the range of 1.3-1.4 volts. Setting values ​​higher than 1.45 volts is dangerous for the memory sticks themselves.

Step 6.  Set More Stability

If you use the HWINFO64 program to monitor the processor voltage, you may have noticed that the voltage sags a little under load. This drawdown does not matter much during normal processor operation, but it can greatly affect its stability during overclocking. Modern motherboards include a feature like LLC or Load Line Calibration.

This function allows the voltage to be increased under load to compensate for voltage dips. On MSI motherboards, this option is located under OS -> DigitAll Voltage :

amd 2600 overclock

Set level 2 or 3 first. If this is not enough and the voltage drops, you can increase this parameter even more. It all depends on your motherboard and its VRM.

Conclusion:

Now you know how to overclock Ryzen 5 2600 and make it a little faster. Ryzen processors are also characterized by the fact that their performance is highly dependent on the performance of the RAM. Therefore, you may also want to overclock it a little.

As for the maximum frequency to which you can overclock your processor, it all very much depends on the processor itself. For example, the latest Ryzen 5 2600X and Ryzen 7 2700X already have a Turbo Boost frequency of 4.2 / 4.3 GHz. Motherboard features such as Precision Boost often do an excellent job perfectly unleashing the processor’s potential. Perhaps you won’t get many overclocking benefits with such processors; you will achieve the same as Turbo Boost.

However, these processors without an X, such as the Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700, are perfectly overclocked and run at the same frequency as their X versions. So, it works the same for second and first-generation processors. If you are looking for a processor to overclock, then the non-X version is better.

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