AMD's recently announced Ryzen 7000 X3D Zen 4 3D V-Cache CPUs may not feature overclocking support just like their predecessors.
AMD Ryzen 7000 X3D CPUs Don't Get Full Overclocking Support, Microsoft Working on Windows 11 Optimizations For Multi-CCD Chips
In the Q&A with the press, AMD confirmed that their Ryzen 7000 X3D 3D V-Cache CPUs will benefit from more advanced tuning features such as PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) and Curve optimizer but it looks like manual frequency overclocking or any voltage adjustments are still out of question.
AMD is recommending users go with Curve Optimizer as it delivers the best balance of overall CPU performance but hard frequency overclocking is locked just like the previous generation Zen 3D V-Cache chips. According to the red team, the voltages have gotten more aggressive this time around, going up to 1.4V versus the 1.1V limit on the Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU. The stacked L3 cache featured on the chip is very sensitive to high temperatures and additional voltage and it is possible that the chips can break if these are tweaked, hence there's a hard lock just like the previous gen. So AMD Ryzen 7000 X3D CPUs have to do with the limited voltage they have to benefit from PBO and Curve Optimizer.
You can see the full specifications page for the 7950X3D missing the 'Unlocked for overclocking' & replaced with 'AMD Expo Memory overclocking technology':
Last year, when AMD launched its Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, ex-Head of Technical Marketing, Robert Hallock stated that they were quick in rolling out the Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU in the gaming market so it is likely that given enough time to mature, AMD could have future generations of 3D V-Cache chips that support overclocking just like any other CPU. Now AMD has definitely improved upon its first-generation designs, offering more auto-tuning options and higher clock speeds to work with but for full manual overclocking, it looks like we will have to wait a bit more.
There were also a few reports that the overclocking lock was bypassed by a few overclockers and we know for certain that a few motherboard vendors were working on a BIOS for the Ryzen 7 5800X3D to enable overclock support but that didn't pan out and AMD hit hard with the restrictions which mean those plans had to go down the drain.
AMD & Microsoft To Optimize Windows 11 For Hybrid Chiplet Architecture Designs
In addition to that, Microsoft and AMD are also working to optimize the dual-CCD Ryzen 7000 X3D configurations within Windows 11. This is the first time that AMD is launching a CPU with two very different chiplets. One CCD will be configured with a 3D V-Cache (plus lower clocks) while the other will be configured with a standard Non-V-Cache die but run at faster clocks (up to 5.7 GHz). This is also the first time the boost clocks are rated just as high as the Non-3D parts but it remains to be seen how Windows 11 optimizes the workloads and usage across those CCDs as games will clearly benefit from the 3D V-Cache die while single-threaded workloads will benefit more from the other non-3D die.
The optimizations will come through AMD's own chipset drivers which will select from a range of games that benefit from the increased V-Cache solution. This is a process that requires time to mature so it is likely that we will see improvements months into the launch of the Ryzen 7000 X3D CPUs.
News Source: Tomshardware
