Extreme Overclocking on Ryzen 7 7700X: Nearly Breaking World Records

If there’s one thing that can’t be missing on this page, it’s extreme overclocking tests, especially with processors that represent the latest on the market, like the Ryzen 7000 series. We’ve already tested the Ryzen 9 7900, which performed exceptionally well in extreme overclocking, reaching frequencies above 6 GHz using only dry ice. Although we already have a good idea of how these processors behave, we still needed to test the Ryzen 7 7700X, our octa-core CPU that has made appearances in several other articles!

As for motherboard insulation, just like we did in the Ryzen 9 7900 test, we used kneaded rubber/art eraser, but this time, we applied an appropriate amount of eraser, covering the entire area around the socket. Additionally, we used paper towels over the eraser as an extra layer of protection against condensation.

Hardware used (and affiliate links):

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (Obrigado AMD!)

MOBO: GIGABYTE B650M Aorus Elite AX (UEFI F8a)

RAM: 2x16GB Kingbank Sharp Blade 6800CL34

GPU: Powercolor RX 6800 XT Red Devil

PSU: Coolermaster MWE Gold 1250 V2 Full Modular

COOLER: Kingpin F1 Dark e gelo seco (1.5kg)

STORAGE: Goldenfir 240 GB

Software: Windows 10 x64 Ghostspectre, 3dmark11, Benchmate 11.1.0 e Geekbench 3.4.4

Testing Objectives:

Discover the extreme overclocking limit using dry ice for this Ryzen 7 7700X specimen and to observe its behavior when subjected to extreme cold, ultimately obtaining some results for HWBOT, explanations regarding the methodology adopted and how the tests were conducted are provided in the accompanying texts following the results.

Results:

The Ryzen 7 7700X performed well when subjected to a temperature of -50°C, showing no issues such as CB/CBB, which tends to be a problem in these CPUs only when using LN2 at temperatures below -120°C.

Unlike the Ryzen 9 7900 test, where memory frequency was limited to 1:1 mode due to the older AGESA, with the 7700X, it was possible to use the 1:2 mode, with the memory operating at 8000 MT/s, CL32, and ‘only’ 1.7V on the VDD, which is competitive with 1:1 configurations at much more aggressive frequencies, even above 6600 MT/s. The advantage is that it’s much simpler to achieve.

Regarding the CPU frequency, we were able to complete tests between 6000 and 6200 MHz, with voltages ranging from 1.3V to 1.365V, depending on benchmark. For example, GPUPI passed at 6200 MHz, and y-cruncher at 6000 MHz.

In terms of HWBOT, these results yielded an insane amount of points. This is due to the latest Benchmate update, which brought changes to the league. 7zip now counts for global points, a new tweak for GPUPI emerged, and finally, an update for y-cruncher turned all previous results into history.

With that said, some amazing results were achieved, such as 2nd place globally in the GPUPI ranking with 8-core CPUs and 9th place in 7-ZIP. The other benchmarks also performed well, although they didn’t make it to the top 10 of the global ranking. It’s important to highlight that there is still room to push further with liquid nitrogen. This means that we haven’t reached the limit of this CPU yet.

Frosty hardware gallery:

Lastly, the traditional gallery of photos of the hardware completely frozen, something that should never be missing in a post about extreme overclocking! Please note that the ‘pot’ was assembled using only gravity, as the fastening screws are incompatible with the thread used in the AM5 backplate.

Conclusion:

The Ryzen 7 7700X performed well during the extreme overclocking session, operating smoothly even at temperatures as low as -55°C with dry ice, without experiencing any issues like CB/CBB.

Regarding its behavior, the new 1:2 mode introduced in AGESA 1007b and onwards worked seamlessly, allowing the memory to operate at 8000 MT/s CL32 without any problems, even in low temperatures. As for the CPU frequencies, they ranged between 6000 MHz and 6200 MHz, with voltages between 1.3V and 1.365V, depending on the benchmark. These results appear to be above average for these processors and better than the Ryzen 9 7900 we tested.

Finally, concerning the HWBOT results, it was possible to achieve an excellent 2nd place in the global ranking for GPUPI 1B and a 9th place in 7-ZIP, which are exceptional results, especially when considering that there is still room for this CPU to push further with liquid nitrogen.