Mr. Fox

Ooops, I sure did. I updated the post with this image. Pretty huge difference in high and low FPS, and those runs are 4K with no frame generation. CCD0 only (3DvCache only) - I used Process Lasso for this instead of Windoze trash

Awesome. I am looking forward to seeing how it runs, brother. I got up early to delid the CPU. It always amazes me how much better than makes things. I increased the core clock 100MHz across all 16 cores and my max temperature is still over 20°C cooler. I hate owning CPUs that are not delidded. The experience sucks with the IHS. So, I gave up on trying to use Windoze worthless trash software bloat to determine whether or not 3DvCache actually worked or not. Micro$lop butchers or botches up everything they get their hands on. I used Process Lasso to set parameters on the EXE file to force 3DvCache CCD0 use or all-core use with both CCDs. As you can see below, it DOES make a difference. All Core (no 3DvCache) CCD0 only (3DvCache only) - I used Process Lasso for this instead of Windoze trash All Core (no 3DvCache) CCD0 only (3DvCache only) - I used Process Lasso for this instead of Windoze trash

Have you identified anyone that owns a Zotac 5090 AIO version? I haven't gone looking but I don't recall seeing anyone in the forum at oc.net that has one. In general, I do not want an AIO GPU, (or CPU AIO,) but definitely think it is better than air. I do not care for the appearance of most of the AIO cooled GPUs. I think most of them are pretty garish-looking and I do not like the short and stubby look. At least the water blocked GPUs are not nearly as short and stubby as the OEM AIO models.

When you know most of the users of your product are painted into a corner and need to use your product no matter how lousy it becomes, that makes cleaning up your messes and keeping users happy a very low priority. Switching to Mac OS or Linux is not an option for 99% of Windoze users and they know it. Most either cannot make such a switch due to lack of equivalent software (which could make it virtually impossible from a business continuity perspective) or lack of technical knowledge on the part of the user base that would totally incapacitate the users (consumer and business).

The normie sheeple and ignoramus population has become so vast and prevalent the OEMs no longer give a rat's butt about enthusiast money because they don't need to. We no longer matter. There are no customers, only victims. Clueless morons pay asinine prices for things they know nothing about, and they do it with a smile. They believe all the ads they read, all the lies their "friends" on Facepoot and Reddtit tell them, and all of the disinformation they watch on the "news" so is it any wonder that clowns like A$$zeus behave as if they have a license for sodomy? We have both to blame: the stupid sheeple and the shifty thugs peddling grossly overpriced, misrepresented and overhyped crap.

Works fine on the Zotac Solid OC. So I am guessing with the shunt resistors I've got like 1600W (which I am pretty sure it cannot reach).

That Matrix GPU is only good so others can use the vBIOS. The price is extremely stupid and I think it looks stupid, too. 🤣 I have gone pee in my own backyard before. When you have a family of 7 and 3 bathrooms, there are times when you just can't hold it any longer. Now that we are down to 2 people at home (empty nesters) and 2 bathrooms I have not found myself needing to do that for a long time.

You hate cold and I hate heat. My body has adjusted to the hot weather here, but too hot is a health risk that is equally hazardous as freezing to death. Extreme heat and extreme cold are both an issue. Temperature aside, I love living in the desert because I do not like precipitation in any form. I hate rain and I hate snow. I like it to be very dry, clear skies and low/no humidity whether it is hot or cold. I find it easier to get warm if I am too cold. I can bundle up and add more blankets to the bed. If I am too hot it is harder to fix that problem. You can be wet and naked and still be too hot, LOL. Both can kill you.

I delid my own with the der8auer tool. Works fantastic. You just have to spend about 30 minutes moving it back and forth with the tool until it is loose. Tedious but foolproof as long as you keep going until it falls off and don't try to lift the IHS before it is loose. Usually in the range of 500-1000 Cinebench R23 points lower with the Apex. AMD CPUs are inconsistent between Cinebench runs and can have a wide variance between runs with the same CPU. There are too many artificial algorithms in play with Ryzen. But, I can't get within 500 to 1000 points of my best scores with the Strix or AORUS Master using the Apex with the same CPU installed. It almost has to be something in the firmware. It would not seem logical for something with the motherboard hardware to affect it. Also worth mentioning that it is with the same Windows installation. To rule out an OS issue I create an image from one, restore it using Macrium Reflect on the other and reactivate. So all of the same software, tweaks, drivers and OS tuning on both machines. This makes no sense to me. There is probably something I need to do different that I don't know about. Maybe an obscure BIOS setting I need to turn on or off on the Apex. This should be an almost entirely mathematical outcome based on core count, IPC and clock speed as long as something is not interfering with the Cinebench run. This EPYC CPU seems like a really good sample and I am pretty sure I am going to keep it. It seems better than average looking at the V/F curve and voltage requirements in practice. Getting it to function like an X3D in a scenario where it should has not worked for me yet. When I try to configure it to use the 3DvCache CCD it is defaulting to the non v-cache CCD no matter what I have tried so far. Configuring it to function like an ordinary CPU it seems fine, so I suspect this is a firmware configuration problem, an OS/game/chipset driver bug issue, or even an ignorant noob issue on my part (relating to firmware configuration). I did a clean OS install with the latest chipset drivers and set everything that is supposed to be how it is done that I know of and it still parks the wrong CCD and activates the one without v-cache, LOL. I don't care about the v-cache necessarily, but if I can use it as leverage for 3DMark scores I certainly want to take advantage of it. I don't expect it to matter much at all with something like Cinebench, wPrime, Pifast, or Y-Cruncher.

One thing I find very puzzling about the Apex is that it does not matter what CPU I have installed, my Cinebench scores are always notably lower than the Strix. Every CPU that I test consistently has stronger Cinebench results when I install it in the Strix. This is my third Apex. I don't really understand why this is the case, but it is consistent. Same was true of the AORUS Master... consistently higher Cinebench scores than the Apex using any given CPU. This really bugs the crap out of me and makes me wish I had saved $300 and just purchased another Strix X870E-E or just kept the AORUS Master. I think I am spinning my wheels with the EPYC CPU. It seems like a much better sample overall, but I am not going to be able to really confirm that until it is delidded and bare die. Absolutely ludicrous thermals with the factory solder and IHS. It's unfortunate that most CPUs suck with the factory solder and IHS. It's true of both Intel and AMD, but seems much more so with AMD for some reason. They seem a lot more sensitive to high temperatures. Jury is still out whether I like 3DvCache. The 9950X3D that I RMA'd was such a pathetic silicon sample that it wasn't fair to draw any conclusions based on what a piece of garbage it was. I'm leaning toward either not liking it or viewing it as an irrelevant selling point/gimmick. (I'm a casual gamer, not a gaming enthusiast, and it seems to provide no tangible benefit for an overclocking enthusiasts.) I do see higher FPS in the few games I tested. 3DMark doesn't seem to benefit.

I still have a lot to figure out for the best settings for tuning of this new EPYC CPU but it does appear to be better than either of my good but average 9950X samples. Initial impressions are that it is a pretty decent sample. I think my memory kit could be a little better, but I was surprised it could run 6400 1:1 and FCLK 2200. I haven't spent much time with core tuning yet, just set a simple PBO, but will definitely need a good manual overclock to see any respectable Cinebench results. I will play with it more tomorrow to confirm it is worth keeping before I delid it. I always forget how crazy hot these CPUs are that have not been decapitated and run bare die. There are still many hours that need to be invested to find what works best. Requires a lot more time and effort with AMD to get things figured out.

Hopefully this was not a waste of sand. But, I will find out as soon as I button things up. If it's not better than what I already have it's going back for a refund.

I've been watching the insane increase in DDR5 prices. I don't need any, but decided to see if I could find some spares cheap to hang onto. Just scored a Trident Z5 DDR5-8000 48GB CL40 1.400V kit with Supercool direct touch cooler on eBay for $250. That same RAM kit is now about $300 sold and shipped by NewEgg. So, basically like getting the Supercool cooler kit for free, give or take a couple of bucks.

Intel Core Ultra 290K, 270K and 250K Plus spec leak: “Arrow Lake Refresh” with higher clocks, more cores and faster memory support So, a real "nothing burger" when all is said and done. The most intelligent thing AMD has going for it is long-term socket viability. Intel needs to learn from this now and back-track on some of their recent very stupid ideas (bring back hyperthreading and go back to monolithic design without the stupid Atom cores). It is hurting them more than they know. Their ending of hyperthreading was the final nail in the coffin for me. But their constant socket revisions requiring new motherboards after a few CPU generations is a compelling reason for people to choose AMD even if they would rather stay with Intel. (I am conflicted because I can't say that I like either one now. They both have pros and cons, but both have more cons than pros.) The short socket lifespan is a very damning attribute for Intel now that they no longer operate from a place of absolute supremacy and domination. They used to expect us to put up with it as going with the territory, which was fine when they still ruled the world. I'd really like to make my next build an Intel platform again. The overclocking experience (CPU and memory) is much better on Intel, but the lack of hyperthreading and abbreviated upgrade path due to frequent socket changes is making me question the logic of it. Once upon a time, not long ago, that was the only somewhat logical basis for choosing to go with AMD instead of Intel and that alone was never enough because there were too many other compromises attached to the idea. Intel should revive X299 and make modern versions of CPUs for that socket LGA 2011-v2 platform... 32 or 36 threads at 6.0GHz+ all-core overclock, quad-channel DDR5 8000+ and 40+ PCIe lanes... I'd be all over that, like white on rice... hell yeah, in a heartbeat. And, I'd be willing to pay twice as much as a Core Ultra (or Ryzen) flagship CPU to have it. The most fun I have ever had with overclocking was on X299. 100% (double stock clock) overclocking wasn't that difficult.

Did you mean to link to a post by @electrosoft or an article about the shiny new product that offers so little? The link leads here: https://notebooktalk.net/topic/109-official-benchmark-thread-post-it-here-or-it-didnt-happen-d/page/824/