msi-kombo-strike-for-ryzen-7-5800x3d-shows-mixed-results-in-early-benchmarks
The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an attractive chip for avid gamers as a result of AMD stacked on a pile of 3D V-cache, successfully enormously growing the quantity of L3 cache (to 96MB whole). More L3 cache can have a measurable impression in gaming, as we confirmed in our Ryzen 7 5800X3D evaluation. The draw back is AMD additionally locked the CPU in order that technically it could’t be overclocked. MSI has applied a form of workaround with its Kombo Strike characteristic that is in beta, and a few early checks show blended outcomes.
Before we get to that, let’s speak concerning the overclocking lock. This is the primary shopper desktop CPU to make use of stacked 3D V-cache, and the chip’s packaging know-how doesn’t provide the identical voltage and frequency scaling as AMD’s typical chiplet implementations. Hence it is optimized and locked (although the Infinity Fabric and reminiscence interface stay unlocked).
Last week MSI started pushing out beta BIOS updates with its new Kombo Strike characteristic in tow. At the time it was not crystal clear precisely what it does, solely that it has three settings labeled 1, 2, and three (or may be disabled altogether), and purportedly affords to extend efficiency by as much as 5 %. Level 3 is meant to supply the most important increase, and MSI notes it is best to “make sure [your] CPU cooler is strong enough to handle the heat.”
Well, Reddit person Mannekino not too long ago posted some fascinating outcomes after taking part in round with the Kombo Strike settings on their MEG B550 Unify motherboard. Cinebench R23, 3DMark Time Spy, and Superposition 1080p Extreme all confirmed a small efficiency achieve when enabling Kombo Strike Level 3 versus disabling the characteristic. More stunning, nonetheless, had been the supposed drop in temps. Here’s a glance…
Source: Reddit (Mannekino)
According to Mannekino, energy and temps each decreased with the Level 3 setting, whereas efficiency elevated by 2.6-2.8 %. Gaming benchmarks did not yield any actual efficiency beneficial properties, however total, they concluded that Kombo Strike was delivering “the same/slightly better performance with way lower temp and power consumption.”
Seems like a no brainer to allow if if it is an possibility, right? Not so quick. Steve Burke at Gamers Nexus posted a video at this time that paints a special image, and one that’s extra in step with what you would possibly count on. He explains that Kombo Strike principally circumvents AMD’s built-in protections on the Ryzen 7 5800X3D to supply a type of overclocking.
What it actually boils all the way down to is overvolting to spice up clocks slightly bit. Burke examined the characteristic and in contrast the outcomes each to inventory settings, and to a Gigabyte X570 Master motherboard, which runs a better vCore out of the gate.
Source: Gamers Nexus
What he discovered is that Level 1 seems to use an excessive amount of voltage for the frequency, doubtless due to a coding error—it might be pulling the fallacious values from a lookup desk. Level 3 is extra fascinating anyway as a result of that is where the most important efficiency achieve is meant to happen. You can see the temperature variations at idle within the graph above.
You can try the complete video for all the main points (it is about 16 minutes lengthy), however summed up, Kombo Strike delivered up a 5 % efficiency bump in manufacturing workloads in comparison with having it disabled, and as much as 3 % over the inventory settings on the Gigabyte platform. In gaming, the outcomes had been negligible. The price to temps is round 2-4C, relying on the workload.
So, there might be some minor efficiency beneficial properties available, on the expense of temps. However, at this cut-off date it comes with the unknowns of operating a beta BIOS (and the trouble of updating), and simply is not well worth the bother for gaming.

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