Is it OK to overclock an R5 3600? If so is it ok to just use the Ryzen Master app to set "Auto Overclocking" mode or is preferable to program OC settings via BIOS?

Maintaining durability isn't the main priority as I'd like to squeeze as much power as possible right now. I also plan to upgrade CPU's within a year or so.

 

Hey mate. It is ok to oc it, if you have an aftermarket cooler or you will find your cpu temperature rising to extremes with the original AMD Stealth cooler. Auto setting goes for a very modest oc which -from what you wrote- isn't what you are looking for. So you should go for a manual oc. A word of caution, oc'ing is for bold peeps with enough patience, if you get scared easily from getting a Windows crash etc, you should stay with auto. If you decide to manual oc via the bios, there's a ton of guides in yt and in the web about how to do it. I can only highlight as really important these :
1. Aftermarket cooler and top class thermal conductive paste like the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut.
2. Your cpu has a voltage range of 0.2 to about 1.5 volts. With this always in mind, you can go ahead and try settings, always raising the clock little by little after each successful pass. Just fyi, for most peeps 1.35-1.45 volts is where they got max performance but your mileage may well vary.
Lastly, keep in mind most 3600 procs hit a ceiling at 4.0-4.1ghz, maybe 4.2ghz if you got really lucky with your cpu. It is mandatory to understand that every 3600 cpu is slightly different in terms of what its max clock can be and keep low expectations at first.
Good luck mate
PS: In practice, if you manage an all core 4.0-4.1 ghz you 'll be rocking nicely.

 

Last edited: Sep 24, 2020