One of the innovations that AMD has presented with its new Ryzen 2nd Generation processors is a much improved version of its boost system. What is AMD XFR 2? The new AMD XFR 2 and AMD Precision Boost 2 have been tuned with both new processors, which already make overclocking unnecessary, except in certain very specific circumstances.
Both AMD and Intel have two types of frequencies when it comes to their processors: on the one hand, there is the base frequency, which is what the processor uses when all its cores are at 100% load. But, on the other hand, there is also the boost frequency, which is an auto overclock that makes itself the processor depending on the load of each core. Well, the load and the thermal margin that the processor and the BIOS of the motherboard have programmed. All these factors are those that, in the end, end up determining what is the maximum frequency that our processor will end up working.
Basically, what the AMD XFR 2 (Xtended Frequency Range) does is determine what the final frequency of our processor can be based on the thermal and consumption limitation. If we have invested in having an excellent cooling in our system, and the consumption that the processor is having is lower than the maximum, then the XFR will allow the operating frequencies of the processor to be higher than if any of these points is not fulfilled. The AMD XFR 2 feature goes hand in hand with the AMD Precision Boost 2 feature.
This is because, if AMD XFR 2 allows to increase the maximum frequency that is reached with the processor, AMD Precision Boost 2 what gives it is a greater granularity to these frequencies. We explain: Up to now, the maximum boost frequencies of a processor could only be reached when one or two threads of the processor were used. After that limit, all the cores worked at the base frequency of the processor. However, with AMD Precision Boost 2 and AMD XFR 2, these limits are different, since it allows more cores to operate at higher frequencies.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the frequency range at which the different processor cores work varies depending on the number of threads that the computer is currently using:
Using 1 thread, the processor can reach up to 4.3 GHz
Using 2 wires, the processor can reach up to 4.25 GHz
Using 3 and 4 threads, the processor can reach 4.2 GHz
Using 5 to 10 threads, the processor remains at 4.1 GHz
Using 11 or 12 threads, the processor operates at 4.05 GHz
Using 13 to 16 threads, the processor remains at 4 GHz, which is its base frequency
But, that the processor reaches these frequencies will depend, especially, on the thermal envelope that surrounds it. That is, it will depend on the AMD XFR 2 giving permission for the frequency to rise to those values. Because, otherwise, the values will always be lower. It is precisely because of this granularity that, unless we constantly use applications that are capable of using all the threads of the processor, overclocking one of the new AMD processors can even bring us results that are opposite to what we would like, given that, for Yes, these new processors do not go much higher than 4.1 GHz in all cores.