The Project Hydra overclocking program is now available for download through Igor’s Lab. Yuri Bubliy (@ 1usmus), creator of the Ryzen DRAM calculator and ClockTuner for Ryzen overclocking software, designed Project Hydra to get the best possible performance out of AMD’s Zen 3 processors. That’s accomplished through custom profiles, extensive customization of center voltages, center frequencies, and more, all of which you can now download for free.
The project began earlier this year to provide Ryzen 5000 series owners with a tool that gives them unprecedented control over Ryzen’s core and surge behavior. The tool effectively replaces the AMD boost algorithm built into Ryzen 5000 processors. The new profile can then be modified and adjusted as needed to provide higher center frequencies and / or lower CPU voltages, depending on your needs.
This profile provides the CPU with various voltage and clock speed profiles designed for any workload, whether single-threaded, multi-threaded, idle, or AVX. You can also add more profiles and modify them, if necessary.
Project Hydra is also designed to be as safe as possible to use, with recommended voltages similar to AMD’s default voltages used in their Ryzen processors. 1usmus notes that overloading the Ryzen 5000 is not optimal, as almost all of its overclocking headroom is achieved with the default settings.
Basically, you can think of Project Hydra as a modifiable automatic overclocking program that replaces your Ryzen 5000 CPU’s boost algorithm with an adjustable frame.
Currently, there are two versions of Project Hydra: one is free and the other is a paid version with more features. The Pro version adds additional features like automatic verification updates, manual FFT and VID manipulation for Core CO and CCD tests, and more. However, 1usmus says that about half of the Ryzen processors will not benefit from the Pro version, so there is absolutely no need to purchase the software unless you know you can use the additional features.
It should be noted that all settings that take a Ryzen processor out of its original configuration will void the warranty, even if you use AMD’s Ryzen Master overclocking software. As such, proceed with caution and at your own risk when using any type of software that modifies these parameters.
Project Hydra has many more features than are discussed here. For more details, head over to Igor’s Lab’s post here, where he and 1usmus explain in depth the capabilities of overclocking software.