I’m writing from hands-on experience: the 1usmus Custom Power Plan (CPP) tunes power behavior for AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs built on Zen 2. Yuri “1usmus” Bubliy, the person behind the DRAM Calculator, published the CPP first in July 2019 and it was tested widely on Ryzen 9 3900X and 3950X. It was designed to fix odd boost and idle clock behavior and, in my experience, helps the 3900X reach higher boost clocks while keeping idle temps lower.
Watch a short demo here: https://youtu.be/X0p8Yc_PPQg?si=eY6Z95SZK6SGE9-C
| 1usmus Custom Power Plan — Quick Facts (Ryzen 3000) | |
|---|---|
| Name | 1usmus Custom Power Plan (CPP) |
| Author | Yuri “1usmus” Bubliy |
| First released | July 12, 2019 |
| Target | AMD Ryzen 3000 (Zen 2) |
| OS | Windows 10, Windows 11 |
| File type | .pow (Windows power plan) |
| Main goal | Fix boost logic, improve single-core response, and smooth C-state transitions |
Why use it? Because stock power plans sometimes leave boost logic half-broken—frequencies bounce or stay low on single-threaded loads. I’ve noticed the CPP forces faster frequency changes and different core-parking choices, so CPUs hit peak boost faster. That’s the why; the what is simple: import the .pow file and select the plan.
powercfg -import 1usmus_cpp_vX.pow
Quick install: right-click the .pow and choose “Install,” or run the command above. Then pick the plan from Windows Power Options. (Yes, it’s that straightforward—unless your system behaves oddly.)
| Key tweaks | Processor boost mode, min/max processor state, core parking, idle promote/demote thresholds |
| Expected gains | Gaming: ~2–5% in some titles; single-thread: ~3–8%; multi-thread: small or negligible; latency: lower. Results depend on cooling and motherboard. |
| Compatibility | Best: 3900X, 3950X, 3700X, 3800X, 3600 series. May run on Ryzen 5000 but benefits are smaller (2025 testing shows limited wins). |
| Tools to watch | HWiNFO64, Ryzen Master, CPU-Z (monitor temps and clocks) |
Heads-up: this doesn’t always work. There are exceptions. On some motherboards you may see slightly higher idle power or odd stability quirks. To be fair, BIOS updates since 2020 improved AMD power behavior, so CPP’s edge narrowed by 2022 and even more by 2025. Some people insist it’s mandatory; others call it legacy—both sides make decent points. Which side are you on?
Two controversial things I’ll say (honestly): first, CPP masks bad cooling choices sometimes—people blame the tool when their cooler is the real issue. Second, it’s unnecessary for many Ryzen 5000+ users; yet I’ve seen setups where it still helps single-core bursts. Oddly enough, older tricks can still work.
Practical advice: benchmark before and after. Monitor temps for at least 24 hours under mixed loads. Use small, repeatable tests—Cinebench single-thread, a few game scenes, and idle monitoring. Why? Because numbers tell you whether the plan actually improved your workload, not forum anecdotes.
“Benchmark, watch temps, and don’t assume a tool fixes everything.”
Recommended BIOS settings (a guideline): enable PBO if you want aggressive boost, leave Cool’n’Quiet and C-States enabled, and keep SMT on if your workloads use many threads. There are exceptions (depends on your niche), so tweak slowly.
- Common pitfalls: higher idle draw, motherboard quirks, marginal stability.
- Alternatives: AMD Balanced, Windows High Performance, Bitsum plans, or manual tweaks.
One counterintuitive insight: sometimes running the default AMD plan with a well-tuned BIOS gives better thermals than applying CPP and then forcing a higher sustained boost. It sounds backwards, but letting the silicon manage itself can be kinder to temps.
Analogy time: treating CPP like a map you buy before a hike—useful if you know the path; dangerous if you ignore the terrain. Another metaphor: it’s a surgical scalpel, not a hammer.
If you decide to remove it: switch to another power plan, then run powercfg -delete GUID (or remove via Control Panel). Repeat benchmarks. Keep chipset drivers and BIOS updated (as of March 10, 2025) to avoid old scheduler quirks.
Final notes (short): try it if you own a Ryzen 3000 and like tuning. Don’t expect miracles. Monitor, benchmark, and iterate. We found wins on several 3900X rigs—but there were failures too. Go slow, and yes—back up settings first.
— me, a long-time tinkerer. (I stumbled on one detail above—so check your board settings again.)
