Our colleagues from Igor’s Lab had the opportunity to test no less than 200 Intel Core i9-13900KS processors in order to evaluate the SP Core and the SP IMC. This is the latest processor from Intel that can reach 6 GHz in tasks requiring only one core. We have also received a processor whose test will come very soon. But you will say to us, what is the interest to test 200 processors? In reality, the point is to do chip binning.
The SP value in the BIOS of ROG motherboards :
Using a ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard (BIOS 0031) and a pre-established protocol, they will compare the performance of the processors against each other to select the best ones. If you’ve ever gone through the overclocking process, you’ll know that there is a ” silicon lottery ” which means that not every processor has the same overclocking potential. Some will be better than others. With ROG motherboards, it is possible to know the potential of the processor thanks to the SP Core value. The higher this value is, the better the processor should be in overclocking, thanks to lower operating voltages compared to an identical CPU.
Our colleagues have therefore conducted a series of tests to highlight the value of the SP Core. As we can see on the graph above, the average SP is 108 with the least good at 101 and the best at 116. Now, this SP Core is an overall value but it can also be split into two other values since the i9-13900KS has P-Core and E-core. If these terms don’t mean anything to you, I invite you to read our article on the 13th generation Raptor Lake.
So we end up with two other values, the SP for P-Core and the SP for E-Core as shown in the tables above. The idea is always the same, the higher the value the better the overclocking potential should be. The SP value is not new to Asus and we know that it is a value we can trust.
The SP IMC: doubts about its veracity
At the end of last year, the Asus team implemented a new value, the SP IMC. This value should indicate the potential of the IMC(Integrated Memory Controller) of your processor. This is the memory controller which, depending on its quality, will allow you to overclock your memory kit. The SP IMC also indicates a value that should be the highest in order to benefit from the best potential in overclocking.
However, this value does not seem as reliable as the SP Core. According to the various tests of our colleagues, some low SP IMC have shown themselves to be more efficient than others that are higher. Therefore, this value should still be taken with caution. This is an excellent and instructive work done by the Igor’s LAB team. See you soon to discover our test of the Intel Core i9-13900KS.
