While most motherboard brands have intervened in their products’ bios in an attempt to stem the proliferation of problems with the i9-13900K and i9-14900K, Intel has also decided to take an official stand. The first step has been to communicate with its card manufacturer partners. The blues are asking motherboard brands to allow users to run their processors to specification “by default” (i.e. without intervention). In this context, Intel cites a whole series of potential tuning issues that motherboard manufacturers have recently resolved on their own responsibility. In the basic profile, however, the “Intel Recommended Settings” should be used.
Intel is asking system and motherboard manufacturers to provide end users with a default BIOS profile that matches Intel’s recommended settings.
- Intel strongly recommends that the customer’s default BIOS settings ensure operation in accordance with Intel’s recommended settings.
- In addition, Intel strongly recommends that motherboard manufacturers implement warnings for end users alerting them to any use of unlocked features or overclocking.
Monster cacophony surrounding the “basic profile
This answer, worthy of a communications professional working in French political circles, means precisely everything and nothing. After all, what does “Intel recommended settings” really mean? Let’s take another look at Intel’s findings, which seem to have discovered the moon on certain subjects…
Intel has observed that this problem may be linked to operating conditions that do not comply with specifications, resulting in sustained high voltage and frequency during periods of high heat. Analysis of affected processors shows that some parts are experiencing changes in minimum operating voltages that may be related to operating outside Intel’s specified operating conditions[…]Although the root cause has not yet been identified, Intel has observed that the majority of reports of this problem are from users with unlocked/overclocking-compatible motherboards.
In reality, the subject is mainly about power consumption ceilings. The 125 watt processor, which was publicly detailed by Intel with PL1 = PL2 = 253 watts, was recently capped by Asus in the base profile at exactly these upper limits and no longer permanently set to “unlimited” (“4096 watts”). But things are still unclear on this subject. Gigabyte has set 125/188 watts as the reference profile. But most feedback suggests that the 125/188 watt profile is not really what Intel wants to see as a new “reference”. The company should clarify its position in the next few days to put an end to this cacophony.
- Intel will issue a public statement on the status of the issue and Intel’s recommended BIOS configuration recommendations, scheduled for May 2024.
It would be wiser for Intel to give a basic recommended profile and leave it up to motherboard manufacturers and users to adapt the performance level according to their hardware, the quality of their CPU copy…and incidentally their skills.
