Highlights
- Intel addresses stability issues with i9 processors due to high voltage and heat on certain motherboards.
- Users warned against disabling safeguards and using certain settings on 600 and 700 series motherboards.
- Intel plans to release BIOS settings and updates in public statement in May 2024 to fix stability problems.
Intel issued a statement to address the stability issues currently affecting 13th and 14th gen Intel Core i9 CPUs, including the i9-14900K, in certain PC configurations. These stability issues can cause select Intel Core i9 processors to run out of their recommended specs, which can negatively affect performance during gaming sessions and productivity tasks.
As a leading semiconductor manufacturer, Intel releases new desktop CPUs on a yearly basis. After more than two decades, Intel re-entered the dedicated GPU space with its Alchemist lineup of Intel Arc GPUs in March 2022, showing that the company is capable of developing its own GPUs alongside competitors Nvidia and AMD. Intel is also working on its second-generation Intel Arc GPUs, which are developed under the Battlemage codename. Before the launch of the Battlemage GPUs, Intel began to investigate issues affecting Raptor Lake CPUs, which Nvidia also notified users of.
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In a statement sent to Igor’s Lab, Intel responded to the 13th and 14th gen Intel Core i9 stability issues, revealing that the problem lies with high voltage and frequency during elevated heat with motherboards running outside of Intel’s recommended operating conditions. Intel notes that the exact root cause is still being investigated, but the company observed that a majority of the reports are from users with unlocked and/or overclocked motherboards. Specifically, the issue is prevalent on 600 and 700 chipset motherboards with various BIOS settings that disable thermal and power delivery safeguards. If the safeguards are disabled, the Intel Core i9 processors are exposed to high voltage and frequency for sustained periods.
Intel Statement Indicates Potential Causes for i9 Stability Issues
- 13th and 14th gen Intel Core i9 processors face stability issues on unlocked/overclocked 600 and 700 motherboards.
- Settings that may cause stability issues include:
- Disabling Current Excursion Protection (CEP)
- Enabling the IccMax Unlimited bit
- Disabling Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) and/or Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost (eTVB)
- Disabling C-states
- Using Windows Ultimate Performance mode
- Increasing PL1 and PL2 beyond Intel recommended limits
Further down the statement, Intel requests system and motherboard vendors to provide users with a BIOS profile that matches Intel’s recommended operating settings for 13th and 14th Intel Core i9 CPUs. In addition, the company urges vendors to implement warnings for users wanting to use unlocked and overclocked settings. Users who often use these settings want the maximum performance possible out of the best Intel Core CPUs for gaming.
Intel also confirms that a public statement will be released sometime in May 2024. The company plans to give an update on the status of the stability problems affecting the i9 processors in the public statement. What’s more, Intel plans on sharing recommended BIOS settings that will alleviate the stability issues as proper fixes are in the works.
Intel’s next CPU launch involves the new Lunar Lake processors for laptops and other mobile PC devices. Leaks and speculation point towards Lunar Lake’s launch being planned before the end of 2024. These processors will not be available for desktop PC builders, however.
