Monday, April 29th 2024

Intel Statement on Stability Issues: "Motherboard Makers to Blame"

A couple of weeks ago, we reported on NVIDIA directing users of Intel's 13th Generation Raptor Lake and 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs to consult Intel for any issues with system stability. Motherboard makers, by default, often run the CPU outside of Intel's recommended specifications, overvolting the CPU through modifying voltage curves, automatic overclocks, and removing power limits.

Today, we learned that Igor's Lab has obtained a statement from Intel that the company prepared for motherboard OEMs regarding the issues multiple users report. Intel CPUs come pre-programmed with a stock voltage curve. When motherboard makers remove power limits and automatically adjust voltage curves and frequency targets, the CPU can be pushed outside its safe operating range, possibly causing system instability. Intel has set up a dedicated website for users to report their issues and offer support. Manufacturers like GIGABYTE have already issued new BIOS updates for users to achieve maximum stability, which incidentally has recent user reports of still being outside Intel spec, setting PL2 to 188 W, loadlines to 1.7/1.7 and current limit to 249 A. While MSI provided a blog post tutorial for stability. ASUS has published updated BIOS for its motherboards to reflect on this Intel baseline spec as well. Surprisingly, not all the revised BIOS values match up with the Intel Baseline Profile spec for these various new BIOS updates from different vendors. You can read the statement from Intel in the quote below.
Intel has observed that this issue may be related to out of specification operating conditions resulting in sustained high voltage and frequency during periods of elevated heat.

Analysis of affected processors shows some parts experience shifts in minimum operating voltages which may be related to operation outside of Intel specified operating conditions.

While the root cause has not yet been identified, Intel has observed the majority of reports of this issue are from users with unlocked/overclock capable motherboards.

Intel has observed 600/700 Series chipset boards often set BIOS defaults to disable thermal and power delivery safeguards designed to limit processor exposure to sustained periods of high voltage and frequency, for example:
  • Disabling Current Excursion Protection (CEP)
  • Enabling the IccMax Unlimited bit
  • Disabling Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) and/or Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost (eTVB)
  • Additional settings which may increase the risk of system instability:
  • Disabling C-states
  • Using Windows Ultimate Performance mode
  • Increasing PL1 and PL2 beyond Intel recommended limits
Intel requests system and motherboard manufacturers to provide end users with a default BIOS profile that matches Intel recommended settings.

Intel strongly recommends customer's default BIOS settings should ensure operation within Intel's recommended settings.

In addition, Intel strongly recommends motherboard manufacturers to implement warnings for end users alerting them to any unlocked or overclocking feature usage.

Intel is continuing to actively investigate this issue to determine the root cause and will provide additional updates as relevant information becomes available.

Intel will be publishing a public statement regarding issue status and Intel recommended BIOS setting recommendations targeted for May 2024.
Source: Igor's Lab
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272 Comments on Intel Statement on Stability Issues: "Motherboard Makers to Blame"

#251
AnonymousGuy767
chrcolukSo if I understand this right, motherboard vendors saying all these misconfigured bios is not their fault, its intel telling them to do it.

Now intel wants them to put it as default, they have a problem with it as it makes their premium boards perform like the cheap boards out of the box, umm wasnt I trying to say this for the past couple of weeks, the board vendors want their products to outshine each other hence all of the tinkering and things like pre tuned optimised defaults.
The board vendors want to be able to outshine themselves. There's no point in buying a higher end Z790 board (where they make profit) if your 14900K is going to only be a 14900K for 3 seconds before getting slammed down to i7 levels. I can guarantee you that the board vendors are really pissed about this whole situation, because Intel's the ones not delivering them a competitive product to run with and now throwing them under the bus like it's their fault that they tried to make these things not thermal throttle while hitting the advertised clock speeds. And board vendors already hated Intel for being years behind schedule on product releases.
Posted on Reply
#252
btk2k2
chrcolukSo if I understand this right, motherboard vendors saying all these misconfigured bios is not their fault, its intel telling them to do it.

Now intel wants them to put it as default, they have a problem with it as it makes their premium boards perform like the cheap boards out of the box, umm wasnt I trying to say this for the past couple of weeks, the board vendors want their products to outshine each other hence all of the tinkering and things like pre tuned optimised defaults.
They stick to AMDs spec and AMD are still a smaller company so you would have thought Intel has more leverage over their motherboard partners.

This does feel like people trying to pin Intel's slack oversight of motherboard defaults onto the mobo makers rather than Intel's laissez-faire attitude.
Posted on Reply
#253
BoggledBeagle
Power limits, maximal currents and LLC settings have been discussed, but what about THE EXTREME FREQUENCIES ? Not only are the CPUs running at those high frequencies power hungry and inefficient, but are not these extreme frequencies a big part of the problem? Or even a most important cause of any instabilities, cause of high voltages, leading to high currents, leading to high temps, leading to degradation?

I believe that 14900K commonly runs P cores at 5700 MHz, if temperatures allows that, would not dropping the frequencies alone solve most of the problems? Dropping 5700 to say 5200 takes away 9% of the performance, solves instability issues, probably prolongs the life of the CPU by years, increases efficiency, what else? Is not it worth it?
Posted on Reply
#254
chrcoluk
btk2k2They stick to AMDs spec and AMD are still a smaller company so you would have thought Intel has more leverage over their motherboard partners.

This does feel like people trying to pin Intel's slack oversight of motherboard defaults onto the mobo makers rather than Intel's laissez-faire attitude.
Previous testing has shown they dont stick to AMD spec, I even see it on my b450 pro 4.
AnonymousGuy767The board vendors want to be able to outshine themselves. There's no point in buying a higher end Z790 board (where they make profit) if your 14900K is going to only be a 14900K for 3 seconds before getting slammed down to i7 levels. I can guarantee you that the board vendors are really pissed about this whole situation, because Intel's the ones not delivering them a competitive product to run with and now throwing them under the bus like it's their fault that they tried to make these things not thermal throttle while hitting the advertised clock speeds. And board vendors already hated Intel for being years behind schedule on product releases.
hey tried to make these things not thermal throttle while hitting the advertised clock speeds.
Maybe so, but the chips are designed to thermal throttle like that, and turbo clocks have never been a guaranteed speed, thats on them for trying to make the chips into something they not.

I see no issue with them having one touch Asus/Asrock/Gigabyte/MSI whatever pre tuned so the user can activate, but I think it should need end user intervention to activate it.

They could also have a dual switch bios on the board, with the second one using their own defaults, but the boards should be shipped on first switch. there is options open to them.
Posted on Reply
#255
AnonymousGuy767
chrcolukMaybe so, but the chips are designed to thermal throttle like that, and turbo clocks have never been a guaranteed speed, thats on them for trying to make the chips into something they not.
The turbo frequencies are part of the specs though, and thus should be guaranteed. It's obviously not guaranteed under all conditions but the general idea is: if you have power and thermal headroom the chip should run at these speed.

We need to be very clear what the problem is: we're not talking about thermal throttling or inefficiencies or motherboard vendors goosing limits (these were all talked about last year): we're talking about these chips *point blank* not being capable of operating at their advertised speeds without degrading very quickly. And what Intel is doing is trying to say "well we never really advertise those speeds lasting for more than 3 seconds". Intel isn't entitled to silently redefining the last 10 years of how turbo limits have actually been implemented.

And don't let that distract you from the fact they're only saying any of this because they know that the chip is incapable of sustaining the advertised clock speeds without degrading. They're trying to dance a line and invent excuses so they don't get a class action lawsuit over their marketing running past their engineering.
Posted on Reply
#256
Crackong
So the actual actual 'baseline' profile is PL2 = 188W now? official?
Posted on Reply
#257
dir_d
Dr. DroThe baseline is already documented in the whitepaper. The Intel-recommended values are stated in section 4.4, page 98 of the data sheet.

www.intel.com.br/content/www/br/pt/content-details/743844/13th-generation-intel-core-and-intel-core-14th-generation-processors-datasheet-volume-1-of-2.html

For example, the i9 KS chips:

S-Processor 8+16 150 W: PL1 253 W, PL2 253 W
S-Processor 8+16 150 W, Extreme Config: PL1 320 W, PL2 320 W

Or the i5 chips:

S-Processor 6+8 125 W: PL1 125 W, PL2 181 W

The data sheet is concise and complete regarding Tau length, recommended current and wattage for all models and specifications, you just need to know how to correlate the subtype with the marketed name. S-Processor 150 W means i9 KS, S-Processor 125 W means i9 K, etc.

Again, it must be stressed that 13th and 14th Generation Core as well as the Xeon E-2400 series CPUs have the exact same denomination and stepping: "Raptor Lake-S", and they do not have any differences whatsoever between them. They have the exact same stepping and hardware revision, if you compare a i9-13900K and a i9-14900KS the sole difference between them is their clock table and silicon quality, functionally and at a technical level, they are the exact same processor unchanged.



There will be no further "generations" to the Core i processor line. The next will be Core Ultra series 2, and it should be radically different compared to the existing Raptor Lake chips.
This was like 6 pages back replying to me about waiting to here from Intel about Baselines. It seems you were wrong, and we needed to wait. Now that Intel has said what is baseline, no one but Gigabyte got it right.
Posted on Reply
#258
Dr. Dro
dir_dThis was like 6 pages back replying to me about waiting to here from Intel about Baselines. It seems you were wrong, and we needed to wait. Now that Intel has said what is baseline, no one but Gigabyte got it right.
It's more like Intel pulled some revised numbers out of their behind because the new values they're pushing completely mismatch with the documentation. Ugh. It's a mess.
Posted on Reply
#259
btk2k2
chrcolukPrevious testing has shown they dont stick to AMD spec, I even see it on my b450 pro 4.
Last time they (ASUS) didn't stick to spec AMD released a new AGESA to force them too. I didn't see the motherboard vendors kick up a fuss about that when AMD forced their hand so why would they when Intel does? Would be interested in what spec your board is not sticking to.

As long as they are all on the same playing field so one vendor does not gain an advantage over the others they won't care all that much.
Posted on Reply
#260
chrcoluk
AnonymousGuy767The turbo frequencies are part of the specs though, and thus should be guaranteed. It's obviously not guaranteed under all conditions but the general idea is: if you have power and thermal headroom the chip should run at these speed.

We need to be very clear what the problem is: we're not talking about thermal throttling or inefficiencies or motherboard vendors goosing limits (these were all talked about last year): we're talking about these chips *point blank* not being capable of operating at their advertised speeds without degrading very quickly. And what Intel is doing is trying to say "well we never really advertise those speeds lasting for more than 3 seconds". Intel isn't entitled to silently redefining the last 10 years of how turbo limits have actually been implemented.

And don't let that distract you from the fact they're only saying any of this because they know that the chip is incapable of sustaining the advertised clock speeds without degrading. They're trying to dance a line and invent excuses so they don't get a class action lawsuit over their marketing running past their engineering.
I linked on here not long ago a document from intel that clearly states turbo speeds are not assured, of course media has embedded it into people's heads the expectation they should be able to get some kind of locked turbo clock performance. However they are merely a max possible burst speed and nothing more.
we're talking about these chips *point blank* not being capable of operating at their advertised speeds without degrading very quickly.
No we not talking about that, I dont know if you have some kind of vendetta, but that is not the subject. Chips can hit the specified clocks under the right conditions without degrading.
motherboard vendors goosing limits
This is what we are actually talking about.
btk2k2Last time they (ASUS) didn't stick to spec AMD released a new AGESA to force them too. I didn't see the motherboard vendors kick up a fuss about that when AMD forced their hand so why would they when Intel does? Would be interested in what spec your board is not sticking to.

As long as they are all on the same playing field so one vendor does not gain an advantage over the others they won't care all that much.
It did get resolved eventually yes, but ASUS still did it, and not only did they do it, they started editing their website to remove liability, and basically rewrote history, horrible behaviour.

We dont know yet what the end game will be here, what we do know is Intel has asked the board vendors to make spec the cmos default, whether they comply or not remains to be seen.
Posted on Reply
#261
mxthunder
What a mess. Although it kind of has been for last 4-5 generations. They finally just found the limit before the average end user experiences crashing.
I wont even let a new intel system boot without going into the BIOS and tweaking everything how I want it anymore.
The default voltage curves are almost scary on some of the Gigabyte boards.
Posted on Reply
#262
BoggledBeagle
It seems that Intel has nothing to do with the "baseline profile" and suggests using Intel defaults settings with the highest power profile the motherboard can handle.



www.hardwareluxx.de/index.php/news/hardware/prozessoren/63550-intel-statement-intel-aeussert-sich-und-empfiehlt-das-baseline-profil-nicht.html

BoggledBeaglePower limits, maximal currents and LLC settings have been discussed, but what about THE EXTREME FREQUENCIES ? Not only are the CPUs running at those high frequencies power hungry and inefficient, but are not these extreme frequencies a big part of the problem? ....
BTW has anyone heard about an unstable 14600K? If not, why is that? Is it because it runs at sane frequencies (5300/4000 MHz)? Is it because thanks to its lower core count and the limited frequencies is has limited power draw and it does not overheat? With lower current density and lower temperature leading to slower degradation?
Posted on Reply
#263
londiste
BoggledBeagleBTW has anyone heard about an unstable 14600K? If not, why is that? Is it because it runs at sane frequencies (5300/4000 MHz)? Is it because thanks to its lower core count and the limited frequencies is has limited power draw and it does not overheat? With lower current density and lower temperature leading to slower degradation?
Pretty sure it is the frequencies.
Posted on Reply
#264
BoggledBeagle
londistePretty sure it is the frequencies.
I wonder what will persuade Intel to accept that they are simply running the CPUs quicker and with way more power than what the silicon can actualy handle.
Posted on Reply
#265
AusWolf
So basically, changing any setting from default results in instability and is not recommended. What a load of ****.

Why doesn't Intel enforce stricter current and voltage curves so that even changing the aforementioned settings wouldn't cause any problems? :shadedshu:
Posted on Reply
#266
londiste
AusWolfSo basically, changing any setting from default results in instability and is not recommended. What a load of ****.

Why doesn't Intel enforce stricter current and voltage curves so that even changing the aforementioned settings wouldn't cause any problems? :shadedshu:
But that is not the case at all here. It is specific couple of settings lowering the voltages that cause instability.

Stupid power limits are fine as long as you can cool the thing and if you cannot it throttles. Considering what settings have been pushed to these as defaults I would even go as far as saying these have been remarkably stable from the side of pushing way too much power into it.
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#267
ArcanisGK507
This must be stupid... you buy a K series CPU and a motherboard with open profiles with the intention of doing Minimum OC or having the system do it automatically to gain a little performance in games or specific software and you end up with an unstable system...

I better buy a core i3/i5 and I already know that it comes limited and capped from the factory and I skip the instability problems, knowing that I can't have what I'm paying for... it loses all sense and I go for a stable AMD. ..
Posted on Reply
#268
:D:D
chrcolukI am seeing the bigger picture, sadly there is so much hatred for Intel, and for some reason some kind of unexplained loyalty to ASUS and co that people are not seeing things straight.
No hate from me, I just gave my opinion, someone should ask Intel why they allow such a setting of 115C for Tjmax ;)

Most CPU's are set for around 100C and Tjmax itself cannot be changed, just a negative offset that can be used. My own Xeon v3 is set at 78C by Intel depending on which microcode patch is being used.

Had a quick look for that Gigabyte link but this one for 9th Gen and default 115C should do I think.
All of the motherboard vendors like to get a one-up, which is why we see features like Multi-Core Turbo (which we reported on in 2012) sometimes defaulting to 'on'. Motherboard manufacturers prefer the 'Unlimited PL2' route, because it puts their results at the top of benchmark lists.
Some reasoning from www.anandtech.com/show/13544/why-intel-processors-draw-more-power-than-expected-tdp-turbo
Posted on Reply
#269
chrcoluk
:D:DNo hate from me, I just gave my opinion, someone should ask Intel why they allow such a setting of 115C for Tjmax ;)

Most CPU's are set for around 100C and Tjmax itself cannot be changed, just a negative offset that can be used. My own Xeon v3 is set at 78C by Intel depending on which microcode patch is being used.

Had a quick look for that Gigabyte link but this one for 9th Gen and default 115C should do I think.



Some reasoning from www.anandtech.com/show/13544/why-intel-processors-draw-more-power-than-expected-tdp-turbo
Do Intel code the bios limits then? The spec sheet states 100C, that to me says they dont allow it if you expect your CPU to stay in warranty. Which matches up with the response they told the customer in the tech support thread I linked to.

I think anything bios related cannot be rationally pointed at anyone other than the board vendors, unless its something Intel has told them to do or provided as a baseline, I think we can be reasonably confident they havent provided a baseline of 115C tjmax.
Posted on Reply
#270
:D:D
chrcolukDo Intel code the bios limits then?
No, they code the feature limits. Example, if I use an i7-6800K CPU in my X99 then Tjmax can be set up to 120C. Using a Xeon instead with same BIOS and board I cannot set Tjmax only have a negative offset settable from it to activate TCC. The manufacturers cannot adust because Intel don't allow it, only Intel can make changes which is done in this case via microcode patch.

Sometimes there are exceptions such as Skylake Non-K BCLK overclocking which was a loophole used by board manufacturers but unfortunately broke power management. This meant no DTS valid reading and no temperature throttling but IIRC still had catastrophic temperature shutdown at around 125C to 130C.

Intel can force 100C but they don't instead they allow a higher setting. One could also argue users should check BIOS settings themselves or if not competent to do that then buy a system from someone who is and will also provide warranty for that system. No passing the buck that way either if something goes wrong.
Posted on Reply
#271
chrcoluk
:D:DNo, they code the feature limits. Example, if I use an i7-6800K CPU in my X99 then Tjmax can be set up to 120C. Using a Xeon instead with same BIOS and board I cannot set Tjmax only have a negative offset settable from it to activate TCC. The manufacturers cannot adust because Intel don't allow it, only Intel can make changes which is done in this case via microcode patch.

Sometimes there are exceptions such as Skylake Non-K BCLK overclocking which was a loophole used by board manufacturers but unfortunately broke power management. This meant no DTS valid reading and no temperature throttling but IIRC still had catastrophic temperature shutdown at around 125C to 130C.

Intel can force 100C but they don't instead they allow a higher setting. One could also argue users should check BIOS settings themselves or if not competent to do that then buy a system from someone who is and will also provide warranty for that system. No passing the buck that way either if something goes wrong.
I think I will stop here with you man, I just think its a very odd thing to say, just because the possibility is there it doesnt mean it rationalises decisions by motherboard vendors to set defaults at that level.

Intel probably should cap tjmax moving forward (if its possible), but the fact they need to do that paints the motherboard vendors in a bad light, its just plain irresponsible to set defaults that void hardware warranty, there is a huge difference between allowing something to be configured and red lining it out of the box.
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#272
OneMoar
There is Always Moar
what a load of non-sense
if the cpu can't reliable operate with these options enabled then why have them?

O because then Intel would not be-able to Advertise >6Ghz
125W? Intel is Already getting crushed by Amd in the performance-watt catagory

tl:dr Intel pushed there sillicon far beyond what it was reliablly capiable of on most samples so they could chase benchmark and frequency scores

those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it this same line of non-sense almost killed AMD's cpu division
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