If you system works well and you do not know what are you doing then don`t do it. Saying that, I would not class it as a difficult procedure but there are some risks and you might not be able to boot into Windows if something goes wrong as say a power cut at the wrong time.
1 Like
You need to rule out the CPU, PSU or GF card. Best if you run The Intel Diagnostic Tool to see if your crashes are CPU related.
So check invoice.
Iām sorry mate but I havenāt read a worse suggestion in a long time. Updating BIOS is of crucial importance, especially in the case of Intel 13 and 14-gen CPUs.
Intel tool is worthless and a waste of time 
Jayztwocents did a YouTube video show how to test for damage
1 Like
You can check YouTube to find step-by-step guides for your motherboard. The procedure is usually about the same for all models from a given manufacturer, with the main difference being that you need to find the page for your exact motherboard model. (For example, a board with/without Wi-Fi can have different BIOSes.)
If you have a 13000/14000 series CPU I would highly recommend updating since the older BIOSes cause physical damage to the CPU.
1 Like
FYI, It was the faulty microcode, not the BIOS in general, that caused the malfunctioning of processors - CTD for example - and/or their irreversible damage.
No problem and sure your are entitled to your own opinion. Saying that my recent BIOS updates made a good difference indeed for my Z 790 ROG. It appears however that not all 13th and 14th Gen have issues. PSU is notorious for random crashes if faulty or powerful enough to run a system.
True, for example I havenāt had any problems with my i9 13900K either and it was from an early production batch, so it could have had a manufacturing defect, not just the microcode issue. Iāve always taken good care of it - lowering vcore and reducing CPU power without impacting performance, which may have saved CPU. However, if someone 13th or 14th-gen processor was exposed to vcore spikes for an extended period due to faulty microcode, thereās a high chance that their CPU is already slightly damaged or could be in the near future.
Thatās why Intel extended the warranty on all 13 and 14-gen desktop CPUs.
I am on AI OC @ 6GHz with Hyperthreading disabled with no issues currently. Prev had some crashes but temps were generally good. Problem is there are so many parameters in PC`s nowadays that it gives me a headacheā¦Just want to fly and perhaps fix less !
1 Like
Do you have a water-cooled setup? Seems like I can only reach ~180W on a 5.6GHz clock and Iām right at the temp limit my setup can do.
Well yes, as specified in my previous posts. But while there are ways to update microcode without BIOS updates, at least according to Intel, for this microcode update you need a BIOS update, so old BIOS = old microcode and new BIOS = new microcode.
Yes, on NZXT closed loop water cooler. You will reach better results if you disable Hyperthreading which for gaming in most instances is not needed.
1 Like
Just a heads up if you are still using Lite Load on your current setup: I have discovered that the reason I was benchmarking low was actually because of the Lite Load BIOS setting. It was limiting power (on the bios level) from being sent to the CPU and lowering performance, even though it was showing I was running at full clock speed (5.6GHz) and a healthy volt level (~1.3v) and there were no indication in the monitoring tools that power was being limited, I just thought it was undervolting only. The proof was in the benchmark scores consistently being low no matter what bench i was using. Now with Lite Load on āIntel Defaultā the benchmarks are performing much better (however temps can now hit the thermal throttle).
Iām curious if I simply need to disable undervolt protection and attempt to do a slight undervolt manually if I want to reduce my temps. Lite Load wasnāt exactly what I thought it was.
(Iām marking this as a solution since Lite Load was mentioned in my original post. Of course itās still a great idea for anyone that sees this to update your BIOS so you have the safe-gaurd against the Intel 13th and 14th gen issues.)
Just to further the history on this thread. I found out that my heatsink was not making good contact with the CPU. I got the LGA 1700 anti-bend plate and a new AIO cooler and the thermal performance is really really good now. No random spikes to 100c anymore.
Just a word of cautious. The lates bios update appears to sort out v spikes but greys out the C state feature which meens the C states cannot be disabledā¦which leeds to the cpu down clocking to as low as 800 Mhz. This can have a detrimental effect in all games and applications. So read the description before you decide to update and only do so if you have ctd issues.
Ever since I can remember, Iāve always kept the C-states enabled in my BIOS settings because I enjoyed seeing how beautifully my CPUs, like the i7 12700K, i9 12900K or i9 13900K, would drop down to as low as 700 MHz while reading emails. After all, you donāt need 5 GHz when browsing the internet - and neither do I! Additionally, in Windows power plan settings, I would set the minimum CPU state to 10% to make sure everything worked smoothly.
Fly safe.
Yes but if you see 800MHz in MSFS while flying at 3000 feet that`s no good. Then the frequency goes up and down like a yoyo, sorry not my cup of tea. I did monitor that and its a problem for sure. I do get way better performance and smoothness with C states disabled at my end for sure ā¦when I read emails?..oh perhaps I read to manyā¦more flying will be nice! LOL
In my 30 years of working with Intel CPUs, I have never seen a drop to 700/900 while gaming with C states enabled.
If you experience drastic drops while gaming, report it to Intel, your motherboard manufacturer and Microsoft, as it could also be an issue with the Windows OS. I hope your CPU isnāt damaged due to the known problem with voltage spikes to values that software like HWinfo cannot detect.
You mentioned that your motherboard manufacturer (Asus?) has blocked the ability to change C state settings. Can you provide any evidence for that? Iām asking because there isnāt a problem with this on MSI motherboards.
Sure, no problemā¦here you go :
ROG Maximus Z790 Hero ATX Motherboard
Z790 - New BIOS 2703 ā CPU throttling to 800MHz ā¦ - Page 7 - Republic of Gamers Forum - 1050372
1 Like
Thx.
Ah, so it is indeed an Asus motherboard. Iām not sure if you noticed that this topic is specifically about MSI motherboards. As Iāve mentioned, MSI mobos donāt have this issue. Iām really glad that Iāve been buying MSI motherboards for years 