April 22nd, Intel's 13th and 14th generation Core i9/i7 processors have been experiencing frequent instability issues lately, with games crashing or systems encountering blue screen errors. In response, motherboard manufacturers like ASUS have begun distributing new BIOS updates, introducing a new "Baseline Profile" to limit processor power consumption and ensure stability.
ASUS has incorporated this feature into the ASUS MultiCore Enhancement option. Selecting "Disabled" will enact it, reverting to Intel's recommended conservative settings. PL2 power consumption will be adjusted from the seemingly infinite 4095W (or 4096W) to 253W, aligning with PL1.
Additionally, it adds a safeguard to Intel SVID (Serial Voltage Identification) to control CPU processor voltage, preventing excessive increases.
This inevitably results in a loss of performance. HardwareLuxx tested this with the i9-14900K, including multiple benchmark runs and gaming scenarios.
During the test, PL1 power consumption remained constant at 253W, while PL2 power consumption was 4095W and 253W respectively.
The results showed an average loss of around 8-9%, which was quite noticeable. Specifically:
Only the game "Control" showed minimal changes.
At the same time, power consumption was reduced from the original 316W to 253W, marking a 20% decrease, without daring to exceed any limits. Additionally, core temperatures dropped from 101°C to 89°C, core voltage decreased from 1.236V to 1.229V, and supply current decreased from 214A to 195A.
In conclusion, Intel and motherboard manufacturers have ensured stability through a form of "self-harm" this time around. We'll continue to monitor developments moving forward.
