Re: I9 14900kf voltage and degradation

Rolandbox · ‎08-19-2025

Greetings,

I have very recently become an owner of an i9 14900kf. So far I haven't run in any issues, but I came across many anxiety inducing posts regarding degradation.

For the record, I have a z790 D AX (rev 1.0) motherboard. Bios version F4b with 0x12f microcode. Which came with "intel extreme profile" and "optimized" turned on by default in it's bios. The only thing I changed so far was to to turn on XMP 1 for my RAM.

I have read so much that I don't know what to think anymore so I have to ask, am I at risk for early degradation? I am asking that because I have monitored my Vcore and it's sitting at 1.44v the lowest and usually spikes up to 1.46v while gaming. The voltage will rarely go up to 1.48v and very rarely at 1.5v. So you could say that my average Vcore is around 1.45 during heavy load.
Also, my temps are usually around 55-65 degrees celsisus and very rarely go beyond 70, only for a few seconds at a time doing the same thing.

During light loads the voltage usually works between 1.30v up to 1.45v. Averaging 1.35v. Temps are at 25-40 max during these.

My main concern is if these voltage values are normal for this specific model or if I am already degrading my processor and I have to start doing tweaks such as undervolting/downcloking before it's too late? The CPU is only a few days old after all.

So to end it, will running this processor at Vcore 1.45v on average and <70 degrees celsius for let's say (hypothethically) 10 hours a day make me run into degradation issues very early? Instead of years as I would've expected?

Thanks in advance! I apologize for the typos and lack of depth but I wrote this on a rush!

TheExpertGuy · ‎08-20-2025

First off, your Intel i9-14900KF is a beast, but Intel out of the box already runs these chips pretty hot and pushes aggressive voltages. You’re not alone in seeing 1.45–1.5 V spikes that’s actually pretty common on 13th/14th gen under Intel’s “default” (which is really just factory overclocked) settings.

Voltages (1.45–1.5 V spikes), that’s higher than what old-school overclockers would consider safe long term (1.35–1.4 V was the “sweet spot” for years). But Intel’s Adaptive Voltage design spikes like that on light/medium load all the time. Short spikes at those voltages won’t instantly fry your CPU... but those temps are actually really healthy for a 14900KF. People on air coolers easily see 80s–90s under stress. You’re chilling compared to them. Degradation happens over time when high voltage meets high temps. The fact that your temps stay under 70 °C is already a massive plus. If you were sitting at 1.45 V AND 90 °C every day, that’s when you’d shave years off the CPU’s life. At your temps, you’re fine for years of use. What you can do is flip off “Intel Optimized/Extreme” and stick with stock Intel baseline or apply an undervolt (via Adaptive/Offset). but this is optional. Enable Intel CEP (Current Excursion Protection) in BIOS if it isn’t already. Try ASUS MultiCore Enhancement OFF / Gigabyte Lite Load / Intel’s default “Baseline profile.” These usually pull voltages back a bit. If you wanna keep it safe and still max performance, undervolting by -0.05 V to -0.1 V Adaptive offset is a nice middle ground.

Reality check, unless you’re pushing AVX stress tests 24/7, you’re not gonna see “early” degradation at your settings. We’re talking maybe after 5–7 years of heavy use the chip won’t hit the same clocks. But let’s be real, by then you’ll probably be on some 17th-gen i9 or Ryzen 10000X. Your voltages look scary on paper, but they’re normal for 14900KF behavior. With your temps staying sub-70 °C, you are not at risk of rapid degradation. If it bugs you mentally, undervolt a bit for peace of mind, otherwise, game on and stop stress-scrolling forums

you can check this, Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Instability Root Cause Update

Guidance regarding Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen K/KF/KS instability reports

Rolandbox · ‎08-21-2025

Thanks a lot for your reply and helpful links!

Hearing that is indeed comforting. Since I made this post I have tried to make a few tweaks. I went into bios and set a voltage offset of -0.070. Without changing anything else. Did a few tests and played for a while without any issues. My Vcore went from 1.44v to 1.38v on average. Temps even if they weren't of any concern have also went down by atleast 5 degrees on average and up to 10-15 in some other scenarios.

On paper/stress tests I have lost a bit of performance like maybe 1-3%. But in games, where it actually matters for me or rendering, I didn't notice any change. My fps is the same, clocks at around 5000-5500 on average, load times the same, etc. On idle while sitting in menus or very low activity it usually sits at 1.4 and max clock speed but since it's during low load it won't cause any harm. I didn't check the wattage during low and heavy loads too but the pl1 and pl2 is at 253w as it should be. So I guess it should be fine.

1 of my games froze and had to end the task yesterday but I think it was some other issue involved tbh. Not because of undervolting instability. Still, I will keep an eye on that and make tweaks accordingly.

It's good to know that even if I left it like that it would've lasted for years and it's true that, by the time issues would arise, I will probably look for an upgrade. But I hope I won't have to for at least 5 years haha.

Have a great day!

jbruceyu · ‎08-21-2025

hey mate

...you did some really smart tweaking there. Dropping temps by 5–15° while keeping your fps and clocks steady is a solid win, and losing just 1–3% in synthetic benchmarks is barely noticeable in the real world, like you said. Gaming and rendering smooth = mission accomplished. One random freeze isn’t too alarming, especially if it hasn’t repeated, but you’re spot on to keep an eye on things and adjust if needed. Sounds like you’ve got your system dialed in for both performance and longevity. Honestly, with settings like that, your rig should keep you happy for years. By the time it shows its age, you’ll probably be ready to upgrade anyway.

it’s going to help others out there too. Hope the next 5 years are smooth gaming and zero glitches for you

...

jbruceyu[]

Rolandbox · ‎08-22-2025

Thanks for the kind words :)!

I hope it will indeed help others too and make the next 5 years smooth.

Interestingly enough, after testing even more games, I have noticed that usually the less demanding ones tend to have 1.4v on average jumping up to 1.42v at times and about 130w. Instead of 1.38v. Which is a bit unexpected, but in the grand scheme of things I should still be safe. Since like the comment above said, that these values are the norm and safe for such high-end cpus.

In both cases, whether the voltage is higher or lower temps very rarely exceed 65 degrees and if they do it's only for a few seconds. The average is usually around 55 degrees.

Besides, even if the voltage is higher in some games, which makes sense. Voltage never goes over 1.42 (1.415v to be more precise), even for spikes. Compared to before when it could go up to 1.5v and would average 1.45v+.

Thanks both again for replying and providing relief by doing so <3!

swampbuggyguy · ‎08-22-2025

Thank you so much for this post, I am completely new at this and only have had the i9 for 4 months, but after much reading lately I have had anxiety as well. I would give anything to know what your case / fans / cooler are to get those temperatures, I would love to get in that ballpark. Since I started learning about monitoring my temps have been 100+ and tonight after some minor tweaks (CPU Lite Load 11) my max temp is 92 with hardly any thermal throttling in a CB R23 benchmark (my score came up for first time). My voltage avg was 1.45 so I am in the ballpark there, but I need to get the temps down for sure. I might game w this thing 15 - 30 min a day with heavy usage at the max so I haven't been abusing it, but I want to do the best I can. Others in some of the gaming forums with i9's have temps in the 70's to 80's so I know it is possible, but I may have a bit of bad luck as well.

Rolandbox · ‎08-23-2025

Of course! It would be my pleasure :).

So, first things first my case is a H7 Flow RGB mid-tower which you can see here:
https://nzxt.com/en-intl/products/h7-flow-rgb?srsltid=AfmBOop0fFgCSZGu8pCT2Cm6LTdjKz-BEgCv6FXGizY0mJTLGv-EK6XF

The CPU is cooled with a Kraken Elite 360mm Liquid Cooler:
https://nzxt.com/en-intl/products/kraken-360-elite-rgb-1?srsltid=AfmBOoqt7Vdh1djIYsetp0OsWz_70in1Z8wejTFG7qS_Ct00WYyWL-m8

The case fans I am using are the following:

-3 in 1 F360 RGB core on the right side, which came included within the case:
https://nzxt.com/en-intl/products/f360-rgb-core?srsltid=AfmBOor1hQPQX1Dky89OkxJxTOC4naKRT8U_DGCb1OZ07168w44i04nn

-3 F120 RGB core from the triple pack at the bottom:
https://nzxt.com/en-intl/products/f120rgb-core-triple-pack-case-fans?srsltid=AfmBOop8b6mEcl0i-WQSlciHQYtXQQeKBEQ3VfiiL26syqSY5sZNHCCM

-1 F140 RGB on the left side:
https://nzxt.com/en-intl/products/f140-rgb?srsltid=AfmBOooR-ndSWowL3X9jGBH2YUQYrIOm9QOSQtxtuVQkqMN2nmvget4Z

If the 3 in 1 F360 wasn't included I would've gotten another triple pack of the 3 F120 RGB core as they have slightly better CFM and if one of em breaks I can easily replace it. If a fan breaks in the F360 one, you would have to throw away the whole thing.

I plugged all of these case fans into an NZXT RGB & Fan Controller using splitters so I can easily adjust the speed and RGB within NZXT's CAM software:
https://www.amazon.com/NZXT-RGB-Controller-AC-CRFR0-B1-6-Customization/dp/B0B1M2JVTY?th=1

The Liquid Cooler I plugged straight into the motherboard and I adjust it's speed from GCC software.

I took a picture so you can see the airflow directions here:

Now, let's talk about the temperatures, voltage and load. As you know, my temps tend to be at around 55 on average across all games. But in games such as overwatch 2 which aren't that demanding (at 4k 180 fps). Here voltages tend to be a bit higher, averaging 1.4v spiking up to 1.42. In demanding games such as kingdom come deliverance 2, temps are slightly higher averaging 60 degrees but the voltage is at 1.38v instead(still at 4k 140-180 fps). In both cases though, my temps rarely exceed 65 degrees and if they do it's only for a few seconds. I usually cap my fps at 180 fps since that's how much I my monitor can handle.

Stress tests are another story, in CB R32 for example, my voltages are surpisingly low between 1.20v-1.35v rarely going over that amount for a few seconds. Temps on the other hand are jumping between 70-75 degrees and sometimes go over that amount for few seconds. They never went over 80 at any time though. I have done some more stress tests using intel XTU or intel processor diagnostic tool and the results are pretty much the same. People will tell you that for a proper stress test you should use OCCT, but tbh you are never going to realistically run your system at such power for daily/gaming use.

Your temps combined with the average voltage you are experiencing are definitely concerning, at least from my point of view. As to why your temps are so high, it could be because of a number of reasons.

First of all, you will see that these cpus will usually run quite hot under load 75-85 degrees and at a high voltage as well 1.45v or more. By design, like the comment above said, the voltage is quite high compared to what used to be the norm. But combined with high temps like yours, it will definitely not be healthy over time. Even if you values tend to be common for 14 gen cpus.

Second of all, cooling. Your case might be a bit crowded or perhaps the airflow and position of the fans is set up incorrectly. You can see proper airflow and position of the fans to achieve it in the above picture. Also, it is painfully common for the CPU to have been poorly mounted. With bad quality thermal paste, too much or too little thermal paste or even terrible such as leaving the plastic label on it. All of these resulting in horrifying temps and degrdation. To blame are the ones that prebuilt your system, being on a hurry or just uncaring. Which is a thing that happens often to GPUs as well.

Another reason could be that you are pushing your system in a different way/ harder way. I game at 4k 180 fps, if I leave the fps uncapped, surely the temps will go up by a tiny bit 1-3, maybe more degrees. But in a supposedly poorly cooled environment those few degrees could be multiplied dramatically. I'd expect if you game at 8k and or with more fps let loose than I do, your temps might be higher in general. It's impossible to hit more than about 180 fps at 4k or 8k in very modern/demanding games even with the best specs out there though.

Your other components such as the GPU might be blowing hot air too which could contribute to the overall high temps. Maybe the GPU pulls too much voltage and results in high temps evacuated around it. Undervolting the gpu and or cpu will help with temps if done correctly but it shouldn't be needed unless these components already operate at their designed/safe voltages.

We also seem to have slightly different specs. I have an RTX 5090 Gamerock Palit, different components means better or worse cooling/performance. This specific gpu model is also known to handle temps better than others out there. Although, I can't confirm that myself. I also took a look at your PC case it looks really cool tbh, combined with your specs, you have a monster of a PC :D. But, I can tell that the airflow in here is poorer. Slightly less space, way less spots where the air can circulate in and out, different fan position, etc.

Some or all of these things combined might make you have very high temps. There might also be contributing factors we are missing. More experiments and troubleshooting required.

Things to try:
-undervolting
-change thermal paste
-change airflow (the case and/or fans)
-reduce unnecessary load (match your fps with your monitor's hz)
-speed up all fans speed

I hope that you will be able to achieve safe temps eventually and that I was able to give you a helping hand. If you have any question or if anything was confusing in my post, feel free to ask.

Take care :)!

swampbuggyguy · ‎08-28-2025

Thank you so much for the info, I have replied twice to this but for some reason it didn't save, lets try again. I love how open your case is, with fans in the bottom, that is top notch. Thank you for all the links, I have been checking them out. This is my first gaming computer, so I know little to nothing, and all the major forums were consistent in staying away from pre-built and building yourself or getting a custom build. I am very realistic, most times you get what you pay for, so I know there are limitations on my system. With that said, I love it, I have had little to no crashes, software issues or bugs, it really performs flawlessly. It was only when in the MSFS 2024 forum that someone posted about keeping the BIOS updated for Intel CPU's and checking temps with HWinfo that I realized I had an issue. The supplier offered me a new CPU, but I am not sure if I will get a product as good as what I have, so I am trying to work through this and I think I am on the right path. I am very mechanically talented, but changing thermal paste is probably a last resort, I am scared to death to touch anything inside the case. I have got the fans set to 90% at 40c, the GPU is down to about 68% vs 90% and the BIOS tweaks have made a difference. I am impressed that you got to -.070 undervolt, everything I have read said be happy with -.050 but try and stretch it. I was in Lite Mode 4 and tried -.050 and got major crash, Lite Mode 6 got CBR23 to run about 1 minute before it crashed. So I think my big question is this, should I just consider myself lucky and stay at 86c 1.347v with Lite Mode 8 and -.050 or should I try and keep reading and tweaking? Do I reset the BIOS and try the Intel Extreme software? Do I move the undervolt down to -.040 or -.030 and try to work the Lite Mode down as well? I only use this machine 15-30 minutes a day with MSFS 2024 so it will never see the same stress as a 10 minute Cinebench.

Here are my settings and results, if anyone wants to chime in please feel free. I really appreciate all the information and help.

*I still cannot post all my information, I keep getting HTML errors*

swampbuggyguy · ‎08-28-2025

CBR23 Max Temp V Notes

36,109 100C Factory BIOS

35,955 101C Updated BIOS - power limit 253/253

35,974 92C 1.457 Lite Mode 11

36,792 84C 1.375 Lite Mode 6

36,857 91C 1.36 Lite Mode 5

36,808 90C 1.382 Lite Mode 4

36,994 87C 1.43 Lite Mode 11, CPU Core Offset -.050

37,389 86C 1.347 Lite Mode 8, CPU Core Offset -0.50

Crash – Lite Mode 4, Lite Mode 6 negative offset .050 – jumped back to 11

Enhanced Turbo – Disabled
Intel Turbo Max 3.0 - Disabled
Short Duration – 210w, Long Duration – 200w
CPU (a) – 307
IA CEP – disabled
IA CEP 14th – disabled
CPU undervolt protection – disabled
CPU Core voltage mode – offset
CPU offset mode – [-] by CPU
CPU Core voltage offset - .050

Rolandbox · ‎08-29-2025

Thanks for your replies and for sharing the results! Also, don't worry. I have ran into the same issues as you when I tried to write down a message here.

After looking over the changes you've made, I'd say you did a pretty good job. Your temps have dropped considerably and you are now sitting at a safe value. You are averaging around 64C degrees and not exceeding 86C which is great. I'd recommend you stick with this current setup, which is Lite Mode 8, CPU core offset -0.50.

Making these tweaks straight from BIOS was also the right call as programs are less reliable in terms of stability and compatibility with other apps and games currently running. Although it's good to use an app to undervolt for the first time so it's easier to make tweaks instead of restarting each time. And in case something goes wrong (unable to boot) the changes stay in the program rather than the BIOS itself. But you don't need to do that anymore.

As for the voltage, to know for sure if you are in the safe range, you need to check in hwinfo for "CPU core voltage" or "CPU Vcore. It's the specific voltage supplied to your CPU by the motherboard. That is the one that should be monitored, every other kind of CPU voltage measurement there isn't what we need. You can also activate the overlay and check your Vcore directly in-game if you wish. If the Vcore averages <1.4v with rare spikes for few seconds up to even 1.5v you should be very good. Although if you are averaging 1.45v- 1.50v and spikes exceed the maximum 1.52 voltage allowed combined with high temps, it will definitely make your cpu degrade faster. Not to a very dangerous degree as these voltages are the norm for 14 gen CPUs especially after the BIOS updates, before the updates they could easily exceed 1.5v which wasn't safe at all. But eveything over 1.45v on average combined with high temps for a long time will definitely lead to premature degradation. Your temps look fine, meaning that the Vcore should also be running at a safe value, but we need to check to be sure.

As for the other BIOS changes you've made, they will also make a difference in performance and temps.

Disabling enchanced turbo and intel turbo max 3.0 will def help with temps but will also be the most costly in terms of performance loss. Although in games it shouldn't really make a noticeable difference. Even stress tests might show a negligible change. Especially if the undervolting was done correctly.

In our case disabling IA CEP and still being able to run the tests and game smoothly without a loss in performance (37000+ score) means it was done accordingly.

The short and long power duration tweaks you've made should also bring nice performance since they operate between the parameters and should lower temps especially if your cpu was always pushing above these before.

Everything else had to be done so you would be able to undervolt.

As for your concerns regarding a replacement for your CPU could be valid, but if you start experiencing crashes often, BSOD and other stability issues while running the CPU at the recommended values above... it might mean that your CPU might have already degraded during this short period of usage. It is unlikely since you said you use it for such short periods of time but the damage can be ireversible if it happened. Only a new replacement could truly solve this problem.

Considering the change of thermal paste as a last resort is also a good way of handling things. Even if it's a common issue, it's good that you looked into other options first.

I am an electromechanic and while computers, laptops, phones, their hardware and software are only a passion tied to the hobby of gaming, I can say that thermal paste changing is among the easiest things to do even if it looks invasive. It's the first time that was the hardest for me, following every step anxiously and precisely to be sure it will be a successful operation. But after I pulled it off it became something trivial. There are plenty of very detailed tutorials out there if you ever decide to do it.

In the end, with the current settings you have made, you are sitting at safe temps and probably voltage too. Our temps still differ, my temps are by at least 5 degrees lower with a lot more agressive BIOS settings. Such as pl1-pl2 being at 253w and everything turbo related turned on except the vcore offset being at -0.70. Which might still expose a cooling issue, be it case or thermal paste related, or cuz of the slight difference we have in hardware, software and load. Room temperature also matters.

Congratulations on this being your first gaming PC and may it run smooth and safe for years to come! If you need further assistance I will be glad to help.

swampbuggyguy · ‎08-29-2025

Thank you so much for the links and information, it is greatly appreciated. I thought I was going to stay at mode 8 and negative .050 but I thought I would be greedy and run .045 and mode 7 - results - 37,328 CBR23, 84C max temp, CoreVid 1.363, VCore 1.320

Rolandbox · ‎08-30-2025

Thanks for your reply and I'm glad I was able to help!

Haha I see! Now that we know the Vcore as well under stress tests it is clear now. Your temps and Vcore look safe under heavy load. With this setting you have slightly higher temps which shouldn't do any harm and you also won a tiny bit of performance. You could either stick with this for the slightly better performance or the other lite mode 8 -0.50 for safer temps.

Although the difference is neglicible in both cases, you have done a great job and have reached safe temps and voltage while also maintaining the high performance of this CPU.

In the end, any of the 2 options are great for daily and longevity. Congrats :D!!

swampbuggyguy · ‎08-30-2025

I say I am going to stop here, but who knows, but I am pleased with the results so far..........

-.035 and Lite Mode 5: Max Temp 82C, CoreVID 1.339, VCore 1.336, CBR23 37,306, short duration 210w, long 200w

I did run a combination that got me a high of 37,567 but with 88C temps, I am thrilled to be in the 82C range

Rolandbox · ‎08-31-2025

Certainly a huge difference compared to what you had when you first came here. You achieved safe voltage and temps with a non-invasive procedure.

May you enjoy gaming anxiety free from now on :D!!

I9 14900kf voltage and degradation

Intel® Core™ Processors