i7 13700k Overheating

[Amarok5]

Hello, I've had my i7 13700k since 2023, and I need help with an overheating issue.

I have had this issue since day 1 and i've done everything, including undervolting, updating the BIOS, and lowering the load line. However, every time I make any adjustments that reduce heat, the performance suffers.

I've recently looked into the microcode, and that has been a problem in itself. Even though I have updated the BIOS, when I use HWinfo 64 it tells me my microcode is still 0x104.  

The only setting I've changed in my BIOS is Load line to mode 5 and XMP enabled and I get an average of 14-15k on Cinebench R23.
When I run stock BIOS settings I get 28-29k, but within 5 seconds I shoot to 100c.

Here is my current build:
Current BIOS version: 7D98vHB 
Motherboard: MSI B760 GAMING PLUS WIFI
CPU: i7 13700k
GPU: MSI 4070 Ti Super Gaming x slim
Ram: G.skill DDR5 Trident 64 GBs 6400mhz MHz

[pressed_for_time]

Undervolting requires  the use of an earlier microcode - 0x104 - which is why this is being shown by HWINFO64. It's linked to a BIOS setting that disables UnderVolt Protection to allow undervolting. Changing the BIOS setting to enable UnderVolt Protection will then activate microcode 0x12B for MSI BIOS 7D98vHB. This is one of a series of updates intended to mitigate the Vmin Shift issue and ensure the best system stability and performance.

If you have not already done so install the latest Intel chipset driver and Intel Management Engine (ME) driver. And the latest ME firmware update 16.1.35.2557.

With 0x12B the BIOS should have an Intel Default Settings (IDS) option, and this is recommended as a standard choice. I run the slightly later microcode 0x12F, you would need to update to the latest MSI BIOS update to get that. IDS sets the PL1, PL2 and ICCMAX values to the Intel defaults.

[Amarok5]

Hey pressed_for_time,

Thank you for taking the time to help me, you were right the UnderVolt Protection was enabled and was causing the microcode to stay as 0x104. I followed everything you said. I updated the BIOS to MSI 7D98vHC1 (0x12F), checked for the latest chipset drivers, which I believe is automatically updated by Windows, and the latest version of Intel Management Engine driver is installed.

Within the BIOS for MSI, Intel Default Setting for MSI BIOS is underneath the CPU Cooler Setup, which is default and enabled.

I will say it feels like a slight difference within performance, but with only the settings you told me to change it still jumps up to 100°C within 5 seconds, and the clock speeds fall down a bit. Ill go ahead and turn back on CPU loadline 5, which helps me keep the heat down, but again it tanks the performance quite a bit.

[pressed_for_time]

Looking at the figures shown in HWMonitor PL2 (Short Power Max) is set to 253W which is correct. PL1 (Power Max) is set to 253W but the default setting is 125W. ICCMAX is not shown but the default value is 307 A. I think MSI call this Maximum Current and it will be in the BIOS somewhere and is probably set to a higher setting. MSI has a history of not respecting Intel default settings. Part of the reason is that setting power and maximum current limits higher boosts the multicore performance score in benchmarks like Cinebench. It also means higher power consumption and higher temperatures. In my opinion Cinebench is not a reliable guide to performance for gaming systems. A gaming benchmark or just one of the games you normally play is a better guide to system performance and typical temperatures.

I have not run Cinebench R23 for some time but running it today at Intel Default Settings I get the temperature results shown in the graphic below. As you can my maximum temperature is 97C. In part this reflects that I am in the Northern Hemisphere and it's the middle of summer. So ambient temperature is a factor. I do have a case with all the fan slots filled and all fans run at max revs once CPU temperature exceeds 85C.

[Amarok5]

I went through my bios again and manually changed the settings for PL1, PL2, and ICCMAX which was called "CPU Current Limit (A)".
It gave me roughly the same results, and my ambient temperature is about 27 °C, so kind of hot to start off with. 

I also fully agree; Cinebench is not a great test for gaming, but I don't know of any other software to stress-test the CPU, so I use this as a worst-case scenario to see if a game would max out my CPU. 

When I play Overwatch 2 or Escape from Tarkov, my CPU is at 80c minimum (Even in menus) and slowly rises as I play even with my loadline set to mode 5. I know 80c isn't a crazy number but im only using 40% of cpu most of the time, and I've seen people with a similar build and cooler to mine getting the full power of this CPU maxing out at 80-85°C. 

I think I will keep these limits set, I might drop the Pl2 slightly and I will try setting my loadline a bit higher to a 7 for now.

[ArchieD_Intel]

Hi Amarok5,

Thank you for reaching out to the Intel Community Forum. I've sent an email to your active email address for the next step of the process.

Please check both your Inbox and Spam folder for my email, and once received, kindly acknowledge it.

Hi pressed_for_time, thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,

Archie D.

Intel Customer Support Technician