random crashes on I7-14700k

[rswoods]

I bought my I7-14700k last August, along with a Gigabyte Aorus z790 Elite MB. I updated the bios to the latest. The system ran fine for the first couple of months, but then it started randomly crashing or turning itself off. My computer is on 24/7. It will sometimes run for a couple of weeks with no problems, sometimes it will crash twice in an hour. I thought it might be the PSU, so I replaced that. No better. I replaced the motherboard with an MSI Pro Z790A Max wifi. It's still crashing. I can run several stress tests with no problem. I continually monitor temps, it's not overheating. Sometimes it crashes when it's doing absolutely nothing, sometimes simply watching a video. The crashes range from simply locking up, to spontaneously rebooting, to a bluescreen. There's nothing in Event Viewer except that the previous system shutdown was unexpected. I'm not a gamer... I've run Intel's Processor Diagnostic Tool, it passes with flying colors.

I could use some help/suggestions... I've been building my own computers for ~30 years, and I've always used Intel. Never had problems like I'm having with this one.

Thanks..

[DhannielM_Intel · Accepted solution]

Hello rswoods,

Thank you for posting in the community. To further investigate this issue, I have a few questions for clarification. Please review the following:

1. Can you confirm that your MSI motherboard is updated to the latest BIOS version, specifically version 7E07vM8?
2. Have you tested with different RAM modules?
3. Have you tried using one RAM module at a time to identify any potential RAM issues?
4. Are there any signs of physical damage to your processor, or have you delidded it?
5. Have you attempted to overclock your processor, either through the BIOS or using an application? If so, could you provide the name of the application? Please be aware that overclocking beyond the processor's supported specifications may void the warranty.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[rswoods]

Thanks for replying. The BIOS is the latest, there is no physical damage to the proc, and I was not overclocking it. Early on I had messed with undervolting it using XTU, but when the crashes started happening I restored the BIOS to optimized defaults.

I have an update, just figured it out last night. While I had not tested with different RAM modules, I had run four complete passes of memtest86 on my RAM and it passed with zero errors, so in my mind that ruled out the RAM as being the problem. The one thing I had not tried was using one stick at a time. Last night I tested the first stick and the problem was still there: it crashed almost immediately on Prime95. I swapped the sticks and ... success! The XTU stress test completed successfully, and it ran Prime95 for 20 minutes.

Lesson learned... I really wish I had tested the sticks separately early on. It would have saved me a lot of time, headaches, and $$$.

I've ordered new RAM. When it's installed, probably later this week, I'll report back.

[TenaciousDennis]

Glad I found this as a Message! I have the Same Problem with an ASUS z790 Dark Hero Board and I am working on it for weeks now. Also changed PSU, Updated BIOS and drivers. It got better but the Problem is still there. It seems to have something to do with C-State Levels and Powermanagement in the CPU. The Hypervisor error BSOD is usually part of the crash, but it also happens when you turn virtualization off in the BIOS. Even with a clean Windows Installation newest drivers and everything, this Problem comes always back, sometimes in idle, sometimes when you do something. I also caught it during logging into Windows after it happened a first time. I‘m pretty sure at this Point, that it happens on ACPI Communication that changes C-State Levels. It drives me mad and I wanna know if its a Hardware Problem RMA of if I can do anything Else, but I‘m running out of options (Sorry, english is Not my first Language)

[TenaciousDennis]

I managed to provide my information more structured:

Title: Instability with Intel Core i7-14700K (Hypervisor Error / HvRequestIdle) on Windows 11 24H2

Affected Setup:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-14700K

• Mainboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero (BIOS 1801)

• OS: Windows 11 Pro 24H2 Build 26100.3624 (Release Preview)

Issue: For several weeks now, my system has been experiencing sudden reboots, freezes (without BSOD), or occasional blue screens with the message HYPERVISOR_ERROR. In a recent minidump file, the faulting driver was intelppm.sys, specifically the function HvRequestIdle.

The issue mainly occurs under the following conditions:

• Virtualization is enabled in BIOS (VT-x / VT-d)

• VBS / HVCI (Memory Integrity / Core Isolation) is active in Windows

• CPU enters idle state (e.g., shortly after boot or during desktop idle)

Steps Already Taken:

• Multiple clean installations of Windows 11 (both Insider and stable builds)

• BIOS updated to version 1801

• PSU replaced (ASUS ROG Thor 1000W → identical model)

• RAM tested (no errors found)

• All drivers up to date (Intel ME, chipset, Realtek, etc.)

• System tested with minimal software environment

Observations:

• When virtualization is disabled in BIOS, the issue does not occur (or only as freezes without BSODs)

• OCCT Power Test almost always causes immediate reboot with virtualization enabled

• BIOS update significantly reduced but did not eliminate the issue

• Failures often follow automatic audio device switching (SteelSeries Sonar, Discord, etc.)

• Other users with i7-14700K report similar issues on different motherboards (including MSI)

Faulty Component? It seems likely that this is either a bug in the Intel microcode or an immature interaction between Windows virtualization features and the 14th Gen CPU power management. intelppm.sys is frequently reported in this context.

Questions to Intel:

• Is Intel aware of the HvRequestIdle / intelppm.sys bug affecting 14th Gen CPUs?

• Is a microcode or driver fix being worked on?

• Are there recommended stable BIOS settings or Windows configurations for this scenario?

Goal: I want to use VBS, Core Isolation, and other modern security features without instability or having to disable virtualization entirely. The issue appears unrelated to PSU, mainboard, or RAM and seems to lie in a constellation involving the CPU and Windows.

I welcome any feedback, especially from Intel or other users experiencing the same issue!

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello rswoods, 

I'm pleased to hear that you were able to isolate the issue through trial and error with the RAM. I'll await your report on the installation of the new RAM. Additionally, @TenaciousDennis, I understand you're experiencing a similar issue, and I recommend creating a separate thread so another representative can assist you further with this matter.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[VonM_Intel]

Hello rswoods,

Thank you for your continued engagement and for sharing your progress in isolating the issue through your RAM testing. I wanted to check in and see if you’ve had a chance to review our previous post regarding this matter as you proceed with installing the new RAM. Your feedback on whether those insights were useful would be greatly appreciated, as it helps ensure we're aligned on next actions.

Best regards,

Von M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[rswoods]

The new should RAM arrive today. I'll install it either today or tomorrow and report back.

Yes, DhannielM_Intel's response was helpful as I had not previously tested the sticks one at a time.

[rswoods]

I got the new RAM installed, and so far so good.

My thanks to DhannielM_Intel for his suggestion to try one RAM stick at a time. I wish I had done it sooner...

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello rswoods,

I'm pleased to hear that replacing your RAM resolved the issue. Since the problem has been addressed, I will close this inquiry. If you require further assistance, please feel free to submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician