shader compilation and Unreal Engine 5

[Davu]

Hi, everyone. Rather than asking for direct help — since I realize this isn’t something that can be solved here — my intention is simply to bring this issue to your attention.

I’ve noticed that Intel 13th/14th‑gen CPUs have significant problems with shader compilation, and specifically there is a consistent pattern involving Unreal Engine 5.

(Just to be clear: we are talking about perfectly functional CPUs with no instability or other system issues.)

What happens is that during shader compilation in Unreal Engine 5, the CPU triggers several TLB errors and this occurs only when Unreal Engine 5 is involved.

For example, I’m using a 14600K, not even one of the most power‑hungry CPUs on LGA1700. What I’ve observed is that if, at the exact moment UE5 starts compiling shaders, there is a high voltage request on the V‑core, TLB errors appear and the engine crashes (not the whole system only Unreal Engine 5 or the game running on it).

Since I’m a fan of MMORPGs, I first noticed this with Aion 2, which even had a dedicated support page for this issue. Today Legend of Ymir launched on Steam another UE5 MMORPG and it crashes with the same symptoms. (And of course this is not limited to MMORPGs. For reproducible single‑player examples, I’ve seen similar behavior in Borderlands 4, also on UE5.)

I understand that analyzing and possibly solving this problem requires time, collaboration, and deeper investigation, and it obviously cannot be resolved here. However, considering how popular LGA1700 is and how well it is selling right now, and considering that Unreal Engine is currently the most widely used game engine in the world, I wanted to bring this situation to your attention in case you weren’t already aware of it.

Thank you, and have a good day.

( Anyway, I only provided a few examples in case you needed reproducible cases, but this basically happens in any Unreal Engine 5 game. )

[windows_guru]

I have 13th gen laptops with Iris Xe graphics and many games run fine on the Intel graphics

Many did not even needed to be adjusted as the developer evidently tuned the game for shared libraries etc

[pressed_for_time]

There was a historic problem with Intel 13th and 14th gen K, KF and KS processors and Unreal Engine games. This was due to Vmin shift instability, This was fixed with BIOS and driver updates some time ago so a machine with one of these processors running the latest BIOS and drivers will not be subject to this issue.

Unreal Engine 5 developers are well aware that a significant percentage of users will use Steam to download the game. For this reason there is every incentive to minimize the size of the package to reduce download times. This includes compressing game resources such as textures to the smallest size possible. Epic Games provides an option for developers to use Oodle which is an ultra-high compression utility integrated into UE 5, said to potentially reduce package size by up to 40%. Ultra-high compression naturally means ultra high decompression of game resources when the game is started.  This does lead to substantial loading on CPUs so a high voltage request on the V‑core would be normal.

There is another issue with Oodle which is that it is set to exit the game if the slightest error is detected when decompressing a game resource. What this looks like to the user is that the game starts to run and then crashes. Oodle will generate error messages and codes, and the game should have a folder where these can be located. Some gamers have found that running the game multiple times will eventually generate a complete game resource and the game will then run.

If this does not work you should contact the game developers or use any system they have to report issues which may include the ability to upload error files and logs. The online community for the game may have some potential solutions.

[Davu]

Look, I’m probably switching to Nova Lake as soon as it comes out at the end of the year. I went with an i5 exactly because I expected issues on LGA1700 I knew I’d have to upgrade the CPU anyway since I’m running a 5070 Ti. (And yeah, I’ve reported the individual cases I experienced, some of them months ago, but obviously they don’t seem very interested in fixing anything on Intel’s side…) Maybe someone who bought an i9 and plans to stay on LGA1700 for a long time will care, I don’t know. As for me, since I use the PC for work, overclocking, and gaming, it’s basically impossible to stay on LGA1700 long‑term. But I already knew that — I picked the i5 as a cheap temporary solution until the new socket arrives.

To fix it I could simply downclock the CPU… that way it wouldn’t hit those sudden voltage‑demand spikes and the errors wouldn’t happen.
The problem is that on an i5, downclocking it (and lowering the ring/cache as well) means leaving a lot of performance on the table  especially because this chip actually boosts up to i9‑level frequencies.
And it’s not like mine needs crazy voltage either. For example, stock my motherboard was already asking for 1.30 V.
I tweaked it with a small undervolt of –25 mV so the P‑cores could still hit 5.7 GHz, E‑cores 4.2 GHz, and ring/cache 5.0 GHz, all while staying at the same 1.30 V it wanted at stock.
So yeah, I definitely got a slightly above‑average silicon sample.

[Robin_Intel]

Thank you for reaching out to the Intel Community Forum. To assist us in investigating the issue, please provide the following details

Does the issue occur only during cutscenes? Or does it also happen during regular gameplay or menus?

What are the troubleshooting steps that you tried so far?

Is the Resizable Bar enabled?

Have you used Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove all residual drivers and installed a new one?

Have you tried adjusting the graphics settings?

Could you provide a screenshot of your in-game display and graphics settings?

Additionally, to gain a comprehensive understanding of your system, please use the System Support Utility (SSU). This tool will generate a text file compiling all your system information. You can follow the instructions at this link and send the text file here. Help Guide for the Intel® System Support Utility.

NOTE:

Kindly uncheck the NETWORK/NETWORKING box to avoid sharing your IP

Download Intel® System Support Utility for Windows* software. When the download is complete, launch SSU.exe.

1. Scan: Check the box Everything.
2. Click Scan.
3. Review: When finished scanning, click Next.
4. Click Save.

If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you.

Best regards,

Robin G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Davu]

Hi, so this issue happens every time  both during the first shader compilation in cutscenes and during the smaller shader compilations that occur while you're playing. The difference is that during the first, full shader compilation at the very first launch, the system almost always crashes.

During the smaller compilations instead (for example when entering a new area), it only triggers a WHEA error. I checked with HWiNFO64 and it reports a TVB-related error. In these minor cases, most of the time it only throws the WHEA error but the system doesn’t crash.

Over time I’ve reported all the different problems, but it doesn’t seem like anyone has shown much interest in the issue… ( I reported it to the individual game developers… the only ones I haven’t reported it to are Epic, the ones who make the engine ) and honestly today I just wanted to make sure you were aware of it.

The only way to prevent it from happening is to keep the voltage below 1.3 V. My motherboard, with Intel default settings enabled, requests more than 1.3 V at stock.

[Davu]

Oh, I almost forgot: I didn’t test this only on my PC (the one I linked earlier). I also tried, for example, on a friend’s 14700KF (he bought it recently, at most a month ago). And it’s the exact same thing… even there, the only way to stop it from happening is to go below 1.3 V.

Actually, what I noticed on my 14600K is that once you go under that threshold, the issues disappear completely… but on the i7 they don’t, they keep popping up.

This is what I wanted to make clear: it’s not a problem with my system.

Thanks again for your time, take care!

[Robin_Intel]

Hello Davu.

Thank you for putting the effort to your response,

I would like to recommend a Troubleshooting steps to try and resolve the concern, kindly follow the steps below:

• Try to load the default BIOS setting in your system, or update the BIOS. Refer to the motherboard manufacturer for support with BIOS updates.
• Update Windows*. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update.
• Check for overheating issues. Make sure the thermal solution is compatible and installed properly. Refer to troubleshooting overheating issues.
• Start the system in minimal configuration. Minimal configuration: motherboard, processor, power supply unit, and one DRAM module.
• Check the power supply to ensure it is suitable for your self-built system.
• Check for memory issues:
  • Try to have a sufficient amount of memory in your build system.
  • Try different memory sticks.
  • Make sure the memory is seated well.
• Try another motherboard if possible.
• Run CPU stress test for Windows* and Linux*.
  • For Windows use the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool and run Burn-in Test.
  • For Linux, look up available stress tests for Linux.
• Try to get a fresh image of the operating system.
• Update your bios to the latest version

Please let me know if the troubleshooting steps helped, if not please let me know and I will be further investigating your case

Best regards,

Robin G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Davu]

Hi, thanks… look, this is exactly what I wanted to point out to you: anyone running completely stock CPUs (I had already said we’re talking about perfectly working CPUs with zero stability issues) experiences this problem in UE5. You know what the thing is? Most of the time people don’t even notice it, because the cpu manages to recover from the error, or at worst the game just crashes so the majority of users never realize it. You actually have to go check manually to notice there’s a WHEA error; personally I check with HWiNFO64.

For example, I built my friend’s PC last month  14700KF, a different motherboard than mine, everything on default  and the same thing happens… (we’re talking about the first long shader compilation).

I reported it to the developers of the individual games where I encountered it, but apparently they’re not interested. So when I saw it happening on yet another game, I decided to bring it up here.

This is what I’m trying to tell you: someone running out‑of‑the‑box hardware, with everything at default, still runs into this issue. And since I’ve noticed that, given the current global situation, these CPUs are selling very well lately, I thought it was worth mentioning  especially since we’re probably talking about the most widespread engine in the world, unfortunately…

[Robin_Intel]

Hello Davu.

Thank you for putting the effort to your response,

I would like to further Investigate your case, with I would like to gather few more information:

1. Could you provide us 1 game that you want to focus?
2. Kindly provide us your game settings for this game.

Additionally I would like to Suggest some Troubleshooting steps that may help fixing your concern:

1. Can you try disabling the iGPU and see if the issue still persists?
2. Update your bios to the latest version.

Please let me know if the troubleshooting steps helped, if not please let me know and I will be further investigating your case.

Best regards,

Robin G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Robin_Intel]

Hello Davu.

I wanted to check if you had the chance to review the questions I posted. Please let me know at your earliest convenience so that we can determine the best course of action to resolve this matter.

Best regards,

Robin G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Robin_Intel]

Hello Davu.

I see that you've responded on our web portal, and you’d like to proceed with closing this request. Please note that I have also sent you a response there. With that, I will now close this inquiry. If you require further assistance, please submit a new request, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Robin G.

Intel Customer Support Technician