13700K frequencies lower than expected

[MeGiant]

Hi, I'm wondering if my i7 13700k displays normal behavior.

Using an AIO, with default (new BIOS, intel recommended) settings, it goes up to 100C very fast. Furthermore, the frequencies under stress are

p-cores: 5.287

e-cores 3.990

Where they should be 5.400 and 4.200 as far as I know. On Cinebench r23 I get close to 29k score, where 30k+ should be normal for this CPU; this seems to confirm something is wrong.

I proceeded to undervolt (lower AC LL and adaptive Vcore + negative offset). This lowers temperatures (and Vcore), but this does not change the max frequencies provided.

Does anyone know what is happening? Is it possible my CPU has degraded?

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello MeGiant,

Thank you for posting in the community. To further assist you on this matter I would like to inquire few questions about your concerns. As such please answer the following questions:

1. Could you please provide the exact model of your motherboard?
2. Please share the power scheme that you are using on your system (Power saver, Balanced, High Performance, Ultimate Performance)
3. Can you confirm if you are currently using the Intel Default Setting?
4. Is your system newly built or has it been in use for some time?
5. Also, I am curious about the benchmark comparison you included on your post, can you share to me the link where you comparing the values?
6. Has this issue occurred before, or is this the first time you are experiencing it?
7. Are there any signs of physical damage on your processor, or have you delidded it?
8. Have you tried overclocking your processor, either in the BIOS or through an application? If so, could you please provide the name of the application? Please note that if the system was overclocked, including voltage/frequency beyond the processor's supported specifications, it may void the warranty.

Your detailed responses will help me find resolution to the issue more efficiently. Thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MeGiant]

Hi Dhanniel M.,

Thanks for your reply. The answers on your questions are below.

1. Could you please provide the exact model of your motherboard?

MSI Pro Z690-A DDR 4

1. Please share the power scheme that you are using on your system (Power saver, Balanced, High Performance, Ultimate Performance)

High Performance

1. Can you confirm if you are currently using the Intel Default Setting?

In my BIOS I selected the Intel default setting provided by MSI. I checked the settings of this profile wit Intel provided settings (Imgur: The magic of the Internet). In that sheet, Intel recommends using the 'Performance' power delivery profile, so I checked that with the BIOS settings. This means ICCMAX 307A, PL1 253W, PL2 253W.

1. Is your system newly built or has it been in use for some time?

It has been in use since februari 2023. BIOS was updated around april 2023 and again in december 2024.

1. Also, I am curious about the benchmark comparison you included on your post, can you share to me the link where you comparing the values?

Review benchmarks seem to get 31K+ (https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/benchmark-intel_core_i7_13700k-cinebench_r23_multi_core)

There are some threads to be found online about users getting lower scores, and others replying they get (well) above 30K or even higher (e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/intel/comments/yx5rts/is_this_normal_performance_for_13700k/)

1. Has this issue occurred before, or is this the first time you are experiencing it?

When I first installed the CPU in februari 2023, it became very hot very fast on stock settings. I thought my cooling was inadequate, so I bought a new AOI cooler to reduce this. I did some research into undervolting back then as well. But with the new cooler the overheating was less of a problem and I just ran the standard settings on XMP1 profile.

Last month (december 2024) I found out there was some discussion about Intel/BIOS settings and CPU degradation, resulting in some critical BIOS updates in august 2024, so I updated the BIOS and undervolted.

1. Are there any signs of physical damage on your processor, or have you delidded it?

When I installed it there were no visible signs of damage. It's not delidded, it's cooled with an AIO in a regular way.

1. Have you tried overclocking your processor, either in the BIOS or through an application? If so, could you please provide the name of the application? Please note that if the system was overclocked, including voltage/frequency beyond the processor's supported specifications, it may void the warranty.

I've not overclocked, as the heat was a problem from the start, so the challange has always been to run it properly on stock settings.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello MeGiant,

Thanks for sharing this information to me, I just have some follow up inquiry that I would like to ask. Could you try using the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool (IPDT). This tool while test the capabilities and features of your processor, and check if there are anything wrong with your processor. You may follow this link for the instructions: The Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool Overview, Download, and Documentation

After the test you may send a screenshot of the result, and can you confirm if your current bios version 7D25v1K? Thank you for your cooperation, and I look forward to your reply.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MeGiant]

Thanks for your reply.

Attached the image of the diagnostic test.

In the image the BIOS version is also visible.

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello MeGiant,

It seems that the IPDT results passed. There are just a few questions that I would like to ask you:

1. Since you mentioned that your CPU temperature reached 100°C, have you checked other AIO or CPU coolers to see if they resolve the temperature issue?
2. Does the temperature reach 100°C when you are in the BIOS and idle, or only when the CPU is under load?
3. Have you tried re-applying new thermal paste?

Lastly, could you try using the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) and run the Stress Test for 30 minutes? Please monitor the temperature and let me know if it reaches 100°C or not. You can download the XTU using this link.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello MeGiant,

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

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hello MeGiant,

Since I haven't received a response from you, I will be closing this inquiry. If you need further assistance, please submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician