Intel i9 11900K defect or fault??

[Rothschild]

Hi Intel.

This is regarding 11900K processors although I have seen people with the same problem with some 11700K processors.

I have only had my 11900K processor for roughly 3 weeks now, bought brand new boxed version.

Me along with some other people are having issues with temperature monitoring programs randomly displaying Minimum Core temperatures at 0*C. This happens with numerous monitoring programs including the popular HWinfo & Core Temp programs. 

Sometimes this happens with all cores but for me most of the time it's on Core "0". Relaunching the monitoring programs fixes this but only temporarily until eventually many cores list their recorded minimum at 0*C. Many of us with these issues have the silicon lottery score of approximately "50". ASUS called this "SP" in their Prediction Tab in UEFI. I don't know if that's relevant or coincidence.

Also most of us with this problem have also experienced Windows BSOD stop error with the message "Clock Watchdog Timeout".

People have confirmed as have I that when disabling C-States in UEFI these issues are resolved for some reason. This could be due to the fact that disabling C-States also disables ABT which limits the CPU's frequency at 5.1GHz max rather than the 5.3GHz that ABT usually allows.

I have the latest motherboard BIOS. This problem is not only restricted to one brand or any specific motherboard model only but rather many z590 motherboard brands such as my ASUS ROG Strix z590-E.

The following links are other sources of people experiencing the same issues ::

https://www.overclock.net/threads/a-possible-defect-in-11th-gen-cpus-i-just-got-done-speaking-to-intel.1792599/

https://linustechtips.com/topic/1366165-z590-with-i9-11900k-frequent-freezesblue-screens-bug-in-intel/page/2/

I have the latest drivers of everything on my motherboard including the latest firmware for Intel ME.

I have run the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool & have passed it all but with pretty high temperatures.

When I run the Intel XTU CPU Stress Test (no AVX just plain CPU Stress Test) my CPU temperature goes from idle 35-40 to 80-95 sometimes higher nearly INSTANTLY as in 3-4 seconds usually 3, this results to Power Throttling & sometimes but less often even Thermal Throttling.

For my CPU cooling I have the highly regarded & popular Noctua NH-D15s.

I'd like to resolve this quickly but it's taking me longer than expected & I only have about 10 days left to return it to my store.

What steps should I take next? Should I just return it to my store ? 

Thanks for your time.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @Rothschild

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

Please kindly review the below information about these topics:

A- Regarding the behavior "Minimum core temperature tab in HWInfo64 showing 0 °C for Intel®Processor":

We would like to inform you that we have confirmed that this is a misreading situation (i.e. actual temp cannot be 0 C ) and this is currently under further investigation and we are working on a fix; however, we don't have an ETA for this.

B- Regarding the temperature going from idle 35-40 to 80-95, Power Throttling & Thermal Throttling:

The Junction Temperature (TJUNCTION) for the Intel® Core™ i9-11900K Processor, which is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die is 100°C.

Many Intel® processors make use of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which allows them to operate at a very high frequency for a short amount of time. When the processor is operating at or near its maximum frequency it's possible for the temperature to climb very rapidly and quickly reach higher or its maximum temperature and being at maximum temperature while running a workload isn't necessarily cause for concern.

In sustained workloads, or under CPU Stress tests, it's possible the processor will operate at or near its maximum temperature limit. In those scenarios, good system integration and thermal solution are crucial to get the benefits of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and avoid overheating issues.

Power limit throttling

There can be multiple reasons why the power limit is throttling on the processor. The three common reasons for power limit throttling:

• Processor Power Limits PL1/PL2 is set too low in Intel® XTU.
• Core Voltage limit is set too low in Intel® XTU.
• System doesn’t have sufficient cooling and power delivery.

Thermal Throttling

This is a thermal protection that activates when a core exceeds the set throttle temperature in order to reduce power to bring the temperature back below that point. The throttle temperature can vary by processor and BIOS settings (e.g.: computer manufacturers (OEM) may configure power settings for greater processor performance and this may push the capabilities to supply sufficient cooling or power delivery headroom).

If the conditions are such that throttling is unable to keep the temperature down, such as a thermal solution failure or incorrect assembly, the processor will automatically shut down to prevent permanent damage.

If you have confirmed that your thermal solution is working properly and it can dissipate the extra heat that may generate due to high frequency, sustained workloads, and/or Stress tests, we would recommend reviewing these suggestions:

1. Ensure that the airflow of the system and the fans are not restricted to guarantee their maximum performance and verify that chassis internal airflow is adequate. If using multiple fans, please also check general airflow rate and direction are correct to confirm that overall system intake and exhaust are balanced.
2. Make sure the system is working under the recommended environmental conditions.
3. Ensure radiator fans are plugged into appropriate board headers and that the right amount of thermal interface material (TIM) on the processor has been applied. We recommend checking with the Cooling Solution manufacturer for proper instructions. You may also review this article: How to Apply Thermal Paste and How It Works.
4. You may try to load the default BIOS settings in your system and then review if there are any other (auto) overclocking settings that may be impacting overheating. Note: You may wish to note the current BIOS settings before resetting the BIOS.

C- Regarding Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors:

We kindly recommend reviewing the steps and suggestions in this article related to BSOD issues: Blue Screen Error (BSOD) While Using Intel® Processors.

If the temperature behavior and/or BSOD issues persist, please provide us with the following details:

1- Is there any sign of physical damage on the processor?

2- Did you overclock the processor?

3- Did you enable Intel® XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) and if yes, what was the memory speed configured?

4- Run the Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool again and provide us with the report. To save the report, once the test is done, click on "File >> View Results File" and attach the .txt file to your reply.

5- Perform a new CPU stress test using Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel® XTU) and provide us with screenshots of the test. During the test, please keep also the Windows® Task Manager showing the "Performance tab" >> CPU and take some screenshots 

6- An Intel® System Support Utility (Intel® SSU) report to gather more details about the system:

• Download the Intel® SSU and save the application on your computer
• Open the application, check the "Everything" checkbox, and click "Scan" to see the system and device information. The Intel® SSU defaults to the "Summary View" on the output screen following the scan. Click the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".
• To save your scan, click Next and click Save.
• Once you have saved the file (.txt file), please attach it to your reply.

To upload and attach a file, use the "Drag and drop here or browse files to attach" option below the response textbox.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Rothschild]

Hi Andrew.

Appreciate your informative reply & time.

""" A- Regarding the behavior "Minimum core temperature tab in HWInfo64 showing 0 °C for Intel®Processor":

We would like to inform you that we have confirmed that this is a misreading situation (i.e. actual temp cannot be 0 C ) and this is currently under further investigation and we are working on a fix; however, we don't have an ETA for this. """

Ok thanks for confirming.

""" B- Regarding the temperature going from idle 35-40 to 80-95, Power Throttling & Thermal Throttling:

The Junction Temperature (TJUNCTION) for the Intel® Core™ i9-11900K Processor, which is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die is 100°C.

Many Intel® processors make use of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which allows them to operate at a very high frequency for a short amount of time. When the processor is operating at or near its maximum frequency it's possible for the temperature to climb very rapidly and quickly reach higher or its maximum temperature and being at maximum temperature while running a workload isn't necessarily cause for concern.

In sustained workloads, or under CPU Stress tests, it's possible the processor will operate at or near its maximum temperature limit. In those scenarios, good system integration and thermal solution are crucial to get the benefits of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and avoid overheating issues. """

Well being at max temperature while running a workload concerns me because I worry that these high temperatures are decreasing the life expectancy of my CPU. Also I worry as to how quickly it gets to those high temperatures in the first place (2-3 second in XTU CPU Stress Test) especially considering the cooling quality of my Noctua NH-D15s which is very popular. Also concerning is that when I do hit max temperatures then I'm left Thermal Throttled or Power Throttled. I'll check my PL1/PL2 settings in XTU as you suggested. My older PC I had used this current ATX case with the same thermal solution & Noctua NH-D15s CPU cooler & have never seen not only the high temperatures but also how quickly it rises.

I'll do all the steps you suggested & get back to you. Thanks again for your quick reply.

By the way in XTU how do I set my PL1/PL2 higher?

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Rothschild

Thank you for your response.

Regarding how to set "PL1/PL2" higher on the Intel® XTU, please allow us to verify this since this depends on the motherboard's BIOS settings (this needs to be supported by the BIOS). We will try to take some screenshots as an example to share with you.

(Please keep in mind that generally speaking, this was mentioned just as one of the possible causes for Power limit throttling)

Regarding the temperature spikes and going to higher values:

When the processor is under a "CPU Stress" test, high workloads, demanding tasks, etc, it is expected that CPU frequency may boost, CPU and/or Integrated GPU utilization can also increase, etc, and this and other factors may cause the processor to operate a higher temperature for short times.

When the processor is operating at or near its maximum frequency it's possible for the temperature to climb very rapidly and quickly reach its maximum temperature, this would be expected behavior for the scenario that you describe (2-3 seconds in Intel® XTU CPU Stress Test).

Being at maximum temperature while running a workload isn't necessarily cause for concern. Intel processors constantly monitor their temperature and can very rapidly adjust their frequency and power consumption to prevent overheating and damage, for instance, using thermal protections like throttling.

It is important to highlight that the "80°-95°" temperatures that you see during a Stress test are still within the Intel® Specifications for this CPU (TJUNCTION is 100°C.).

Also, you mentioned that in idle the processor temperature is around 35°-40°. Based on these facts, we may say that the processor is neither having overheating issues nor it is a fault regarding temperatures.

Just for clarifications purposes, the suggestions provided in point B are just to make sure the processor is working under the recommended conditions but with all the information we have so far about this scenario, we can say this doesn't look like overheating issue. Even under higher temperatures during tests, the CPU is still operating under specifications.

It is also worth mentioning that we don't use to compare temperatures between CPUs when there are important differences between them and especially if they are from different periods of time. For instance, there are many factors that are involved and would lead to different behaviors: the CPU generation, core and thread count, Base and Turbo Frequency, Processor technologies, Platform implementation, Cooling Solution, Power, TDP, Unlocked vs Locked CPUs, motherboard BIOS settings and power capabilities, etc. The recommendation is to look for the specific specifications for the CPU in question and review if it is operating under specifications.

We hope this clarifies your concerns. We will be posting back as soon as possible regarding your inquiry about "PL1/PL2". If you have any other inquiries or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us back.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Rothschild

We would like to update this thread regarding your inquiry about how to set "PL1/PL2" higher on the Intel® XTU.

The PL1 & PL2 found on Intel® XTU have the following definitions next to them:

• PL1: Limits the processor's Extended Duration Maximum power when Turbo Boost is engaged. (PL1 Limit).
• PL2: Limits the processor's Short Duration Maximum Power when Turbo Boost is engaged (Pl2 limit).

 These settings can be found in the Advance Tuning tab in the Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility.

 The Path to each setting is:

• PL1: Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility > Advance Tuning > Turbo Boost Power Max.
• PL2: Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility > Advance Tuning > Turbo Boost Short Power Mode

Please, check the screenshot attached, those are the settings. When you click on the exclamation mark, it will say what it is for, PL1 or PL2.

For example, the first 2 settings are for PL2, one to enable or disable it and the other one to set the limit. The other 2 are for PL1, one for the limit and the other one for the time.

NOTE: 

Changing these settings can actually result in overclocking, therefore, we won't provide assistance on specific values to set.

Altering clock frequency or voltage may void product warranties and reduce stability, security, performance, and life of the processor and other components.

If you have any other inquiries or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us back.

Best Regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Rothschild

We are checking this thread and we would like to know if you need further assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us back if you have additional inquiries.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician