Solution for Intel CPU Stability Issues: Lower Temps & Better Performance

[zzetta]

Hi everyone,

I've been working on resolving stability problems with Intel CPUs(mine is a 14700kf) and wanted to share my findings. Initially, I discovered that raising the IA AC loadline helped, but it resulted in significantly higher temperatures. To address this, I explored alternative settings and found a more effective solution.

### My Findings:

1. **Temperature Reduction**: By adjusting the settings, I managed to lower the CPU temperatures by 10-15°C compared to my initial approach.

2. **Improved Performance**: Applications and games are running smoother, with noticeable performance improvements.

### Key Changes I Made:

1. **Set CPU Vcore Loadline to Turbo**: This adjustment was crucial, because it has less vdroop. It mirrors the configuration I used successfully on the old Z390 platform with my i9-9900K, which was the default case for those old chips. Vcore loadlines were not this droopy on default.

2. **Adjust IA AC and IA DC Loadline to 1**: Setting both IA AC and IA DC loadlines to 1 allows starting from the baseline voltage values defined in the VID table. Note that "1" is the value for Gigabyte boards. On other motherboards, like Asus, the equivalent setting would be "0.01".

- **Default Vcore Loadline**: The default Vcore loadline is quite droopy. This droop causes instability, especially in specific scenarios such as launching certain applications. For me, the initial launch of PUBG was particularly problematic.

- **Voltage Reduction on Low Loads**: With the new approach, the voltage during low loads like gaming has been reduced significantly. Previously, the voltage would sit at around 1.5 volts with the default loadline during gaming sessions. Now, it stays at a much lower 1.33 volts.

### Conclusion:

By setting the IA AC and IA DC loadlines to 1 and adjusting the Vcore loadline to Turbo, I achieved lower temperatures and improved performance. These changes stabilized the CPU and eliminated the instability issues I faced with certain apps. Additionally, I tested my findings extensively, running the CPU at maximum usage, with power limits fully unlocked, and at 100°C non-stop for hundreds of hours. There were no signs of CPU degradation, confirming that the issue was not related to the CPUs degrading.

**Intel needs to reconsider their default Vcore loadline configuration to reduce the droopiness. Make it similar to the old platforms, like Z390. Doing so would mitigate issues with stability and temperatures across their CPUs!!**

I hope these findings help others facing similar stability issues. 

[ACarmona_Intel]

Hello Zzetta,

Thank you for posting in our communities and for sharing your findings regarding the issue with 13th and 14th generation processors.

We sincerely appreciate it, and we hope that other users will find your post helpful.

We will now close this enquiry since your post does not require assistance but provides knowledgeable information that might be helpful for other users experiencing 13th and 14th generation issues. Therefore, for additional information, please submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

By the way, your suggestions were highly noted.

Bye for now, and have a great day ahead!

Best regards,

Carmona A.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AlanRiplay]

First of all, thanks for your awesome work and extensive testing, zzetta! This is really remarkable.

May I ask one question that I hope you can help me with: How can I research the equivalent of the IA AC/IA DC loadline 1 for my MSI MAG Tomahawk Max WiFi Z790?

Thank you so much in advance for your help and have a nice weekend!

Alan

[zzetta]

Hello. 
I tried searching on the internet the equivalent and it seems that it is 1 on the msi too. 

I have found this image on a forum for a Z690 msi board, and the ac/dc loadline settings are located in this menu: 
As for the Vcore loadline, it seems that Mode 3 should be the equivalent for ''Turbo' on the gigabyte. You voltage with the Loadline should only have a little bit of DROOP. It souldn't overshoot.

This image explains it:

You want to Pick MODE 3 for that little Vdroop coupled with AC/DC set at 1. Please report back.

[AlanRiplay]

Thanks mate, you‘re awesome. I will check, which values are set in my BIOS asap and report back. Have a great Sunday evening!

[AlanRiplay]

Sorry for my late reply. Meanwhile I had the chance to check my BIOS and could unfortunately not find any of the settings you mentioned, so neither the IA AC/DC control nor the VCORE Loadline (even used the search tool of BIOS). Regarding the VCORE loading I think, that the CPU loading calibration control might be the correct one, though, as mentioned in your post from 14th of July?

Ah, nevermind, I just found the CPU AC/DC Loadline settings (which I think are the correct ones?) by switch the CPU Lite Load Control from Intel Default to Advanced. Currently both the CPU AC/DC load lines are set to 110 and if I understood you correctly, they should both be reduced to 1?

By the way, I remember meanwhile, what was the source of the changes I did recently (setting both the CPU Lite Load Control and the CPU Cooler tuning to “Intel Default”). This refers to the official statement from MSI: https://www.szyunze.com/fix-unstable-gaming-on-13th-14th-gen-core-cpus-by-msi/#:~:text=It%20is%20recommended%20that%20users,and%20then%20make%20manual%20adjustments.

Again thanks for helping me and so many others out!

Alan

[zzetta]

Yes, 1 is the value that should be set for ac and dc. 
Intel default is the value the maxes the VID table values. If 1 means that if the table has for 5.5ghz 1.3 volts, it will give the cpu 1.3 volts, depending on the VCORE loadline. On intel defaults it will push that voltage to extremely high voltages, thats why it has to be coupled with a very droopy VCORE loadline. 

My aproach changes this. I'm using a not so droopy VCORE loadline with the baseline voltage set by intel, so it starts from a way lower voltage but it drops under load not so much. It still drops a bit to be safe.

[AlanRiplay]

Thank you so much for your reply once more! I just want to make really sure, that I change the settings correctly. So, according to my understanding, I should correct the following:

- Change CPU loading calibration to Mode 3.

- Change the CPU AC/DC values each to 1. 

I would highly appreciate your feedback. 

Have a great day. 

Alan

[zzetta]

Sounds good, sure. 
After you set it and start testing the system stability, if the bandaid i proposed here works for you, you can try lowering the Vcore loadline to a more droopy one. If it's not stable revert the the previous Vcore llc.

[AlanRiplay]

Hi zzetta,

Meanwhile I changed the settings as written above and tested the system for a view days. I should mention, that I didn’t have any issues with my 14900k before and just want to make sure that it stays that way for a long time. So, after having tested the system with the changes made, I recognized that the CPU, while still running stable, seems to run at much lower temps, which is a good thing, of course.

Next time I will check the „IA TDC Current Limit“ value and adjust it to something else than 0 (if this is not the case by default already). If you could give me a little help on this, maybe: Do you have an idea how I can find out the values I have to set on my MSI compared to your Gigabyte? I am happy to search it for myself, but these kind of settings are quite difficult to find out…

May I know, why you suggested to lower the VCORE/CPU calibration loadline even more?

So, as of now, I am slightly confident, that I will be able to use this CPU for many years to come, though it „feels“ like these issues are still a sword of Damocles.

By the way: In another post, you wrote, that you do not believe the degradation theory to be true. What makes you think of that?

Again, thanks a lot for your awesome work!

[AlanRiplay]

Hi zzetta and everyone with a MSI mainboard, 

I did some research regarding the "IA TDC current limit" on my mainboard (Z790 Tomahawk MAX WIFI) and it seems, like the TDP (Thermal Design Power) option is the one we're talking about (not TDC - I couldn't find this exact one in my BIOS, but TDP seems to be the same). And, in addition, this setting, according to the manual, only applies if the Turbo Boost Mode is activated. 

So, to my understanding, I am good to go with these settings and do not need to frickle with the TDP:

- Change CPU loading calibration to Mode 3.

- Change the CPU AC/DC values each to 1. 

Hope this is of any help for others with an MSI MB. 

Alan

[NYC_Fanboy]

Where do we find Vcore loadline on Asus boards?

[zzetta]

If I remember correctly, on my old Z390 it was located under the Extreme tweaker -> DIGI+ VRM menu, and it was something like CPU loadline Calibration. BTW I have no idea what option you should select for the new Asus boards to match the Turbo Vcore loadline. I guess it should be the third one from the top. If there are 8 options you should select the fifth, but you should see what is the actual equivalent. And for the IA AC/DC loadline if you can't find them you can just set the SVID Behavior to "Best Case Scenario".

[NYC_Fanboy]

Indeed on Asus it’s the Load Line Calibration.
As for the AC and DC, Asus uses a different system: 1 on Gigabyte are 0.01 on Asus.
So it’s 0.01 and 0.01 to match 1 and 1 on Gigabyte boards.

CPU LLC on Asus: Level 1=greater VDroop until Level 8=minimum VDroop

[zzetta]

Yes, you are right. By '1' I meant the lowest value that you can set that is different from '0'.

Also, does it work? How is the system?

[NYC_Fanboy]

I tested this on my now RMA'ed CPU. Worked okay so far but still had some crashes because the CPU was degraded too much already.

On the new one I go with the "recommended settings" atm. I'll try this settings here again though.

[JamesPang]

Hi Zzetta,

I tried applying the same settings as yours on my Gigabyte Z790 motherboard with an i9-13900KF, but I am still experiencing crashes in games like Helldivers 2 and other Unreal Engine 5 games.

[zzetta]

If you set CPU LLC to 'Turbo' and IA AC and DC to 1 and there are still crashes. then it means that these chips are indeed busted and my sample is maybe not that busted. I'm sorry to hear that. 

But I want to be absolutely sure that you set the VCORE loadline to turbo no the INTERNAL CPU LOADLINE.
I am talking about this one for the cpu llc:

AND these ones for AC DC 1 value:

[JamesPang]

Yes. I made sure I selected the CPU Vcore loadline calibration in the BIOS as per your guide

[zzetta]

I'm sorry to hear that. This means that these chips have indeed some serious issues and it just happens that my sample works with this bandaid. Let's hope Intel will fix these issues.

[JamesPang]

Yes. I really do hope they fixed it soon as it has been going on for months now.

For now i am using these settings below which help stabilize my system

PL1= 253W

PL2= 253W

ICCMAX= 307A