i9-13900K : very frequent crashes (Windows 11) with apps, games and benches

[LoloWiwi]

Hi,

I built a setup in April 2023 with :

- Intel Core i9-13900K

- Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

- 2x32 GB Corsair Vengeance 6600 MHz

- Asus ROG 4090

- Asus ROG Thor 850 Watts

From the very beginning, I had sometimes BSODs, and several apps/games crashing very "reliably".

Even though the PC: 

- Not overclocked (no XMP, so RAM is running at 4800 MHz)

- No Tweaks of any sort in the Bios / default values from Asus Bios.

- Windows 11 Pro 10.0.22621

- Windows / Drivers / Bios are up to date with latest versions as of today.

The tests :

- Prime95 : with smallest and small FFT (to only test CPU and CPU cache) -> gives FATAL ERROR (prime numbers errors) on some CPU cores after a few minutes. 

- Cinebench R23 in single core : no problem, no crash during the 10min run

- Cinebench R23 in multi-core : crashes after 2 to 30 seconds systematically.

- GPU tests are fine, they complete with no crash (Furmark)

- Memtest86 : did several runs on the mem at 4800 and 6600 -> no errors, all tests PASS.

- a few games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn : almost systematically crash when launched.

A couple of days ago, I realized that it's probably the CPU: 

- I use an app for 3D Printing called a "slicer" who prepares the file for 3D printing that would consistently crash on my Windows 11 setup during slicing (after 5 to 10 seconds max), but not on a virtual machine installed with VirtualBox (Windows 10)

- Somebody advised me to try to set the Affinity for the CPU Cores/Threads in Windows 11.

- Also, I found a lot of reports in forums/reddit about problems with i9-13900K...

Since then, when I set the Affinity of the apps for only a few cores:

- Bambu Studio slicing fine, no crash whatsoever if affinity set to 8 first (CPU0 to CPU7)

- Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn : they both run fine when affinity set to 8 first (CPU0 to CPU7), but crash as soon as I change affinity back to all cores/threads.

- Cinebench multi-core : systematically crashes no matter what subset of cores/threads I set.

Weirdly enough, I tried the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool: it always passes, but I don't trust its results, since I've so many other apps/games crashing, and reports by people on the web...

So, I need help please with that, I can't trust my CPU even though I need my PC for work every day...

Intel SSU report attached.

[Chrisss]

I had the same (gaming crash) problem and my solution was to throttle the CPU via Intel's Overclocking App.
https://community.intel.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/300513 

Here's a screenshot - throttled from 55 down to 50...that helped!

But to @intel - how is there no fix?!
I bought this expensive high-end processor to get the most out of my gaming!!
I want to OVER-clock and not under!

[grsyoreo]

what cpu do you have and what ram, and what speed are you running at? If you have to downclock your CPU you have something wrong with your configuration.

[DavidCF]

Hi there,

I eventually found the INTEL Diagnostic Tool and ran it.
CPU failed tests.
RMR'd it to INTEL and they replaced it.
So the chip was the issue.
This was before any INTEL microcode was issued to fix the fault that they had found.
On my new chip which is a i9-14900KF, and I had to get it to prove that the previous chip was faulty, the old BIOS microcode was used, so do not know if it was damaged or not.
Does not fail the Diagnostic Tool so should be OK.
I updated the BIOS for all the INTEL microcodes as they were released and am now using the 0x12B version issued for my motherboard.
Talking about the RAM, had the price of two sets credited to me to the sum of over £800, they were being used while the 13900K was running, they all failed MEMTEST86.

[grsyoreo]

what RAM do you have, and what speed are you running it at? Just about everyone on this thread is running RAM faster than their CPU can support, which leads directly to system instability, period. That's 99% of the cases of instability you hear about on the internet is due to this simple fact.