i9-14900K - Low Performance

[MP81]

Hi there,

I've been fighting with this computer build since about the start of January when I upgraded it all (aside from the case and HDDs/SSDs/Optical Drive). In short, this computer has considerably lower 3DMark scores than it should (and correspondingly noticeably sluggishness in normal operations - trying to load the radar on weather.com is particularly bad), and in many cases, it scores lower than my 12-year-old i7-3770K that I keep having to switch back to.

The build is as follows:

-i9-14900K CPU

-ASRock Z790 PG Lightning WiFi Motherboard

-32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-7200 RAM (2 x 16GB)

-MSI Ventus RTX 4070 Ti SUPER GPU

-Corsair HX1500i PSU

-Antec 900 Case (compact by today's standards, but everything fits)

I've also been able to use my brother's computer build as a fairly representative benchmark for what mine should be doing in terms of scores, as he has a i9-13900K, ASRock Z790 PG Lightning (the previous version, without WiFi), 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400 RAM, MSI Gaming X RTX 3080, Corsair HX1200 and also has an Antec 900 case. So, more or less, mine should just be edging his out.

Anyway, score comparisons: when I run the CPU profile test on 3DMark, I scored 1256-8164 with the intial build. My brother's was a 1237-14808. Mine has similar scores as his from 1 thread through 4 threads. 8 threads is a little low - and is my max score. 16 threads is lower than my 8 threads score, and Max threads is lower than my 4 threads score.

Steel Nomad? Score of only 741 - my previous CPU/Motherboard/RAM (with the same 4070 Ti) scored a 5305. Port Royal was similarly 6000 points less with the i9 versus my old i7.

Clearly something is amiss. I've warrantied the CPU already, which fixed nothing. I've done a memtest with the RAM and it passed with zero errors, and I just warrantied the motherboard which also had no affect. I've been running the PSU and GPU with my old CPU/Motherboard/RAM when I swap that back in (so I can have a useable gaming desktop), so those seem to check out there.

I'm kind of at a loss here - it's more than likely I got a similarly defective warranty CPU, but I'd really like some kind of data to back that up rather than having to go through the whole process of removing everything again and reinstalling it, not knowing if it's futile.

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi MP81,

I'm unable to comment or interpret results from third party benchmark tools. Please run Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool to confirm if there are any issues with the CPU. However, if this performance issue is observed during games, we can investigate further by attempting to replicate the problem on our end.

Let me know how I can assist you further.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MP81]

Hi there,

I ran that yesterday (having read other support cases, figured I would do that in the event I was asked) and it passed without any flagged issues. 

But yes, the performance is also clearly visible during games, even in a 10-year old game like Fallout 4. With the same video card, but my old i7 (and RAM & motherboard) runs that game flawlessly on full graphical settings. With the i9, it stutters and struggles to even achieve 30 fps and isn't really playable.

Thanks!

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi MP81,

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you're experiencing. Let me check on my end to see if I can replicate the problem using your system setup. To assist with this, could you please provide screenshots and recordings of the FPS drops during gameplay, as well as the game settings you used? This will help ensure a smooth simulation. Additionally, could you let me know the source of the game?

Please follow this guide on how to report performance issues in the game. We typically require CapFrameX for this type of concern. Submit the CapFrameX capture data (.json files) that reproduce the issue. Capture data at least three times to establish a reliable performance baseline. You should record the game for at least 5 minutes. Once I have this information, we can proceed from there.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MP81]

Not a problem! I've provided a couple of overall print-screens with the FPS meter showing in the upper right corner (please ignore the Windows Activation watermark - I've not gotten around to re-activating with this hardware just yet - I've done it previously with no effect on performance, though), as well as some screenshots of the game settings. The game is via Steam.

I've also attached the CapFrameX capture data (I had to zip them, as it wouldn't let me upload the .json extensions). I did five minutes on the first capture and just over a minute on the last two because quite frankly, it was getting hard to look at the game with it being so choppy. I've also included a quick video I recorded on Steam of the game during similar gameplay (I took this prior to recording with CapFrame X)

Thanks!

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi MP81,

Thank you for sharing this information. I will begin investigating the issue and attempt to replicate it on our end. I'll post an update here or notify you directly once there are any developments. If I need further details, I'll reach out to you here. I appreciate your patience as I work on this matter. 

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi MP81,

Thank you for reaching out. To help us better understand the issue, could you please confirm whether the game is using the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER instead of the processor's integrated graphics? You can check the GPU performance in the Task Manager to monitor this.

Additionally, I recommend configuring the game or applications by referring to these helpful articles:

• Setting the Preferred Graphics Processor
• How To Set the Default GPU for Applications and Games

Furthermore, it might be beneficial to disable the onboard graphics in the BIOS. You can follow the instructions provided in the BIOS manual on page 65. to do this.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MP81]

I am using the 4070 as my primary graphics adapter, yes, and I believe I've disabled the CPU's integrated graphics in the BIOS (I don't have anything plugged into it either - both monitors are running off the 4070 video card).

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi MP81,

Let me check this internally, and I will get back to you once I have more information. We are currently investigating whether we have encountered this issue during our simulations. Additionally, have you tried accessing the game's properties in your library (using a launcher like Steam or Epic Games Store) and using the "Repair" or "Verify Integrity" option?

Kindly submit SSU report log: Share it here so I can have an overview of the system information.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[MP81]

Hi Randy,

Yes I have (at least with 3DMark, the benchmark), but it isn't just Fallout 4 that it is very slow in, it is all games, as well as just general usage. Even booting up the computer is slower than it should be.

I have attached the SSU Report Log as requested.

Thanks!

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi MP81,

Thank you for sharing this information. I will begin investigating the issue and attempt to replicate it on our end. I'll post an update here or notify you directly once there are any developments. If I need further details, I'll reach out to you here. I appreciate your patience as I work on this matter. 

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi @MP81 ,

I'm having a challenge opening the SSU report; could you email it to me? I'll send you an email so you can share it with me.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[RandyT_Intel]

Hi @MP81,

I have extracted the details. Thank you for your cooperation. I will start replicating the issue on our end and provide an update here once I have completed our investigation. Thank you for your patience.

Regards,

Randy T.

Intel Customer Support Technician