Cool GTX

Sajin

Martin V

Like I said in my previous posts, you want to keep the voltage below 1.35v as you will notice if you type in 1.35v into the vcore, the numbers turn yellow indicating you are setting a high voltage. Just set the vcore at 1.345v and a negative offset of whatever you need to set to keep it below 1.35v at all times. The micro code doesn't actually fix the problem. It is still a ticking time bomb with just a longer fuse now, so instead of 1 years time of your cpu degrading it might take 2, or 3, but it will still degrade unless you manually tune the cpu yourself, and stop the boost algorithm from dictating the speed, and the voltage of your cpu. I listed in my previous post on here steps 1-8 how to tune your cpu yourself and stop the degradation.

What you’re saying about tuning your cpu to keep it below 1.35v is fine, but I don’t believe voltage is the only thing that is causing the cpu’s to degrade. As we all know not all cpu’s are created equal, so some may require more voltage to be stable.

On my z690 dark kingpin running a cinebench r23 multicore test the vcore maxes out at 1.376v on my 13900k. Doing a single core test it went to 1.382v. Idling just on the desktop the vcore is at 1.35v. This is with the board at default settings as well. I've never seen the vcore go above 1.382v during gaming or stress testing. This is on bios version 2.03. I’ve ran these settings for over a year and a half. My cpu has zero issues.

If voltage was the main culprit to this issue intel would be locking voltage to 1.35v at stock motherboard settings with the new microcode, but they aren’t as not all cpu’s are created equal, and locking them all to 1.35v or lower would cause some to be unstable.

Will running a higher voltage degrade your cpu faster? Yes.
Will running a lower voltage help make your cpu last longer? Most likely.
Will running a lower voltage prevent your cpu from degrading? No. Just using the cpu daily will cause it to degrade overtime just from it being used, so using a lower voltage isn’t going to save your cpu, but it will help slow down the degrading process.

Junk silicon is just junk. You get a good one, or you don’t. Seems like there is alot of junk silicon floating around in the 13th & 14th gen cpu’s. Glad mine isn’t one of them.

Raptor Lake microcode limits Intel chips to a mere 1.55 volts to prevent CPU destruction

Thanks, but using a static voltage of 1.55 wouldn't be smart. I don't think 1.35 to 1.382 is too high.

Like I said, lock all the cores first to the real speed of the cpu. If you have a 13900k it is 5.4 ghz, 13900ks/14900k is 5.6 ghz, and 14900ks is 5.8 ghz.

This will stop the boost algorithm from boosting the 2 cores so high, and then set the vcore to "adaptive" with a negative offset that can keep your cpu "vid max" voltage below 1.35v at all times.

Then set the vcore pwm frequency down to 400 and set the cpu power limit to 253 watts, and you are good to go.

Also, if you have Windows 11 not sure about Windows 10, but make sure you turn off "core isolation" first before going into the bios, and tuning your cpu.

Martin V
Yeah, like I said the micro code is just buying you a little bit longer time, but 1.55v is still way too high. Anything over 1.35v is considered high voltage that can degrade the cpu faster and make it have a shorter life span. Notice also the micro code doesnt lock the cores, why? They still want those to cores to ramp up to hit 6 ghz or whatever the max speed is depending on a cpu which is part of the problem.

So to you the microcode update does nothing to resolve the issue, and intel should be locking voltages to 1.35v or less.

Yes, go into the bios yourself and type in 1.35 volts for the vcore. As soon as you do that, you will see the numbers turn yellow indicating you are getting into high voltage territory.

The cores not being locked together and boosting to high with high voltage is the issue.

You have to lock the cores down and then lower the vcore voltage with a negative offset that keeps the cpu below 1.35v at all time.

If you do not lock the cores and only adjust the vcore voltage or only lock the cores, and not adjust the vcore voltage it will not work. You have to do both at the same time.

However, if your cpu is degraded meaning you have gone months without tuning and then you decided to tune it and it doesnt work do not be suprised as once the cpu is degraded there is no going back to save it.

Hmm, ok. I'll keep running the settings I've been running for over a year and a half. 

 
Meh. Seems Intel think the chips are solid enough to handle spikes to 1.55 without degrading beyond normal expectations (read: warranty expiration limits), but spikes beyond that are too much for it, at least for some chips. Their existing microcode allowed spikes beyond that 1.55 even at spec apparently, so they are locking that down to 1.55 (while giving the ability for you to bypass that limit in the BIOS if you so wish). That's my take. Of course locking that down to 1.35 as MartinV suggests is probably going to extend the life of your chip even further, but you're giving up a little bit of performance doing so... not that most people would notice the difference tbh. 
 

Yeah, it really is a simple fix but requires people to mess around a bit in the bios which I can understand can be scary for a lot.

The steps are really easy to follow and once you set it you are good to go. I am just trying to help others on here who may feel like they dont know what to do.

1. Turn "core isolation" off for Windows 11.

2. Enter bios turn XMP on

3. Lock all your cores to the real speed of the cpu; example like the 13900ks, lock it at 5.6 ghz for all cores. This stops the boost algorithm from pushing the cores up to 6 ghz and keeps the cores in sync not just for speed, but for voltage too!

4. Set vcore to "adaptive" setting and set a 1.345v with a negative offset starting at -25 and going from there to a higher negative offset until you get the "vid max" voltage stable below 1.35v at all times of cpu use.

5. Set Vcore PWM Frequency from 500 to 400.

6. Set CPU Power Limit to 253 watts. Remember that EVGA motherboards "pl1=pl2" so 253 will be set for both which is fine.

7. Save changes and rest

8. Run tests and keep and eye on temps and vid voltage max and go back into bios and keep making adjustments to vcore offset as needed to keep voltage below 1.35v at all times.

The performance loss of locking the cores to 5.6 ghz, say for a 13900ks or letting it boost to 6ghz on its own is not huge loss at all, and most wouldnt even notice it as even Nereus said.

Again, all I am trying to do is help people who maybe feel like they dont know what to do. Though, people have to understand. If you have gone months without tuning your cpu, and then you devide to tune it, and you see the tuning is not working.

It means that your cpu has degraded, there is no saving it, no tuning will undo the damage done to it, and you will have to rma it with Intel, and get a new one, and then tune the new one right away.

Don't understand why people keep waiting for the micro code update? All the update will do is force longer idle states so the cpu doesnt die say within a years time but will die in 2, or 3 years time just as the extended warranties end, and then people will be on their own with no warranty anymore.

However, the cpu will still also shove 1.4+ volts when the cores are pushed hard even with longer idle states, it doesnt actually stop the boost alogithm of the cores which is part of the problem along with the high voltage spikes.

All people have to do is tune it themselves by just locking all the cores themselves and lower the vcore voltage below 1.35v.

I locked all my cores at 56 and did a 1.345v vcore with a -110 offset, and lowered the power limit to 253 watts, plus set the vcore frequency to 400, and the cpu has been running fine for months now, ever since I have had my now 2nd 13900ks.

Martin V
Don't understand why people keep waiting for the micro code update? All the update will do is force longer idle states so the cpu doesnt die say within a years time but will die in 2, or 3 years time just as the extended warranties end, and then people will be on their own with no warranty anymore.

However, the cpu will still also shove 1.4+ volts when the cores are pushed hard even with longer idle states, it doesnt actually stop the boost alogithm of the cores which is part of the problem along with the high voltage spikes.

All people have to do is tune it themselves by just locking all the cores themselves and lower the vcore voltage below 1.35v.

I locked all my cores at 56 and did a 1.345v vcore with a -110 offset, and lowered the power limit to 253 watts, plus set the vcore frequency to 400, and the cpu has been running fine for months now, ever since I have had my now 2nd 13900ks.

We understand your point. You don’t need to keep repeating yourself.