Turning off "Intel Default Settings" with Microcode 0x129 DISABLES THE VID/VCORE LIMIT

Summary

In this video, Buildzoid explores the implications of Intel's default settings on the 129 microcode for 13th and 14th generation CPUs, particularly focusing on the voltage limits set to 1.55 volts for safety. He discusses the potential risks of disabling these settings, which can lead to higher voltages and instability, especially with Gigabyte motherboards. The video offers advice on how to manage voltage settings manually for those who don't trust Intel's defaults, while also criticizing the complexity and lack of clarity in Intel's CPU design and motherboard vendor configurations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video is a follow-up to a previous one about the Intel microcode 129 and its effects on CPU stability and voltage settings.
• 🔧 The BIOS on the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Master X with an Intel 14900 K CPU is set to version F7F, which includes the microcode 129.
• ⚠️ Intel's default settings in the BIOS limit the CPU core voltage to a maximum of 1.55 volts, which is considered safe for long-term use by Intel.
• 🤔 The video raises the question of whether 1.55 volts is indeed low enough to be safe for long-term use, given Intel's extension of warranties for 13th and 14th gen CPUs.
• 🛠️ For those who do not trust Intel's default settings, the video suggests adjusting the advanced voltage settings on Gigabyte or Asus motherboards to set a custom voltage limit.
• 🚫 Disabling Intel's default settings can lead to higher voltage spikes, potentially damaging the CPU, and is not recommended unless the user knows what they are doing.
• 📊 The video demonstrates that with Intel's default settings turned off, the CPU can experience voltages higher than 1.55 volts, which can cause instability.
• 💻 The video shows that certain workloads, like Cinebench 15, may crash due to the voltage settings, while others, like White Cruncher, may still run.
• 🔬 The script mentions the issue with the AC load line being set too low by motherboard manufacturers, which can cause CPU crashes under high loads.
• 🧩 The video discusses the complexity and issues with Intel's CPU power delivery and clock management, suggesting that it is unnecessarily complicated.
• 🎁 The video concludes with a reminder to update the BIOS to the latest version that includes the microcode 129 and to use Intel's default settings for stability.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The video discusses the implications of turning off Intel's default settings in the BIOS for the 129 microcode on a Gigabyte Z790 ORS Master X motherboard with an Intel 14900 K CPU.

What is the microcode version mentioned in the video?

The microcode version mentioned in the video is 129.

What does Intel's default setting in the BIOS do?

Intel's default setting in the BIOS limits the core voltage to a maximum of 1.55 volts.

Why did Intel extend the warranties for 13th and 14th gen CPUs?

Intel extended the warranties for 13th and 14th gen CPUs, possibly to address concerns about voltage limits and long-term CPU stability.

What is the alternative to Intel's default settings if you don't trust them?

If you don't trust Intel's default settings, you can go into advanced voltage settings and set a custom voltage limit through internal VR control on Gigabyte or Asus motherboards.

What is the recommended custom voltage limit if you don't trust Intel's defaults?

The recommended custom voltage limit if you don't trust Intel's defaults is 1.4 volts, which should not drastically reduce performance on non-KS CPUs.

What happens if you turn off Intel's default settings on a Gigabyte motherboard?

Turning off Intel's default settings on a Gigabyte motherboard removes the voltage limiter, potentially leading to instability in certain all-core workloads due to the motherboard's default settings.

What is the issue with Gigabyte's default settings for the CPU?

Gigabyte's default settings set the AC load line to 0.4 milliohms, which is too low and can cause the CPU to not get enough voltage and crash during high current loads.

Why does the video suggest not turning off Intel's default settings unless you know what you're doing?

The video suggests not turning off Intel's default settings because doing so removes the voltage limit and leaves the system unstable, especially if the motherboard vendor's settings are not properly configured.

What is the video creator's opinion on Intel's handling of CPU stability issues?

The video creator believes that Intel's handling of CPU stability issues is inadequate, suggesting that they do not thoroughly test their products and that the platform is unnecessarily complicated.

What additional content does the video creator plan to make about the topic?

The video creator plans to make another video explaining what AC and DC load lines are and how they interact with the motherboard's voltage regulator.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ BIOS Settings and CPU Voltage Concerns

Buildzoid discusses the implications of Intel's default settings in BIOS, particularly the voltage limit of 1.55 volts for the 14900 K CPU. He questions the safety of this voltage for long-term use, referencing Intel's warranty extension for 13th and 14th gen CPUs. He suggests that adjusting the voltage limit to 1.4 volts through advanced settings on Gigabyte or Asus motherboards can prevent performance degradation without instability. The video also touches on the potential risks of not trusting Intel's settings and the consequences of turning off their default settings, which can lead to higher voltage spikes and CPU damage.

05:00

🔋 Understanding Voltage Regulation and Stability Issues

The script delves into the technical aspects of CPU voltage regulation, focusing on the differences between Intel's default settings and Gigabyte's BIOS optimizations. It highlights the instability caused by Gigabyte's settings, particularly the low AC load line of 0.4 milliohms, which can lead to voltage crashes during high-load scenarios. The video demonstrates this with Cinebench 15, which fails to run due to voltage issues, contrasting with White Cruncher, which runs despite heavy all-core loads. The narrator also mentions the complexity of Intel's boost table and the challenges of diagnosing CPU instability without proper voltage monitoring tools.

10:01

🚫 The Risks of Disabling Intel Default Settings

This paragraph emphasizes the risks associated with disabling Intel's default settings, which remove the voltage limiter and can result in higher voltages that may damage the CPU. The narrator warns that motherboard manufacturers' default settings might not be optimal, leading to instability in certain workloads due to improper load line configurations. He suggests that users who are unsure of their technical expertise should avoid turning off Intel's default settings, as this could result in an untested undervolt and potential CPU crashes in specific scenarios.

15:02

📉 CPU Degradation and the Impact on System Stability

The final paragraph addresses the broader issues surrounding CPU degradation and system stability. The narrator speculates on the number of users who may unknowingly experience system crashes due to CPU instability, attributing this to a lack of thorough testing by Intel. He also expresses frustration with the complexity and lack of clear documentation from Intel, which has led to a confusing situation for users trying to maintain system stability. The video concludes with a reminder to update BIOS and a suggestion to set a custom voltage limit if one does not trust Intel's default settings.

Keywords

💡BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, which is firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process (startup) of a computer. In the context of the video, the BIOS is where the user accesses settings related to the CPU and other hardware configurations. The script mentions being in the BIOS on a Gigabyte Z790 ORS Master X motherboard to adjust settings like microcode and voltage limits.

💡Microcode

Microcode is a layer of machine-specific code that is used to control the execution of instructions in a CPU. It is a set of low-level instructions that tell the processor how to execute higher-level instructions. In the video, the script discusses the microcode version 129, which is related to Intel's CPU and is part of the BIOS update that aims to address certain issues with the processor's performance and stability.

💡Intel Default Settings

These settings refer to the predefined configurations set by Intel for its CPUs to ensure stability and performance. In the script, it is mentioned that Intel's default settings limit the core voltage to a maximum of 1.55 volts, which is a safety measure to prevent potential long-term damage to the CPU. The video discusses the implications of turning these settings on or off.

💡Core Voltage

Core voltage is the electrical potential supplied to the CPU's core, which is necessary for its operation. The script discusses the importance of core voltage in relation to CPU stability and the Intel default settings that cap it at 1.55 volts. Adjusting the core voltage is a way to manage CPU performance and power consumption, but excessive voltage can lead to instability or damage.

💡Voltage Regulator

A voltage regulator is a device or circuit that maintains a stable voltage level. In the context of the video, it refers to the part of the motherboard that controls the voltage supplied to the CPU. The script mentions the 'internal VR control' and how it can be adjusted to set custom voltage limits, which is crucial for CPU stability and performance tuning.

💡VRM (Voltage Regulator Module)

VRM stands for Voltage Regulator Module, which is responsible for converting the DC input voltage to the required CPU core voltage. The script discusses the default load line of the VRM on the Gigabyte motherboard, which is set to 1.1 milliohms, and how it affects the CPU's voltage stability under load.

💡Load Line

In the context of power electronics, a load line represents the relationship between current and voltage in a system. The script mentions the AC (Alternating Current) load line set to 0.4 milliohms by Gigabyte, which is a measure of the VRM's ability to maintain voltage stability under varying current loads. An incorrect load line setting can lead to CPU crashes during high load scenarios.

💡Cinebench

Cinebench is a benchmarking software that tests the performance of a CPU by running a series of tests that simulate real-world applications. In the script, Cinebench 15 is used as an example of a workload that can cause the CPU to crash if the voltage settings are not correctly configured, illustrating the importance of proper CPU voltage management.

💡Prime95

Prime95 is a software that tests the CPU's stability and endurance by running a series of heavy computational tasks. The script mentions running Prime95 to test the CPU's stability with different settings, noting that it runs without crashing under certain conditions, unlike Cinebench, which indicates the complexity of CPU stability under various workloads.

💡Thermal Velocity Boost

Thermal Velocity Boost is a feature in some Intel CPUs that allows for increased clock speeds when the processor temperature is within a certain range. The script mentions issues with this feature, suggesting that it may contribute to CPU instability when combined with other factors like voltage spikes.

💡Silicon Lottery

The term 'Silicon Lottery' refers to the variability in the quality and performance of CPUs due to the manufacturing process. Some CPUs may be able to handle higher voltages or perform better than others, even within the same model and specification. The script mentions that some CPUs might still be stable with certain settings due to this variability.

Highlights

The video discusses the impact of turning off Intel default settings on the BIOS of a Gigabyte Z790 ORS Master X motherboard with an Intel 14900 K CPU.

Intel default settings limit the core voltage to a maximum of 1.55 volts for safety during long-term use.

Intel has extended warranties for 13th and 14th gen CPUs, suggesting confidence in their voltage limit settings.

Disabling Intel default settings can lead to voltages exceeding 1.55 volts, potentially damaging the CPU.

Gigabyte and Asus motherboards allow for custom voltage limits in advanced settings for users who don't trust Intel's defaults.

Setting a custom voltage limit to 1.4 volts can prevent the CPU from exceeding this voltage without drastically reducing performance.

The video demonstrates that with Intel default settings off, the CPU can become unstable and crash during certain workloads.

Gigabyte's default settings may cause the CPU to undervolt during high load, leading to crashes, even on new CPUs.

The video explains that motherboard manufacturers' default settings can lead to instability due to improper load line configurations.

The presenter suggests that not all CPUs will crash with default motherboard settings, indicating the 'Silicon Lottery' effect.

The video shows that Cinebench 15 cannot run with Gigabyte default settings due to voltage instability.

White cruncher, a memory bottleneck test, can run despite Cinebench's failure, highlighting the inconsistency of voltage stability.

Prime 95 can run with Gigabyte default settings, but the CPU hits a low power limit, causing low voltages and clocks.

The AC load line set by Gigabyte is too low compared to the motherboard's VRM, causing instability during certain workloads.

The video warns against disabling Intel default settings without understanding the implications on voltage regulation.

The presenter plans to create another video explaining AC and DC load lines and how they interact with the motherboard's voltage regulator.

The video concludes with a recommendation to keep Intel default settings enabled unless the user is knowledgeable about voltage settings.

Transcripts

hey guys buildzoid here and this is

hopefully just going to be a quick

followup to the previous video about the

ox1 129 micro code because it occurred

to me that I didn't bother to show what

happens if you turn the Intel default

settings off so here we are in the BIOS

on the gigabyte uh z790 ORS Master X I

have the 14900 K in there and the BIOS

version uh is f7f and you can see that

the micro code is

129 um right like right there micro code

129 version

f7f um but anyway um so we're just going

to and with the Intel default settings

turned on uh this um like Limits The

Core voltage to a maximum of 1.55 volts

and it does that so it works

now is 1.55 volts low enough to be safe

for long-term use I like I can't know uh

right like Intel seems to think so and

they did announce that they're extending

the warranties for 13th gen and 14th gen

CPUs so it would be pretty stupid of

them if they uh didn't set the voltage

limit low enough and then extended the

warranties because that means they're

going to be rep you know like cuz you

know if they just slow the degradation

down um they might still end up having

to replace a bunch of CPUs in like 2

years anyway so that would have not

really achieved anything um but yeah

yeah so I don't know for sure um now if

you don't trust Intel uh if you have a

gigabyte or an Asus motherboard what you

can do is you can just go into advanced

voltage

settings um internal VR control and turn

this on and then down here you can set a

custom voltage limit um if you set this

to, 1400 at least on anything that isn't

a KS this won't really drastically

reduce your performance and it'll stop

the CPU from ever going above 1.4 volts

um so yeah but that's if you don't trust

intel if you do trust Intel um which

admittedly at this point is quite kind

of a you know question potentially

questionable thing to do

um you can just you know you just leave

the Intel default settings turned on and

everything is fine um at least if your

CPU already hasn't degraded to the point

that it is unstable uh even with the

Intel default settings um so if you like

install this latest bios and your CPU is

still crashing you should just RMA the

CPU um because yeah if if your CPU

doesn't work on Intel default settings

even on the like extreme profile of

Intel default settings your CPU is

degraded to the point that it's

defective um now uh if you turn the

Intel default settings off uh you get

this lovely warning about how you're

potentially going to damage your CPU um

which is probably for the best but uh

yeah you just get put on the the good

old gigabyte uh CPU optimizations which

do such things as uh actually we can't

see it right now well we'll just see it

in in Windows so we'll just

restart um with any luck we'll see a

voltage Spike of more than 1.55 volts

before we even get into Windows or like

get to the desktop I should say like it

it usually like it can happen while

Windows is just booting up um because

the issue is with the Intel with the

gigabyte

optimizations uh one of the things

gigabyte does is that they set the AC

load line to 0.4 milliohms the default

load line on the voltage regulator of

this motherboard is 1.1 milliohms which

basically means that in all core loads

or high current loads the CPU will not

get enough voltage and crash uh and this

is in like and this will happen even on

brand new CPUs that aren't degraded

right so the fact like your CPU not

being stable with your motherboard's uh

like gigabyte default settings or Asus

default settings that is not an

indication

that your CPU has degraded that's just

an indication that motherboard

manufacturers don't know how to read a

spec sheet

um though the funny thing is that the

way they can't like the this is

technically an undervolt what gigabyte

is doing um which is why it crashes in

high load and for single like the the

funny thing is it's as a as far as like

single core load this undervolt isn't

actually very effective reducing uh low

core count like

voltages um so yeah it it's still like

you can you still get very high voltage

spikes with like the gigabyte default

settings they're just less High than if

they were following the actual like

Intel spec with some of the other uh

gigabyte optimizations like this this

platform has too many like the way Intel

decided to implement these CPUs in terms

of like power delivery and clock

management is just dumb as far as I'm

concerned because it's unnecessarily

complicated like TVB is not an extension

of the Boost table it's a uh leash to

like rain in the stupidity that is the

top of Intel's boost table which is just

like why would you do that why

why but anyway um so the side effects of

of this is like so now that we're on the

gigabyte settings if I try to run C

bench 15 um

I can't because it

crashes um also you'll notice that

already on the oscilloscope we're at 1.5

uh yeah 1.56 volts um which if you have

the Intel default settings turned on

that will simply not happen the voltage

will not go above 1.54 volts in my

experience at least with this board some

other boards might behave somewhat

differently

um so yeah so cinebench won't run but

funnily enough you might think like oh

well will white cruncher run well white

cruncher funnily enough will run though

that might be just because it's very

memory bottleneck right

now if we intentionally stop the

workload while it's running I'm trying

to like intentionally cause it

to spike oh there we go

1.57 um you'll also notice that like

white cruncher which is a pretty heavy

allcore load um yeah this runs while cin

bench

doesn't um

so that's kind of fun

um yeah now the reason for this

instability and unfortunately I don't

have a way to check the voltage

regulator oh wait this is only sensors

oops I want the full system

summary or not summary I want like the

full system

read

out so the reason why now it like why

now the CPU is unstable with the

gigabyte settings is because with the

gigabyte settings if we scroll down

to uh where is it AC load line You'll

see that the AC load Line is now set to

0.4 milliohms um and the motherboard's

vrm is actually set to 1.1 mohms so when

we try to run cine bench the voltage

gets too low and cinebench

crashes um but certain other workloads

are potentially just fine I wonder

wonder if I have

a I mean I guess we could try Prime

95 um it's not something I've tried

before

but with the like gigabyte defaults so

I'm not entirely sure what we're going

to

see but yeah we'll just try small

ffts and

um yeah it doesn't seem to be

crashing right so that that's like CU

when you run Prime 95 the

CPU uh right so like I can't run

cinebench but I can run Prime 95 cuz

when we run Prime 95 the CPU actually

hits the 280 wat power limit um and the

voltages are very low and the clocks are

very low like we're at just 5 GHz right

so this is the thing is like the this

platform like there are multiple

different problems one of them is that

like well you have the degradation which

is caused by the excessive voltage spike

in like load transition and low load

scenarios which is Intel's fault because

they just wrote a like like the way they

generate vid voltages is just completely

insane um so that's what the ox1 129

micro code is fixing but it only fixes

that if you actually use the Intel

default settings if you don't use the

Intel default settings that be like that

fix is gone um so yeah if you don't know

what you're doing I would highly

recommend that you do not turn off the

Intel default settings cuz it will take

off the voltage limiter and then you're

at the mercy of whatever your

motherboard vendor did uh which is

often worse cuz you'll have like

instability in certain allore workloads

because the load lines aren't configured

are configured to be too high V Dro

relative to what like you basically get

a massive untested undervolt right out

of the box if you lost the Silicon

Lottery your CPU will crash in some

workloads not all workloads because just

yeah um so it's really not like this

that this is the thing that's been

annoying me with this whole situation is

like we have like there was the thermal

velocity boost issues you have the

voltage Spike issues you have the

excessive AC like load line undervolting

from the motherboard vendors like

there's like three different problems

that they've been like that have been

getting like progressively

fixed

um and it's just like like I don't think

nobody like they just don't test

anything at Intel it's just you know

they make CPUs and they sell them but

they don't test them um cuz testing

costs time and

money which apparently money is

something that Intel no longer has um as

we've recently find out found out so

yeah so that's that's just that's it

that's all I wanted to show is just yeah

if you you if

you update to the latest bios that has

the ox29 micro code you do have to use

the Intel default settings in order to

get that voltage limit um to work CU if

you turn off the Intel default settings

that voltage limit goes away now maybe

some vendors somehow like have a way of

keeping it in place but at least on

gigabyte it just disappears the moment

you turn off Intel default settings and

your core voltage is happily going to go

back up to you know 1.58 volts in this

case but with some CPUs and I guess if

your CPU doesn't like the funny thing is

like for me the easiest way to trigger

the excessive voltages is cinebench 15

but my CPU can't run cinebench 15 with

the gigabyte default settings however if

you win the Silicon Lottery um you do

get some CPUs that can run cin bench 15

with the with the gigabyte default

settings and if you use and in those

cases maybe you'll see even higher

voltage spikes than what I'm seeing

right so

like this is just yeah like this this

whole thing is just a mess because this

entire platform is a mess

um and uh like here we are and you know

what what's been kind of bugging me is

like I wonder how many Intel

users just kind of lived with the fact

that their system randomly

crashes so I like I do wonder if we're

like not seeing the full picture of how

widespread this is because some people

just think like oh the game is bad when

it crashes or it's the NVIDIA drivers

when the game crashes or it's you know

uh like it's just buggy software when

the the thing crashes um when it's like

nope that's probably your CPU

crashing um because the thing is like

the CPU ultimately like sort of handles

everything that happens on the system so

if the CPU is unstable everything is

unstable

um but uh yeah so anyway if you have a

gigabyte motherboard update to the

latest bios don't turn off the Intel

default settings unless you know exactly

what you're doing um and if you don't

trust Intel you can go into the advanced

voltage settings now I'm not 100%

certain that this necessarily works on

every motherboard the Intel VR voltage

limit um I've heard from some people

that it like doesn't necessarily work on

every board but at least on the boards

using the Rena sauce vrm controller uh

yeah you can just set an arbitrary

voltage limit so if you're paranoid or

you just don't trust Intel at this point

which probably is a you know correct

stance to have with Intel at this point

you can set the voltage limit to 1.4 or

even less than that but personally I

would probably just go to 1. .4 um cuz

um yeah like OB like I can't know if 1.4

is safe but I kind of supect that 1.4 is

probably more than enough to be safe um

cuz like a lot of the CPUs out there in

the wild have to have been running way

over 1.4 very regularly and the

degradation

isn't that fast right like it's it's

taken quite a lot of time for some

people to to degrade their CPUs so

um yeah anyway um that's it so thanks

for watching uh hopefully you found this

somewhat interesting and or useful I

will be also doing another video going

into like what exactly is AC and DC load

line and uh like the vrm load lines on

these uh on on well this motherboard I

might also do that for some other well I

don't know if I want to do that for

other boards I don't really find this

topic particularly interesting cuz this

is just like look if you wrote better

document we wouldn't be here like this

isn't that hard write a damn spec sheet

um anyway um but yeah I do want to do

another video just like going over what

ACDC load line does and how like it

interacts with the actual motherboard's

uh voltage regulator um and like how can

you adjust the actual Vol vrou of the

motherboard itself um but uh yeah so

that's it for this video uh thanks for

watching uh if you'd like to support the

channel I have a patreon if there's like

a band camp link there's also the

teesprings store where there's like

shirts and hoodies and posters so yeah

I'd really appreciate it if you'd check

those out and that's it for the video so

thanks for watching and goodbye