Intel's new Microcode patch is HERE! Impact Testing Performance...
Summary
TLDRThis video script discusses the release of the latest microcode for MSI motherboards, specifically for Intel CPUs, ahead of the expected schedule. The script explores the performance implications and behavioral changes of the new microcode, focusing on Intel's 14th Gen 900K CPU. It includes tests on an MSI MPG Z790 Carbon 2 Wi-Fi motherboard, comparing performance before and after the microcode update. The results show minor fluctuations in performance, with some tests showing slight uplifts or drops, but no significant overall impact. The script also addresses concerns about CPU stability and the potential need for further updates, emphasizing the importance of long-term testing to ensure the microcode effectively addresses instability issues.
Takeaways
- 📅 MSI motherboards were the first to release the latest microcode updates for Intel CPUs ahead of schedule, expected in mid-August.
- 🔍 The microcode update, specifically 0x1129, is intended to address stability issues in Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, but it will not fix CPUs already experiencing crashes.
- 💻 Falcon Northwest, a high-end custom gaming PC builder, is highlighted for their focus on performance and quality, offering systems with a three-year warranty and shipping coverage.
- 🛠️ The script discusses the necessity of updating both the BIOS and the Management Engine (ME) to properly apply the microcode to the CPU.
- 📊 Performance tests show mixed results post-microcode update, with some tests showing minor uplifts, others showing slight drops, and some remaining nearly identical.
- ⚠️ There is skepticism about whether the microcode update is a permanent fix or a temporary Band-Aid, indicating the need for long-term testing.
- 📉 In certain tests like Time Spy Extreme, there was a noticeable performance drop, suggesting potential changes in CPU behavior post-update.
- 🎮 Gaming performance tests showed minimal impact from the microcode update, with games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider showing no significant change.
- 🌡️ Temperature and power consumption remained largely the same after the update, contrary to expectations of potential reductions due to voltage adjustments.
- 🔋 Voltage spikes during single-core workloads were observed to be lower post-update, which could indicate a more stable and safer operating condition for the CPU.
- 🤔 The final assessment is that while there may be minor performance hits, stability is preferred, and the true effectiveness of the microcode update will only be known over time.
Q & A
What is the main topic discussed in the video script?
-The main topic discussed in the video script is the release and testing of the latest microcode updates for Intel CPUs, specifically focusing on the performance and stability implications for 14th and 13th generation Intel Core CPUs.
Which motherboard brand was first to release the microcode updates according to the script?
-MSI was the first motherboard brand to release the microcode updates for Intel CPUs.
What is the purpose of the microcode updates for Intel CPUs?
-The purpose of the microcode updates is to address crashing and instability issues experienced by some Intel CPUs, particularly those from the 13th and 14th generation with 65 watts and up.
What is the microcode version that the script mentions as the latest?
-The latest microcode version mentioned in the script is 0x1129.
How does the script describe the performance impact of the microcode updates on Intel CPUs?
-The script suggests that there is no significant performance hit from the microcode updates, with most tests showing minimal changes and some even showing slight performance improvements in certain scenarios.
What is the significance of the BIOS update mentioned in the script?
-The BIOS update is significant because it includes the microcode update, which is necessary for addressing the stability issues with Intel CPUs. It also involves changes to the Intel Extreme and Intel Performance profiles.
What additional step is required besides updating the BIOS for the microcode to take effect?
-Besides updating the BIOS, the Management Engine (ME) installer must also be run to ensure that the microcode is applied to the CPU.
What is the sponsored brand mentioned in the script, and what do they offer?
-The sponsored brand mentioned in the script is Falcon Northwest, which offers custom gaming PCs with a focus on high-end gaming experiences, custom cases, and a three-year warranty policy.
What is the script's stance on the long-term effectiveness of the microcode updates in resolving CPU stability issues?
-The script expresses skepticism about the long-term effectiveness of the microcode updates, suggesting that it will take time to determine if the updates truly resolve the stability issues or are just a temporary fix.
What advice does the script give to users experiencing CPU crashes related to the microcode issues?
-The script advises users experiencing CPU crashes related to microcode issues to perform an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) process, as their CPU is likely already damaged.
How does the script describe the voltage behavior before and after the microcode update?
-The script describes that before the microcode update, there were voltage spikes close to 1.6 volts, particularly in single-core workloads. After the update, these spikes were reduced and did not exceed 1.51 volts, indicating a change in voltage management.
Outlines
🔍 Early Release of MSI Microcode Update
The script discusses the unexpected early release of the latest microcode for MSI motherboards compatible with Intel CPUs. The update, initially anticipated for mid-August, was released ahead of schedule with MSI being the first to roll it out. The primary focus is on the potential impact of the update on performance and behavior changes, particularly when tested on Intel's 14th Gen 900K CPU. The script also introduces a sponsored segment for Falcon Northwest, a high-end custom gaming PC builder, emphasizing their 30-year history, custom cases, and rigorous testing to ensure optimal performance. The company offers a comprehensive warranty and shipping coverage, inviting viewers to explore their offerings through a provided link.
📉 Performance Impact of New Microcode on Intel CPUs
This paragraph delves into the performance implications of the new microcode 0x1129, which is an update to address stability issues in Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs. The narrator clarifies that this update will not remedy instability already present in affected CPUs, suggesting it's an Intel issue that requires a more permanent solution. The script details the testing process on an MSI MPG z790 Carbon 2 Wi-Fi motherboard with BIOS updates and the ME engine installer, highlighting the necessity of both for the microcode to take effect. Performance tests, including Cinebench R23 and R24, Geekbench, and various other benchmarks, reveal minor fluctuations in performance, with some tests showing slight improvements and others minor declines, indicating no significant overall impact.
🎮 Gaming Performance and Microcode Update Effects
The paragraph examines the effects of the microcode update on gaming performance, using titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Cyberpunk 2077 to illustrate any potential drops in frames per second (FPS). While Shadow of the Tomb Raider showed no significant change due to the CPU and GPU combination reaching the game's engine cap, Cyberpunk 2077 demonstrated a slight decrease in average and minimum FPS. The narrator also discusses the importance of single-core performance and voltage sensitivity, which can affect stability and potentially cause damage to the CPU. The paragraph concludes with a detailed analysis of core clock speeds, package temperatures, and voltage spikes before and after the microcode update, showing a reduction in voltage spikes post-update.
🔧 Stability Concerns and the Future of Intel Microcode
The final paragraph addresses the community's concerns regarding the stability and trustworthiness of Intel's microcode updates. The narrator suggests that while the performance hit from the update is minimal (around 2% on average), the real test will be the long-term stability of the CPUs. They mention the possibility of further microcode revisions, as evidenced by the quick succession of releases from MSI, and emphasize the need for caution and patience to see if the updates truly resolve the underlying issues. The script concludes by acknowledging the challenges faced by users with unstable CPUs, recommending RMA as a last resort and expressing hope that the new microcode will prove effective over time.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Microcode
💡MSI Motherboards
💡Intel CPUs
💡Performance Stability
💡Behavioral Changes
💡BIOS Update
💡ME Engine Installer
💡Cinebench R23
💡Voltage Spikes
💡Package Power
💡Gaming Performance
Highlights
Latest microcode for MSI motherboards and Intel CPUs released ahead of schedule.
MSI was the first to release the microcode update, which was initially expected in mid-August.
Performance and behavioral changes discussed regarding Intel's 14th Gen 900K CPU after microcode update.
Microcode 0x1129 is newer than the previously leaked 0x125, addressing crashing and instability issues in 13th and 14th Gen CPUs.
If a 13th or 14th Gen CPU is already unstable, the new microcode will not fix it; it's considered an Intel issue.
For stable CPUs, the new microcode aims to maintain stability, though long-term testing is needed to confirm effectiveness.
MSI MPG z790 Carbon 2 Wi-Fi motherboard was used for testing with two different BIOS versions.
The new BIOS update includes Intel Extreme and Intel Performance profiles, which were not in the initial release.
Both BIOS and ME engine updates are required for the microcode to take effect on the CPU.
Cinebench R23 showed no significant performance change after the microcode update.
Cinebench R24 multi-threading showed a noticeable drop in performance after the update.
Geekbench scores showed a minor drop, within the margin of error, after the microcode update.
Handbrake render time showed a negligible increase, possibly within the margin of error.
Blender benchmark showed a slight performance improvement after the update.
Time Spy showed a significant drop in CPU test score after the microcode update.
Gaming performance in Shadow of the Tomb Raider remained nearly identical after the update.
Cyberpunk 2077 showed a slight drop in FPS, indicating a potential impact of the microcode update on CPU-intensive titles.
Voltage spikes during single-core workloads were reduced after the microcode update.
Package power showed a smoother fluctuation pattern after the update, suggesting more stable voltage delivery.
The impact of the microcode update on performance is minor, with an average hit of about 2%.
The community's trust in Intel's microcode update is uncertain, and long-term stability remains to be seen.
Transcripts
okay we got the latest micro code at
least for the MSI motherboards that
we're going to check out regarding Intel
CPUs uh this is kind of ahead of
schedule actually we were expecting
middle of August for these micro codes
to start dropping MSI was first and we
tested it we're going to talk about what
kind of performance you may or may not
lose and what sorts of Behavioral
changes there are with Intel's at least
14 900k which is what we tested on first
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below all right so I'm talking about
micro code 0x1 129 it's actually later
or newer than 0 x125 which is the code
or the micro code that was sort of
leaked that intel was currently testing
for the crashing and instability
problems regarding your 14th 13th gen C
KC CPUs anything 65 watts and up which
is just about all of them at this point
um spoiler alert we've already talked
about this if your 13th and 14th gen CPU
is already experiencing and exhibiting
in stability Behavior it's done it's
toast this code is not going to fix it
that is an Intel problem that they are
going to have to figure out how the hell
they're going to deal with that but this
is for those of you that have had or
have stable CPUs like mine included at
home has not had any crashing issues and
I've been running it at 320 watt for a
long time this problem does not
necessarily plague every single CPU I
mean the micro code stuff there's
variant in there
so this is for those of you that do not
have crashing Intel CPUs and you want to
keep them that way this is thetically
the way that's supposed to work although
I think we're all a little leery of
whether or not it's really going to fix
the problem and it's not just a Band-Aid
so long-term testing is really going to
show over time if these are going to fix
the problems so we ran the 14900 K on
our MSI MPG z790 Carbon 2 Wi-Fi
motherboard not an Asus board so the two
bios for the carbon 2 that we used here
one of them goes back to May which is
e7d 89 im.
a42 um which is the first bios MS I
launched was which specifically put the
Intel extreme and Intel performance
profiles in the Bios feed to select
prior to that none of those profiles
were there at all they defaulted to the
4,096 Watts the 511 amps the whole deal
right the unlimited power which was what
was part of the problem with all of
these CPU deaths so we ran through our
CPU test and then we loaded the latest
bios which actually dropped today this
is a very fast video we're working on
this but today which is actually a few
days later than the previous bios which
dropped with the 0 x125 which is the
first revision micro code fix from Intel
so MSI has been rolling these out
actually pretty quickly so this bios the
second bios was the e7d 89 im. A51 so on
their website as of
888224 now that could change and there
could still be some revisions to that
micro code but we wanted to see what
kind of performance hit increase changes
Behavior whatever that's going to happen
by changing uh the micro code now the
micro code and the me engine also had a
separate installer that we had to run so
it wasn't just the BIOS update you need
to look at the package uh from your bios
manufacturer or your motherboard
manufacturer and see what their patching
notes are because if you were to just
install the BIOS but not run the me
engine or the me installer you would not
have gotten the micro code on your CPU
either so you have to run those together
Asus motherboards tends to do it all
together as a package it'll do a restart
and then do the Emy automatically so
depending on your motherboard you may or
may not have to do that so check with
your motherboards installation
instructions let's go and get right into
the results here because this is where
things get kind of interesting because
you'll notice if we look in the chart
here and I left all our CPUs on there
we'll start with um we'll start with
cinebench R23 all core so you see at the
bottom of the chart it says 14,900 K 0
x29 that's the latest bios and the 0 x23
that's what the micro code was for the
BIOS that came out with the performance
and extreme profiles it's also important
to note this is on the extreme 250 53
wat profile which is actually what Intel
says the performance is supposed to be
but as you can see no significant change
visible uh to the 14900 K in that test
if you take a look at cinebench R23 the
single thread score um again a slight
uplift 2336 on single core to a 2345
single core again margin of error you
can run this 10 10 this run this test 10
times and get 10 different results there
if we look at r24 which is an actually a
harder
test to run than R23 it does it's
different types of instructions that are
actually happening during the test it's
not just one that's hammering the cores
uh we went from a
2136 down to a 2124 I would actually say
in the multi-threading test in r24 this
is actually more of a significant
measurable drop um a 2136 to a 2124 is
noticeable you'll notice these are much
lower score numbers than like R23 so a
22 point or a 12o drop is actually
somewhat noticeable um in terms of the
test now if we go to a single core run
on r24 it's exactly the same 136 to 136
you'll notice kind of a theme Here the
single core stuff doesn't really seem to
be affected too much although single
core workloads is where a lot of the
voltage would jump too high as high as
1.6 on the old micro code um where you
actually would see the voltage problem
more than just all core if you enable an
allcore workload most of the cores due
to vrou will actually drop their vid
drop their vid out of the the danger
zone but it's actually the single core
workloads that have a a chance to burst
the voltage high enough to potentially
cause damage um at least I had a whole
discussion with Falcon Northwest about
that which was actually quite surprising
I always just assumed the all core
workload would be the biggest stress to
the CPU but no if we're talking about
voltage sensitivity it's actually single
and two core workloads that can cause
that burst and we'll look at the chart
later where you'll actually see some of
that on the pre um 0x1 129 all right so
looking at geekbench here a little bit
of a drop so from 2,169 to a
20,33 it's important to note this is all
the exact same system for for this these
tests this is not like we threw it on a
different rig and saw how it performed
this is only the BIOS and management
engine change for the micro code now
geekbench uh single core you can see we
go from a 3209 to a
3197 um fairly margin of error there not
the significant performance hit at least
that we've seen so far that a lot of
people were expecting potentially happen
I think what people were thinking was
going to happen is that there was going
to maybe be
with the new micro code a voltage SL
frequency drop across the board on these
on the cores and so far that's not what
we're seeing here I don't think I don't
think we most of us ever expected that
to be the case but I know that that's
what people have been sort of like
throwing out into the into the void
Sphere for people to either just I don't
know believe or whatnot but if we look
at handbrake you can see we gained one
second of render time so handbreak is a
lower is better type of score it's how
many seconds it took to transcode our 4K
video down to 1080p um we're not using
Quicks sync or any of that stuff this is
just raw CPU power and you can see we
went from 59 seconds to a 60 seconds
again complete margin of error that
could be a rounding error with the way
that does a fraction of a second it
could have been more than 59.5 which at
that point would just round up to 60
seconds now we actually picked up some
performance in blender so you can see we
went from in the classroom render um
which is a r Trace rendering we went
from 11055 to a
11127 a little bit larger than the
margin of error we've seen now these are
samples samples higher is better um we
tend to see that we can run this test 10
times and get very very very similar
results every single time not this like
two or three point variant so there was
a little bit of a pickup there if we
take a look at uh junk shop however we
lost a little bit of performance there
1589 to
15628 again potentially margin of error
but it's still noticeable and and we
have to mention that now monster is
nearly identical at
22928 versus
22955 so nearly identical performance
there now time spy was an interesting
one because all these tests are
different type of instruction that we're
asking the CPU to do and different types
of instructions will hit the cores and
hit the logic with the way the voltage
and the frequencies operate in a
different way so Times by extreme went
from 11,941 down to an
11,264 700 points in the CPU test is a
significant drop that's actually
noticeable sometimes we have to
overclock our CPUs to pick up 700 points
in CPU tests in time stream when
we're doing like the xoc stuff so seeing
it drop 700 points is actually a a
pretty significant talking point right
here that that so far is the biggest
change we've seen with the new micro
code versus the existing micro code now
if we go into gaming however shadow of
the Tomb Raider pretty much identical
the reason for that is the fact that the
14900 K and an RTX 490 can hit the
engine cap of 300 Mega 300 frames per
second in Shadow of the Tomb Raider so
it's 1080p medium no scaling no RTX
higher is better we're trying to push as
many frames to the CPU as possible so
that we can see how the CPU handles that
so you can see 301 and 300 300's a new
cap that game used to be capped at
around 220 over the years they've
actually increased that cap now it's
around 300 so you can see we're hitting
the cap before we're hitting or seeing
any sort of degradation in performance
by having this new micro code cyberpunk
2077 however is a CPU intensive title
and we did see a drop although you'd
have a hard time noticing it we did see
a drop 236 average FPS down to
229 and our minimum FPS also dropped
from a 190 to a
186 now like I said now like I said
cyberpunk is a more intensive CPU type
of title it's got a lot of AI happening
in the game it's got a huge City that's
got a lot of NPCs doing things and the
CPU is in charge of handling a lot of
the way that those uh simulations
interact in the game and then obviously
the GPU isn't isn't responsible for all
of the like post-processing of the
scenes to make them beautiful and
obviously accelerate the scenes so a
actual measurable drop in cyberpunk um
2077 in fact it dropped it almost down
to the 14600 K number now obviously we
have to retest all of our 14th gen and
13th gen CPUs prior to the next round of
CPU testing because all of these CPUs
may see the same potential type of drop
most of the problems that we've been
experiencing has specifically been on
the 900 are the I9 SKS so 13900 and
14900 some 13700 and 14 700s have seen
instability issues very few of the 14600
or 13600 CPUs have seen this type of
issue it really comes down to the higher
more dense core count CPUs that are
having this problem now seeing FPS
charts and stuff like that that's only
part of the story the other thing we did
was I did a 10-minute cinch run R23
allcore um to just sort of see if
there's any visual differences that
happen over time so I charted out over
time a few different things so for
instance we'll start with the core
clocks here um what I'm looking for here
is to see if there's any core clock drop
was there any drop between pre1 129 or
post1 129 and as you can see by looking
at this chart the green and the blue are
the Pees the orange and the yellow are
the EES you can see we're still getting
about 5.1 5.15 megahertz uh or gigahertz
on all the peores before and after and
all of the trends are the same all these
low spikes that you see by the way this
is when the test restarts so the
frequency actually drops during the test
restart um and then obviously under load
they jump back up because we do have C
States enabled in the CPU that's part of
the profile stuff to make sure C states
are enabled um believe it or not a lot
of the motherboards actually were
disabling C States so they would just
run full speed constantly all the time
so that's why you see these sudden drops
in the chart now if you look at the
start though on the ecor pre0
x12900 MHz higher for the first three
and a half runs and then it basically
matches where we are post 0x1 129 so I
thought that that was interesting that
we see no difference on the PE cor but
we see a little behavioral difference on
the ecor now if we move over here to
package temperatures they were pretty
much identical now what I was hoping to
see here was that we'd see some um
temperature drop because if we were
seeing potential voltage dropping then
that would lead to lower temperatures as
you can see here with our um my Cooler
Master 280 uh millimeter AIO on here we
pretty much have identical temperatures
across the board so the green line as
you can see here this is package temp
pre micro code the blue line is post
micro code and it's pretty much
identical now if we take a look at the
voltage on the other hand um this is
where things are a little bit
interesting because if you take a look
at the green line which is the pre1 129
patch or micro code patch you can see
the voltage spikes so you saw in the
frequency test in between the tests the
frequency drops however there there's
going to be one or two cores and
remember there's 28 threads in a 14900 K
one or two cores is going to spike to
load the test that's just because of the
fact that it becomes a like very low
thread workload to load the test or get
it started so this is when we're going
to see these voltage spikes now look at
the spikes right especially the ones
right here in the middle they get
awfully close to 1.6 volts while
starting the test and then you can see
during the test they shoot down and then
as the load comes off and it reloads the
test test that single core voltage Spike
spikes again real high and it's not that
high at the start it's what's
interesting about that is it's not that
high at the start of the test it starts
to go higher in the middle of the test
now if you take a look at the blue line
which is post micro code update you can
see we still have those similar spikes
in the same spots but they're not as
high they're not exceeding 1.51 volts
was the highest that I observed whereas
we were getting 1.58 volts prior to it
so this is where we're actually seeing
the micro code changes is going to be in
single core um and maybe low core count
type of workloads where those CPUs are
staying at a much higher core clock
closer to the 6 GHz which is what you're
supposed to get on single and two core
performance on the 900
SKS to get 6 GHz you need voltage to
support that so as you can see right
here it definitely drops the voltage a
little bit not a lot but a little bit
after the micro code update so this is
where we saw the biggest change was this
the the local core count voltage spikes
now if we take a look at package power
this is also where it's a little bit
interesting too the green line as you
can see it's steady at 253 and when I
say steady I mean it's there's a little
bit of a wave in there but it is like
you can tell 253 is the cap however the
blue line as you can see has a more kind
of a wavy fluctuating pattern underneath
253 so it actually dropped down to about
245 to like 248 average with spikes 253
so that's probably linked obviously to
voltage voltage is directly correlated
to Watts obviously voltage watts and
amps all three of those are related
that's how electricity works so it makes
sense with that little bit of voltage
change that we were seeing at least with
the low core count voltages that there
would be a different way that it hits
the Headroom or the the target I should
say so it hits that Target a little more
smoothly rather than just throwing
itself against that 253 watt limit and
then just locking itself there so this
is the way it looks post micro code now
as I said already whether or not you
trust Intel's micro code to really be
the fix it's probably the best idea to
wait and see how this goes over time the
like I said MSI was the first brand to
come out right now with the micro code I
got a million emails this morning when I
woke up saying hey the new micro code's
out why don't you test it here it is at
the end of the day it is not and and I
know this sounds like Intel fanboying
right now it's not I'm team computer I
love computers I don't care if it's
Intel or AMD or
Nvidia I just I just love computers
whatever it is that works for you but
it's not the oh my God your CPUs are
about to get nerfed type of performance
hit at most we saw about 2% of average
performance hit no one's going to notice
2% if I have to give up 2% or even 5% of
performance to have it be stable yeah
I'll be upset about that because that
would mean I lost some performance that
I paid for and was advertised to get but
I'd much rather have my CPU be stable we
took bigger hits with Spectre and
meltdown with those updates which were
security updates than we're seeing with
this but again I don't think the story
is over yet I I I because of the fact
that MSI released a0 x125 and then only
a few days later a 0x1
129 I'm wondering if there's like a0x
131 or something Intel is working on now
we need to see over time if this fixes
the problem like I said if you have a
CPU that's not crashing you're probably
safe but that doesn't mean it hasn't
already degraded somewhat that you that
isn't noticeable because your workloads
don't hit it in a way that it would
present itself that's the trust issue
that everyone's having right now with
Intel and unfortunately as I said if
you're already getting blue screens and
stuff and it's related to this your CPU
is already toast it's time to RMA that
however painful that process is going to
be all right guys there you go tell me
how you feel about the new micro code
hopefully this fixes stuff but we
definitely aren't going to know right
now it's going to take time thanks for
watching as always we'll see you in the
next one
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