Motherboard Default settings could be COOKING your CPU!

Summary

In this video, the host addresses a persistent issue with motherboards and CPUs, particularly Intel processors, where default settings can lead to excessive temperatures and potential damage. The discussion focuses on 'optimized defaults' that often result in higher voltage and power limits, causing CPUs to run hotter than necessary. The host demonstrates how these settings can be adjusted to adhere to Intel's recommended limits, thereby reducing temperatures and maintaining performance. The video serves as a guide for users experiencing high CPU temperatures and aims to educate on the importance of checking BIOS settings to ensure optimal and safe operation of computer hardware.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses an ongoing issue with CPU and motherboard combinations that can lead to high temperatures and potential damage.
• 🛠️ NZXT's BL is promoted as a solution for building a gaming PC on a budget, offering pre-configured systems with Intel's 14th gen CPUs for improved gaming performance.
• ⚙️ The video highlights a problem with 'optimized defaults' on motherboards, which can lead to increased voltage and temperature limits, causing CPUs to run hotter than necessary.
• 📈 The issue is not exclusive to Intel CPUs but is more prevalent due to the widespread availability of unlocked and overclockable Intel processors.
• 🔧 The video emphasizes that ASUS is a significant offender, but other motherboard manufacturers also implement similar optimized defaults.
• 📊 The 'let BIOS optimize' feature often overrides Intel's default settings, leading to higher power limits and voltages that can cause excessive heat.
• 💻 The video provides a practical demonstration of how these settings can affect CPU performance and temperature, using Cinebench R23 and hardware monitor tools.
• ⚠️ The video urges viewers to check their motherboard settings, especially the Intel limits, to prevent unnecessary overheating and ensure they are getting the full performance of their CPU.
• 🔩 The script suggests that motherboard manufacturers should load Intel's limits by default to avoid misleading users about their CPU's performance and thermal capabilities.
• 📝 The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share the information and educate others about the importance of checking motherboard settings to avoid thermal issues.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?

The main issue discussed is the problem of motherboards applying optimized defaults that can lead to excessive CPU temperatures and power consumption, potentially causing damage or reducing the lifespan of the CPU.

Why does the script mention NZXT's BL and its configurator?

The script mentions NZXT's BL and its configurator as an example of a tool that allows users to build a gaming PC on a budget, including the option to use Intel's 14th gen CPUs, which is relevant to the discussion of CPU performance and settings.

What is the significance of 'optimized defaults' in motherboards as discussed in the script?

The 'optimized defaults' in motherboards refer to settings that automatically apply potential overclocks and changes to voltage and power limits based on the manufacturer's testing. This can lead to higher temperatures and power consumption, which is a concern raised in the script.

Why does the script focus on Intel CPUs for this issue?

The script focuses on Intel CPUs because they are commonly overclocked and have unlocked multipliers, making them more susceptible to the effects of the 'optimized defaults' that can lead to higher temperatures and power usage.

What is the role of XMP in the context of the script?

XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) is mentioned as a feature that some users might enable, but the script emphasizes that the issue of high temperatures and power consumption is often due to the motherboard's default settings, not necessarily because of XMP.

What does the script suggest users do if they experience high CPU temperatures?

The script suggests that users experiencing high CPU temperatures should check their motherboard settings, specifically looking for and enabling 'Intel limits' to ensure the CPU operates within safe parameters.

Why does the script criticize motherboard manufacturers for their default settings?

The script criticizes motherboard manufacturers for their default settings because they often enable higher power and voltage limits than necessary, which can lead to higher temperatures and potentially reduce the lifespan of the CPU.

What is the significance of the 'let BIOS optimize' setting as discussed in the script?

The 'let BIOS optimize' setting is significant because it allows the motherboard to automatically adjust settings, often leading to higher power consumption and temperatures. The script argues that this should not be the default setting.

What is the role of Cinebench R23 in the script?

Cinebench R23 is used in the script as a benchmarking tool to test the CPU's performance and temperature under different settings, helping to illustrate the impact of the motherboard's optimized defaults.

Why does the script mention the importance of ambient temperature in relation to CPU temperatures?

The script mentions the importance of ambient temperature because it can affect the cooling efficiency of the system. A cooler room can help keep CPU temperatures lower, but the script emphasizes that high temperatures due to motherboard settings are a concern regardless of the room temperature.

What is the script's stance on the relationship between CPU manufacturers, motherboard manufacturers, and reviewers?

The script suggests there is a point of contention between CPU manufacturers, motherboard manufacturers, and reviewers regarding the appropriate voltage and power limits for CPUs. It argues that motherboard manufacturers often provide more voltage than necessary, which can lead to stability issues and reduced performance.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Overclocking Issues with CPU and Motherboard Combinations

The paragraph discusses the ongoing problem of motherboards applying optimized defaults that can lead to excessive overclocking and increased temperatures in CPUs, particularly with Intel's 14th gen CPUs. The narrator emphasizes the need for motherboard manufacturers to load Intel's default settings to prevent users from mistakenly believing there's an issue with their cooling solutions when in fact, the problem lies in the BIOS settings. The video is aimed at educating viewers on how to identify and correct these settings to ensure their CPUs are not being pushed to unsafe limits by default.

05:01

🔋 Understanding Voltage and Power Limits in CPUs

This section delves into the contentious issue of voltage provision by motherboards, which often exceeds what the CPU requests, leading to higher temperatures and potential instability. The narrator uses Cinebench R23 and Hardware Monitor to demonstrate how voltage and power limits are adjusted in the BIOS, affecting CPU performance and temperatures. The video shows how setting the BIOS to 'let BIOS optimize' can result in higher voltages and wattage limits, contrary to Intel's recommended settings, and how adjusting these settings can lead to more stable and cooler operation.

10:03

🌡️ Managing CPU Temperatures and Power Consumption

The paragraph focuses on the practical demonstration of how adjusting BIOS settings can affect CPU temperatures and power consumption. The narrator disables the 'let BIOS optimize' feature and resets the settings to Intel's defaults, expecting the CPU to run cooler and more efficiently. The results show a significant drop in voltage and temperature, validating the importance of adhering to CPU manufacturer's specifications. The video serves as a guide for users experiencing high temperatures and unstable performance, advising them to check and adjust their motherboard settings accordingly.

15:04

🛠️ The Importance of Correct BIOS Settings for CPU Performance

The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by emphasizing the critical role of correct BIOS settings in achieving optimal CPU performance and thermal management. The narrator reiterates the need for motherboard manufacturers to adhere to CPU manufacturer's limits by default and encourages viewers to check their BIOS settings if they encounter high temperatures or performance issues. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their experiences and to spread awareness about the importance of proper BIOS configuration for CPU health and performance.

Keywords

💡CPU

CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, which is the primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside the computer. In the context of the video, the CPU is discussed in relation to its compatibility with motherboards and how certain settings on the motherboard can affect the CPU's performance and temperature. The script mentions issues with Intel CPUs, specifically the 13700K and 13900K models, and how they interact with the motherboard's BIOS settings.

💡Motherboard

A motherboard is the main printed circuit board (PCB) within a computer that allows communication between many of the crucial electronic components of a system, such as the CPU, memory, and peripherals. In the video, the discussion revolves around how the motherboard's BIOS settings, particularly the 'optimized defaults,' can lead to increased temperatures and power consumption, potentially causing issues with the CPU.

💡Overclocking

Overclocking refers to the practice of increasing the clock rate of a computer to exceed that certified by the manufacturer. This is done to achieve increased performance. The script mentions that motherboard manufacturers have algorithms that attempt to overclock CPUs by default, which can lead to higher temperatures and power consumption without the user's explicit consent.

💡BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, which is firmware used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process. In the video, the BIOS is highlighted as the interface where users can adjust settings such as power limits, voltage, and frequency, which can affect the CPU's performance and temperature.

💡Optimized Defaults

Optimized Defaults in the context of the video refers to the pre-set configurations on a motherboard that are intended to provide the best performance for a given CPU. However, the video argues that these defaults can sometimes push the CPU beyond its recommended limits, leading to higher temperatures and power usage.

💡Voltage

Voltage in a computer context refers to the electric potential difference that drives current through circuits, including the CPU. The video discusses how the motherboard's BIOS settings can increase voltage supplied to the CPU, which can lead to higher temperatures and potentially reduce the CPU's lifespan if not managed correctly.

💡Thermal Paste

Thermal paste is a compound applied between a CPU and its cooler to improve heat transfer. The script mentions that despite using good thermal paste, users might still experience high CPU temperatures due to aggressive BIOS settings, indicating that the issue is not with the thermal interface material but with the motherboard's power and voltage settings.

💡Cooler

A cooler in the context of computer hardware refers to a device used to dissipate heat from components, such as the CPU. The video mentions different types of coolers, like 360mm and 280mm AIO coolers, and how they are affected by the CPU's temperature, which can be influenced by the motherboard's settings.

💡Cinebench

Cinebench is a benchmarking tool that tests a system's rendering capabilities by using its CPU and/or GPU. In the video, Cinebench is used to demonstrate how the CPU's performance and temperature can vary based on the motherboard's settings, with the script highlighting how high temperatures can be reached during stress tests.

💡Power Limits

Power Limits refer to the maximum amount of power that a CPU is allowed to draw. The video discusses how the motherboard's BIOS settings can increase these limits, leading to higher power consumption and temperatures. The script suggests that these limits should be set according to the CPU's specifications to avoid potential damage or reduced performance.

Highlights

The ongoing issue of motherboards applying optimized defaults that can lead to high CPU temperatures and potential instability.

NZXT's BL configurator now includes Intel's 14th gen CPUs, offering increased core counts and speeds up to 6 GHz for enhanced gaming performance.

Asus is identified as a major offender in applying aggressive optimized defaults, but the issue is prevalent across various motherboard manufacturers.

The 'let BIOS optimize' setting can automatically increase power limits, voltage, and temperature settings beyond Intel's recommended defaults.

Users with high-end coolers are still experiencing CPU temperatures reaching 100°C due to aggressive out-of-the-box settings.

The video demonstrates how loading 'optimized defaults' can lead to significant increases in power limits and voltages applied to the CPU.

The importance of enabling Intel's default settings in the BIOS to avoid unnecessary overclocking and thermal issues.

A demonstration of how disabling aggressive BIOS settings can result in more stable temperatures and performance.

The video explains the relationship between voltage, amperage, and wattage, and how BIOS settings can affect these parameters.

The impact of high voltage settings on CPU performance and the potential for reduced performance due to excessive thermal throttling.

A comparison of CPU behavior under load with and without aggressive BIOS settings, highlighting the importance of proper BIOS configuration.

The video emphasizes the need for motherboard manufacturers to load Intel's limits by default to prevent user confusion and potential damage.

A call to action for users to check their motherboard settings if they are experiencing high temperatures and instability.

The video concludes with a recommendation for users to enable Intel's limits in the BIOS for a more stable and predictable system performance.

An appeal to motherboard manufacturers to stop applying overly aggressive settings by default to ensure user systems remain stable and performant.

Transcripts

I don't understand why this continues to

be a problem in 2024 but we're going to

talk to you today about your CPU and

motherboard combination might be trying

to kill itself on

purpose nxt's BL is a quick and easy way

to get a new gaming computer build a

gaming PC on your budget using the

built-in configurator which now includes

Intel's 14th gen CPUs featuring faster

cores with increased core counts and

speeds up to 6 GHz for an overall better

gaming experience don't want to build it

yourself then choose from bl's

preconfigured player PC systems built

with performance and various budgets in

mind to see the full lineup and specs of

the NZXT build player series pre-built

PCS follow the sponsored Link in the

description below so what I'm referring

to right here uh specifically is

optimized defaults in motherboards the

reason why I'm even making this video

I've talked about it in the past but it

continues to be a problem that's been

ongoing since

like I want to say the 7th gen 8th gen

Intel era now this isn't an Intel

problem it's just because Intel CPUs are

like unlocked and overclocked pretty

much for all the SKS unless it doesn't

have a K in fact there's less non

overclocking SKS or unlocked SK than

there are locked SKS like the locked SKS

are the rare ones these days but anyway

moving on um Asus seems to be the

biggest offender but pretty much every

motherboard company has some sort of an

optimized like algorithm they've put

together through all of their testing

that says these CPUs on average can

overclock about this far and get away

with this much additional power limit

this much additional voltage limit this

much additional temperature Etc what the

reason why I'm making this video though

is not just because of the fact that

this continues to go on even though I'm

I we'll get to it I've got so much more

to cover in this video and I don't want

to have it be a 45-minute video but I'm

getting emails from people still saying

I don't understand I've got a 360 mm

cooler I've got a 280 mm cooler on a

13700 K and my CPU is running 100c what

the hell is going on and then they'll

send me a screenshot from like hardware

monitor or something and I can see like

one .48 volts on their CPU and every

single time it's the same story they

never touched anything in their

motherboard heck not even enabling XMP a

lot of people don't even know to enable

XMP so what you're getting here are out

of the box default settings that are

automatically applying not just a

potential overclock of 100 to 200 MHz

per CP you know per EC cor and P core on

its own because of optimized defaults

but an extreme lift of all of the

voltage and amp

and turbo timer settings when it comes

to Intel so this video is specifically

going to be for Intel this doesn't

really happen on AMD CPUs um not so much

because AMD CPUs are so finicky they

they actually can't push them as nearly

as far as you can with Intel stuff so

what I've got sitting right here is an

Intel 13900 K but what here's what I'm

going to show right

here I'm going to hit I I have settings

that have been applied for other videos

we're going to ignore that what I'm

going to show is F5 which is load

optimized defaults there's some very

important verbiage there it does not say

load Intel defaults it says load

optimize defaults which means the

defaults of the BIOS and that

motherboard for that particular CPU see

what happens is the CPU and the

motherboard talk to each other they

identify right and then so what happens

is um the mother motherboard is able to

say oh based on this CPU these are the

types of settings we tend to push so

I've reset the optimized default Asus

multicore enhancement that is above and

beyond

anything from Intel that is an Asus

applied settings change in the Bios it

says Auto let bios

optimize the problem with let bios

optimize is it's going to automatically

go in here and start changing some

settings so if we come down in here to

internal CPU power management 360

amps uh 154 watt long power package

limit 253 watt short duration power

package limit so that's that's actually

the Intel settings right there so I've

just rebooted with the let bios optimize

so you can tell now by the fact that our

DM frequency is back down to 4.8 etc etc

um I'm going to go down to our power

limits once again CP power

management yeah so do you see how they

went up you see that right so we went

from 253 Watts that's our long duration

power limit but it's going to try and

pull basically 495 watts is unlimited

511 amps initially it was 316 or

something like that 311 somewhere around

there so essentially the auto feature or

the default which is the way this

motherboard will boot cuz default is

auto let bios optimize removes the Intel

limits period my major gripe with this

is the motherboard manufacturers need to

load the Intel limits by default it

leads people to thinking something is

wrong with their thermal paste or

something is wrong with their cooler

when they go to load a test like cine

bench CU they see us do it and they want

to compare and then they see 100 C

instantly and

throttling so let me go ahead and boot

into the BIOS real quick so that or not

the BIOS but the see said I I I don't

know if you saw it but I just said F10

exit and it's like no changes were made

because that's the way it rebooted with

those new ridiculous limits in place so

what I'm going to be looking for right

now is how much voltage

is our CPU going to be trying to now now

this is also a thing that has become a

point of contention between the CPU

manufacturers and the motherboard

manufacturers and the reviewers is the

motherboard manufacturers always say the

motherboard never provides More Voltage

than the CPU asks for and that's

complete horseshit it always seems to if

that wasn't the case how can we go in

and change voltage in the settings how

can we go in there and set a voltage the

BIOS is optimiz iing its own voltage

which is airing on the side of stability

which is shove as much voltage down its

throat as you can and let it slow down

so it doesn't die then you're not

getting the performance that you're

paying for so then you have a big ass

cooling system to try and keep very

poorly up to my settings acceptable and

then you just lose performance and you

paid money for stuff that you're not

getting which is the full performance of

your CPU so this is cinebench R23 it's a

free tool you can download if you want

to follow along with this video and see

what your CPU is doing this is also

hardware monitor by CPU ID which gives

us the visibility of all the stuff

happening all the sensors in our system

we can keep an eye on our frequency

right here as you can see we are we do

have a core running at 5.8 GHz on single

core which is exactly what we expect to

see with the Intel stuff 5.5 GHz all

core and then our e cores are down here

at 4.3 I think I said 3.7 earlier I

actually mixed up the specs of like the

13700 or the 13600 the 4.3 is the EC cor

um max turbo limit or ratio for the

13900 K so what we're looking for here

is obviously our temperatures on our

cores but more importantly this guy

right here VOR is sitting at 1305 now

that's not necessarily a problem Intel

does the same thing AMD does which is

for ultimate stability with fluctuating

workloads that are not 100% put More

Voltage that way as this Dynamic

frequency range is changing on the CPU

it doesn't run into stability problems

that's normal I see people all the time

that go my CPU is running 1.4 gz

something's wrong just sitting at the

desktop it's like that's perfect well I

see people all the time messaging me

saying oh my God my CPU is running at

1.4 volt sitting on the desktop doing

nothing idle it's it's trying to kill

itself it's like no actually it's it's

not hurting it whatsoever look at our

temps we're in the 20s right so

everything's fine right there and it

dropped all the way down to 1.19 for a

second but anyway um let's just run a

loop shall

we let's see what our VOR goes to

underload

1323 we're at 88c on the package

instantly and I have a 360 aiio which in

my opinion is far far too warm now sure

we might be sitting here on mid 80s on

the peores and upper 60s and mid 70s on

the eor this room is like 62° f right

now this is not this is not a warm room

whatsoever so already it's getting a

little bit of a help by the fact that

the ambient temperature in this room is

pretty it's like chilled it's chilly in

here right it's it's still cold right

now but our voltage is running 1.2 88

and we're still at 5.5 GHz all core now

I just heard it slowed down we should

end up dropping on frequency here

shortly we're at 320

Watts so after a few seconds here we

should see this drop down to that much

lower 10 whatever watt setting or

actually it should drop down to 253

Watts cuz that's what it showed but

check this out 91c so far is what we've

hit on the package 91c that is pretty

ridiculous look we now have 90 our Max

core is at 91c that's core 7 right here

we got a hot core there our colder core

is 81 we have a huge swing between hot

and cold on certain certain cores all

right so now we just slowed down to

23.5 Watts because we've hit our turbo

timer look at our tempts now 7

7 mid 70s on the

Pees low mid and upper 60s on the E

cores and our clocks dropped from 5.5

down to 5.2 there it is right there 5.1

5.2 it's an interesting test cuz at the

end of the test there's 5.1 again it

stops load for us just like a second and

then goes back so that load drop kind of

freaks out that turbo timer for a second

but our eor dropped all the way down to

4.1 what if I told you

if I went into the Intel

limits we would uh and then if I just

manually change that second number from

One whatever 100 some odd Watts on after

56 seconds to 253 Watts which is stock

by having proper cooling we could keep

our clock speeds and these temperatures

okay so I went into my bio so I

disabled the disabling of the limits or

the removing of the limits so I have

disabled to enable the

limits yeah yeah so anyway this now is

all Intel settings so I'm also going to

leave internal ad adaptive boost

technology share was leave that on auto

that's fine AI overclock this would be

for XMP but I I had it off before so

I'll leave it off now and if we come

down here to our internal power

management you can see now 360 amps 253

Watt and 253 watt which is funny because

we think it might be an I9 setting or

feature where the before and after uh if

the cooler gets at least decent

prediction it might turn that off

but uh it's it means it's just going to

run 253 Watts the entire time so what

that means now is if my if my

calculations are correct we should see

that

77 Celsius on our CPU the entire time so

the first thing I'd like to point out on

VOR is it's it's currently idling at

1314 is where it was but it drops all

the way down to

1.012 that's just because it doesn't

have some stupid crazy amp limit in

there cuz amps and volts are directly

Watts amps and volts they're all

directly related they're they're

calculation right so you can determine

what one of those three numbers is by

knowing the other two numbers so by

having the amps be set super high it

goes oh we got a lot of voltage

available to us even though we don't

have a lot of wattage we have a lot

available voltage to us so it could

start pumping the volts really high but

now that it's back to the default 360

amps which is the the max amount of

amperage allowed on the Intel specs the

volts are going to come down but watch

what happens when we start our test

[Music]

71

72 look our volts 1.1 199 now the

frequency came down slightly at 5.2 and

then five or 4.1 on the ecores and that

right there we can just go in and

actually just play with the multiplier

so our score though right there was a

37,6 like that's because of the fact

that we had the reduced clock speed so

if we get back to the 5.5 we'll be up at

like 38 39,000 so let's do that real

quick so looking in the AV AVX

instruction uh page on here you can see

it actually has a zero offset and it's

showing 5.5 so realistically the the

overall clock speed came down because

that was how it had to control the

wattage to keep the Watts at 253 where

it limits itself is actually in the cork

clock because of the fact that the volts

were already I guess as low as it felt

like it could go and this is where Vol

voltage tweaking would really come in

and be handy now this behavior is

actually actually acting exactly as

Intel is intended what happens is the

motherboard manufacturers say no we want

to make it you know stronger so they go

in there and they adjust these these you

know particular defaults if you will and

every motherboard manufacturer is

different you could take I could take

the same CPU off this Asus board and put

on a gigabyte board and get different

behavior on an MSI board get different

behavior and on an azrock board and get

different Behavior they would be the

it's just whatever the motherboard

manufacturers program to their defaults

I'm not going to go in here and do

fullon like

core clock control because I tend to

actually run the um xmp1 on here and

because I have decent enough cooling I

tend to come in here and do the where'

It Go the AI overclocker I forgot where

it is it's in here somewhere and then

the AI overclocking tends to actually

get us like 6 GHz single core and about

five 5.56 all core on there and that's

going to be based on everyone's

different motherboard uh configurations

their CPU their cooler their environment

how how hot the room the computer in

matters so I wanted to make this video

and put it out there if you're seeing

extremely hot temperatures and you can't

explain why you're like I've got good

thermal paste I've got a really good

cooler I've got lots of air flow in my

case and every single time I run cine

bench or some other stress test I'm

getting 95 100 C on my Intel CPU what

the hell is going on I guarantee you the

problem is not your CPU or your cooler

it's probably your motherboard settings

so do yourself a favor go in at least

find where the Intel limits are enable

those limits and then see if your

problems go away but this is something

that needs to stop this needs to stop

happening on motherboards it has been

happening for like the last six or seven

generations of Intel right now where

motherboard manufacturers are by default

enabling way too high of a limit which

also increases the voltage which

increases the temperature for no reason

whatsoever it it is my personal belief

that the settings on a motherboard out

of the box without touching anything

should

always always follow the limits of the

CPU that is

installed period end of story no

motherboard manufacturer will ever be

able to convince me otherwise they

shouldn't be able to convince you either

so if you've been dealing with tons of

weird temperature fluctuations in your

system start here by looking at your

bios all right guys thanks for watching

sound off down below if you've dealt

with this I'm sure you probably have or

maybe you are dealing with it right now

and you have no idea until this video

also share this video with someone that

you think might benefit from learning

about these settings all right guys

thanks for watching and as always we'll

see you in the next one