Tweaking BIOS settings of patched Raptor Lake motherboards could trash your CPU anyway

Power users who get a thrill from maximizing the performance of their hardware may be in for a surprise if they use a 13th- or 14th-generation Raptor Lake CPU. Even patched systems can send damaging voltages to the processor when settings other than the defaults are selected.

Also: Intel chip bug FAQ: Which PCs are affected, how to get the patch, and everything else you need to know

Intel’s microcode 0x129 update sets a hard limit on the voltage sent to the CPU, capping it at 1.55V, a level the company has determined prevents the degradation experienced by Raptor Lake CPU owners. However, overclocking enthusiast Buildzoid recently posted a YouTube video demonstrating that disabling Intel’s default settings on patched systems allows voltages exceeding 1.55V to be pushed to processors.

Buildzoid’s test system used a Raptor Lake Core i9-14900K processor fitted to a Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X motherboard. When he switched from Intel’s default settings to the default Gigabyte profile, Intel’s voltage caps were alarmingly lifted. What makes matters worse is that these overvoltage events manifested themselves not under heavy loads from AAA games or AI workloads but while booting into Windows with minimal system load.

While users who choose to move away from the default Intel settings are presented with a warning, it’s a generic alert often encountered when making BIOS changes, especially on enthusiast-grade motherboards. It’s important to note that on these Gigabyte motherboards, the default performance profile was previously set to the Gigabyte profile rather than the Intel defaults. Hence, owners may consider this to be a safe setting.

Also: You can upgrade your old PC to Windows 11 – even if Microsoft says it’s ‘incompatible’. Here’s how

With Intel’s microcode 0x129 update, motherboard manufacturers are required by the chipmaker to make the new, safer Intel settings the default option. However, the profiles that can damage the CPU still exist, particularly on Gigabyte motherboards.

Intel’s messaging is also messy and confusing. 

In a statement published by Thomas Hannaford, Intel communications manager, the company said that it wanted to “make sure that all users are clear on the recommended Intel Default power delivery profile settings for Intel Core 13th- and 14th-Gen (K/KF/KS) desktop processors,” and that “users looking to overclock or utilize higher power delivery settings than recommended can still do so at their own risk as overclocking may void warranty or affect system health.” Nowhere in the messaging does it mention that selecting anything other than Intel’s own default power settings will disable the safe voltage caps. 

ZDNET has contacted Intel and Gigabyte for comments on whether this behavior is normal, but — as of this article’s most recent update — we are still waiting for a response.

Also: When Windows 10 support runs out, you have 5 options but only 2 are worth considering

Buildzoid further illustrates the inadequacies of some motherboard manufacturers in creating their own default settings. In a video, Buildzoid shows that the benchmark software Cinebench crashes when using Gigabyte’s default motherboard settings due to low processor voltages. Ironically, these are the same settings that cause core voltages to spike beyond Intel’s newly established safe levels for Raptor Lake CPUs.