MSI has now adopted Intel’s new default settings for its line of Z790 motherboards in hopes of bringing stability to Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh Core i9 processors.
As noted by WccftechMSI has implemented the new BIOS settings according to Intel guidelines with two power limits of 125W and 253W. This step was done to ensure that 13th and 14th generation Core i9 CPUs will perform without crashing while gaming (or in some reported cases not booting into Windows at all).
It’s a bold move, with the new BIOS settings effectively replacing MSI’s existing ‘Baseline Defaults’, and the cost of this increased stability could reduce gaming performance. The BIOS will also warn you against using the ‘Tower Air Cooler’ or ‘Water Cooler’ via the new ‘Default Settings’ as the first two have reduced stability. Intel strongly recommends that consumers use these new settings.
There is a significant difference between the power consumption of the new default settings compared to the two previous performance modes. At 125 W and 253 W for PL1 and PL2 respectively (power consumption limits), as indicated, you may experience reduced performance compared to the previous performance mode limits. (These are 288W for ‘Tower Air Cooler’ and 4096W – which essentially means unlimited, or as fast as the chip goes – for ‘Water Cooler’ mode).
If you are using an MSI motherboard and are experiencing crashes, you can now download the new BIOS settings directly from MSI. Keep in mind that you may see a drop in frame rate, perhaps as much as 10-15% in CPU-bound games and software, as the cost to keep the chip working as intended.
The problems with Intel Core i9 CPUs persist
In recent months, we’ve noticed more reports of Intel Core i9-13900K and 14900K CPUs experiencing issues without a dedicated fix on the horizon. Intel initially blamed motherboard manufacturers before conducting an internal investigation as the problem became more widespread.
Considering the price tag attached to Team Blue’s best processors, it’s disheartening that the only real solution involves hindering the peak performance of your Core i9. That’s far from ideal, especially if you’ve opted for a nearly $700 14900KS. We recommend using the new ‘Default Settings’ for now, per Intel’s advice, until a better solution is found (indeed, if that happens).
Curiously, MSI makes no mention of Intel’s caveats about high-end motherboards – and how they can happily deviate from the default settings – and the hardware maker seems to be taking a ‘better safe than sorry’ approach here.