Intel is still on the verge of addressing the known instability issues of its 13th and 14th Gen processors. The instability issues (also known as “possible degradation”) mainly affect its latest generation of high-end i9 unlocked chips, although problems are reported for its i7 series, too. A recent post on igorslab.de stated that a buggy algorithm within the microcode of eTVB (Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost) is the root cause of the reported instability issues. However, Intel officially denied these claims as the core problem, although it admits that the eTVB feature plays a crucial part.
The newer BIOS updates are starting to be released by the motherboard vendors, and MSI has already launched the fixed B0671/125 microcode version for its Z790 mainboards. However, the eTVB fix complements the Intel Default Settings and is not a stand-alone solution. Intel advises its users to stick to its official power limits, as it has already stated. The Intel Default Settings remain the same, as Intel advises. It is nice to see that Intel still strives to provide a solution to the reported issues, but I can’t say that its customers should be satisfied with this tactic. The problems have been known for quite a long time, and no solution has yet been provided.
The Intel Default Settings are a viable and considerable option, but they don’t seem to be the root cause, rather than a “better be safe than sorry” advice. Even if it were, the end user doesn’t buy an unlocked processor to stick to Intel’s (otherwise) respectable guidelines. On the other hand, I do not favor the so-called “degradation” issue. I don’t believe this is true for most of the chips (under regular conditions), and as far as I know, the Intel Default Settings haven’t solved all the reported problems yet.
So, Intel should provide a solution reasonably quickly. For now, it is advised to follow Intel’s official guidelines and upgrade the BIOS to the latest version. We hope there will be a solution shortly and this “drama” will end. But, dear Intel, you should have known better.
