Core i9 CPUs Are Crashing – ASUS Introduces “Intel Baseline Profile” Fix
Core i9 CPUs Are Crashing – ASUS Introduces “Intel Baseline Profile” Fix
It looks like Intel’s Core i9 processors may have gotten too close to the sun – recently, many users reported their flagship processors suffering from game crashes, particularly the ones involving Unreal Engine, such as Fortnite and Tekken 8. The situation was so bad, that Korean retailers had seen a significant number of RMAs as a result.
The problem is now identified as a power issue, as motherboard vendors were given largely unsupervised control over how aggressive CPUs are allowed to push beyond their stock capabilities. Initially, boutique PC vendor Falcon Northwest provided an unofficial workaround that involved limiting the CPU’s boosting and power profiles to at least mitigate the crashes; ASUS later provided a new BIOS update that introduced a feature called “Intel Baseline Profile”.
“The update introduces the Intel Baseline Profile option, allowing users to revert to Intel factory default settings for basic functionality, lower power limits, and improving stability in certain games,” the changelog reads on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero motherboard’s support page. According to screenshots provided by @9550pro on X (Twitter), this profile changes a few settings that mainly involve limiting the maximum voltage and current (and thus, effective power draw):
Image: @9550pro (X/Twitter)
This profile also disables one of the better-known features on ASUS’s Intel motherboards called Multi-core Enhancement (MCE). MCE is often used to boost the CPU with the 253W MTP de-restricted, but disabling it means performance loss is expected. According to HXL, this equates to a 12.6% loss in multi-core performance using the top-tier Core i9-14900KS chip.
Admittedly, this is not a perfect solution as users will have to adjust BIOS settings again should they need the extra performance outside of gaming scenarios. More importantly, not every user understands BIOS menus well – so a less experienced user will find the process difficult, especially the BIOS update itself.
Source: Videocardz
Pokdepinion: It’s not really the best idea to push a consumer CPU this hard (electricity costs money, too).
