ASUS BIOS Updates Aim to Resolve Intel i9 Game Crashing
ASUS has responded to reports of game instability with 13th and 14th Gen Intel CPUs by releasing new BIOS updates for its Intel-based motherboards. The primary update includes an ‘Intel Baseline Profile’ that aims to set stock power limits for the CPU. While this feature intends to improve stability, it does not entirely fulfill its intended purpose.
By default, ASUS motherboards activate their Multicore Enhancement (MCE) system, which elevates the long-term and short-term power limits beyond Intel’s stock values. Disabling MCE and manually adjusting power limits was previously the only solution. However, ASUS has implemented the ‘Intel Baseline Profile’ in the latest BIOS updates to automate this process.
Despite the new profile, disabling MCE is still necessary to obtain reasonable power limits. Additionally, the latest BIOS update for the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-BTF motherboard sets the PL1 (TDP) and PL2 power limits to 181 W when MCE is disabled, while the recommended TDP for an i5 13600K is 125 W.
Independent testing has demonstrated that the reduced current limit, rather than the power limit changes, is likely responsible for the lower power consumption and temperatures observed with the latest BIOS update. Despite these limitations, ASUS encourages users experiencing game crashes to update their BIOS and disable MCE, or manually adjust power values.
Disabling MCE involves switching to the Advanced Mode of the BIOS, navigating to the AI Tweaker section, and locating the Internal CPU Power Management section. Here, users can adjust the Long and Short Duration Package Power Limits according to Intel’s Ark database recommendations for their specific CPU.