Question about BIOS settings for an i7-13700KF CPU?
Question about BIOS settings for an i7-13700KF CPU?
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I’ll begin with my setup details:
Intel core i7-13700KF
Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB
Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX Rev 1.1
Corsair 2x 16GB (32GB) DDR5 6000 CL30
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD
Crucial P3 Plus 2TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD
MSI Ventus 2x OC RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
IONZ KZ-VF Ultra Aether (+4 Fans)
Corsair RMe 1000W 80+ Gold PSU
BIOS Version: FJd (06/06/2024)
Now regarding your question:
Which setup offers the best balance of stability, performance, and temperature control? Before the BIOS update, I used all default settings except for enabling the Resizable bar and XMP Profile 1. After learning about the changes, I discovered that the original configuration was optimized by Gigabyte with everything set to auto, and HWInfo indicated a 4095W power limit. However, during bench tests, I rarely exceeded 240-245W (except during OCCT PSU testing, which I stopped after it consumed 256W). Cinebench scores stayed solid—over 30k multiscore and 2.1k single core—and temperatures remained under 100°C in synthetic loads, peaking at low 90s.
Since the BIOS update auto-activated the "intel default profile," which limited power draw to 253W (designed for safety), I noticed it often hit 250-253W during real-world tests. This caused thermal throttling, lowering scores and pushing temperatures into the high 90s. To fix this, I disabled the new profile and returned to the perfdrive optimized setup with a manual 253W limit (auto otherwise). The results improved: temperatures stayed below 94°C in benchmarks, multicore score reached 31,020, single core above 1.2k, and idle temps under 30°C.
Your concern is valid—why does the Intel default profile perform worse than the motherboard’s "unlimited" setting? It seems to struggle with stability and temperatures, even though it’s meant for i9 chips. Should I stick with my manual perfdrive optimized profile and the 253W limit, or should I adjust other settings? I’m still trying to grasp the voltage and current implications without changing much now, but I want to avoid future issues. The perfdrive setup seems to handle heat better, but I’m unsure if tweaking amp or voltage limits is necessary.
I appreciate your guidance on this!
Have you explored the enforce all limits setting in the BIOS? Also, did you consider whether you applied xmp settings? I'm not trying to be rude, but why opt for such a basic cooler with a high-end build? If you're concerned about your CPU's lifespan, you might want to switch to a more robust cooler.
Peerless Assassin 120 SE delivers strong performance, surpassing many other options on the market. It isn't a premium liquid cooler, but it manages to handle up to 265W as per its specifications and receives positive feedback in reviews. Idle temperatures stay below 30°C, while gaming stays under 70°C (averaging around 50-60°C). Only when under heavy load, like during Cinebench, do the temperatures rise slightly. I don’t plan to overclock it, so it’s more than adequate. However, I think there are some settings I should adjust—switching from Intel defaults to a perfdrive optimized version with manually set power limits to 253W improved temperatures by over six degrees and boosted performance. I’m considering enforcing these limits. My goal is just to reduce full-load temperatures further, without any problems during normal or gaming sessions. Only benchmarking data shows cooler temps under stress tests compared to Cinebench.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you. I was just trying to suggest that if you want better performance from your CPU along with a small voltage increase, you might get more out of an aggressive cooling system. I use the enforce all limits setting with my 14900k, my Cinebench score is 38000, and I don't undervolt it—just because I'm too lazy to do it. Probably will soon though.
Oh aha I'm not upset don't worry (not overly hyped about the idea of uninstalling and reinstalling a new cooler though, let alone the cost of one, when for my uses I'm having no issues (gaming temps and normal temps are fine it's just benchmark temps that run a little warmer than I'm comfortable with). Installing that cooler was a fiddly process it was like I'd just screwed down one side and the other side would pop back up 😩. Got there in the end though! Also I'm a little cautious with liquid coolers because I've heard horror stories of them failing and leaking causing damage to other components.
I am however confused why the "limited" intel default profile had hotter temperatures than the "unlimited" perfdrive optimised profile though that does seem odd. You'd expect slightly lower performance but also lower temps...in my case I got lower performance and higher temps! Ended up going back to perfdrive optimised but manually forcing a PL1 and PL2 of 253W with ICCMax of 307A as per intel specs. Everything else is on auto.
I was just curious if there was a way of getting it even cooler under full load (settings wise).
I'll be honest I don't even know where to begin with things like undervolting and messing with voltages and stuff can have devastating consequences if you get it wrong. Intel has a really nifty auto overclock tool it's a shame they don't have an auto undervolt tool too.
Also yes I do use XMP Profile 1 (DDR5 6000 CL30). If I don't it runs at 4800 with a much worse CAS latency.