Questioni9 diagnostics ?
Questioni9 diagnostics ?
Hi everyone, I have a couple of concerns. My i9-14900KF processor was replaced earlier because the company noticed problems with this model. It worked for a while but then began crashing frequently. A local technician recommended applying Intel’s fixes for the i9 issue and told me the CPU wasn’t damaged, so I should be fine. However, I’m experiencing many crashes in games that should run smoothly on my rig, like Mechwarrior 5 Mercenaries released in 2021.
I’m curious if there’s any diagnostic tool a non-expert can use to check for CPU damage or to investigate the crash causes? Ideally, I’d prefer something affordable so I don’t have to spend over $90 an hour trying to fix it.
Here are my system details:
- CPU: i9-14900KF
- Motherboard: MSI Pro Z790-P WiFi DDR5 ATX
- GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24Gb
- PSU: Corsair RM1200x SHIFT 80 PLUS 1200W
- System SSD: 4TB Kingston SNV2S/4000G (one for games, another not the main drive)
- CPU Cooler: CyberpowerPC MasterLiquid Lite 360mm ARGB
- No overclocking enabled
Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thanks.
I had it checked at a local tech shop. They applied Intel's fixes for the i9 issue and confirmed the CPU wasn't damaged, so everything should be fine. Would you like more details about those adjustments?
The BIOS flash is the solution they applied. Regarding the CPU, I'm uncertain about its functionality... I returned the computer to CyberpowerPC when issues began and they replaced the CPU. I’m not covered by their parts warranty anymore, and I don’t have a receipt or proof of purchase for the CPU. Additionally, I’m unsure whether it’s damaged or not, which makes checking its condition difficult.
Open the bios settings and perform a full reset to restore defaults, as some updates may not finish properly unless you do this. When prompted for cooling options at first boot, select the lowest setting, regardless of your actual hardware, to ensure safe configurations are applied. Next, verify XMP/memory settings; confirm they are not exceeding 5600, which is the maximum Intel guarantees for DDR5. If stability is achieved, your CPU appears acceptable, though it may be a less robust model with limited performance beyond its rated limits. You would then need to gradually increase power, clock speeds, and RAM in small steps until instability occurs.
Entered the BIOS and only found 'Load Optimized Defaults'. It didn't seem like the standard settings, so I searched for more information and came across a discussion thread. A user shared a link to a table of Intel's actual recommended configurations, but it wasn't visible in my BIOS. I attempted to capture a screenshot of the CPU section to help identify what I needed, but couldn't locate it on the storage drive. I'll try again later.
I clicked Load Optimized Defaults. It prompted a simple yes/no question, then returned to the bios screen with whatever settings I had previously configured. No cooling-related inquiry was made, nothing.
Next, I tried it with Mechwarrior 5 Mercs, which tends to crash after around 20 minutes, indicating the settings didn't resolve the issue.
It seems correct that on MSI boards you can press f7 for advanced mode. Checking YouTube might help, as there should be a method to adjust power limits to Intel standards. No problems have been encountered so far, especially with my i7 14700.