Why am I not achieving more than 60% E-Core usage during stress tests?
Why am I not achieving more than 60% E-Core usage during stress tests?
The issue has been quite challenging to find online. I own a 13600kf and have observed that during overclocking, my e-core effective clocks remain around x24, which is lower than the default x39 or x40 in my light OC. The p-cores function properly. When I run a game on top of it, all my E-cores seem underutilized. They reach 100% only with a stress test that cycles cores, but they perform poorly under continuous load. There’s no throttling reported in HWInfo. Is this matching the expected behavior or is there a problem?
Edit: Effective clocks are now accurate after switching my BIOS from Intel settings to Asus OC settings. Asus didn’t provide clear details on which settings changed, but it likely relates to voltage adjustments.
Also, HWInfo didn’t indicate any voltage-based throttling, even though clock stretching was poor on the E-cores.
If you didn't perform a hard reset following a BIOS flash, it might be beneficial to do so. Then reconfigure any custom settings you had, since there are many instances where, after updating the BIOS, some settings remain fixed and don't change properly. A hard reset ensures all hardware tables are cleared and no previous settings stay stuck. I've noticed this make a noticeable difference on my setup both in practice and on the forum. Of course, it's your choice, but I always do this after every BIOS update—whether to a newer or older version—to ensure everything functions correctly.
Now that you've completed that, it's essential to re-check your thermal compliance and ensure you have the most recent motherboard BIOS installed. This is necessary because the ASUS OC setting alters power limits beyond the standard Intel specifications, and what has proven safe for 13th and 14th Gen systems. To protect your CPU, you should install the latest BIOS that fixes previously problematic issues that could harm processors. However, the ASUS OC will differ from the default Intel profile, so verify your thermal compliance by running a steady-state core load test using tools like Prime95 with all AVX options turned off. Unless you regularly play games or use applications that heavily rely on AVX instructions, it's wise to keep this setting checked for accurate results tailored to your needs.
I recently updated the BIOS (about three days ago), and I think the CPU might have started to fail before that. OCCT is showing errors even at 100MHz with the default boost setting. Prime95 handled it fine, but 200 was okay. The thermal readings are normal for my 280 AIO.
If you haven't performed a thorough reset after updating the BIOS, it might be beneficial to do so, and then adjust any personalized configurations you had. There are numerous instances where, following a BIOS update—whether newer or older—certain settings remain fixed and fail to adapt properly. A hard reset guarantees that all hardware references are cleared and no previous settings linger. I’ve observed this firsthand on my setup and in discussions here; it often makes a noticeable difference when it didn’t before. Of course, the decision is yours, but I always perform this after every BIOS upgrade to ensure everything operates as intended.
My comprehensive hard reset guide.
BIOS Hard Reset steps
Turn off the device, disconnect the power supply and unplug the PSU cable from the wall or supply unit.
Take out the motherboard's CMOS battery for roughly three to five minutes. In some scenarios, removing the graphics card is necessary to access the CMOS battery.
While the battery is removed, keep pressing the power button on the case continuously for 15–30 seconds to drain any remaining charge in the CMOS circuit. Once the five minutes are complete, reinsert the battery carefully, ensuring it’s oriented correctly.
If you removed the graphics card, you can reinstall it now, but be sure to reconnect any power cables and your display cable as well.
Reconnect the PSU power cable, power on the unit, and it should show the POST screen with options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup.
Enter the BIOS setup program and adjust boot settings for Windows Boot Manager or legacy systems, depending on your OS installation.
Save your changes and exit. If the system successfully boots, you can proceed further—reconfiguring custom settings such as Memory XMP, EXPO, A-XMP, D.O.C.P profiles, fan profiles, or other specific configurations that may have been lost during the reset.
In certain situations, after resetting the CMOS, it might be necessary to load default or optimal values in BIOS to ensure hardware tables reset properly within the boot manager.
It’s also important to note that if the issue stems from a video signal problem, attempting a different display—such as HDMI—can be helpful. Many systems fail due to displayport configurations and may not respond correctly otherwise.
If you experience no display or visual issues, testing another monitor is advisable, as this can resolve problems related to display settings.
It’s a good practice to try these steps when troubleshooting after a BIOS update.
This outcome differs from merely shorting the CMOS jumper after disconnecting the power supply.
Will proceed once the most recent stability check is complete.
Yes, different. I've noticed at least twenty or more cases where people have already removed the CMOS battery or reset the CMOS pins, yet the problem persisted after trying that method. Once they followed the recommended steps, the issue actually got fixed. Particularly when the problem was something the BIOS update should have resolved but didn't seem to work until a hard reset was done. I could even suggest several relevant threads if you're interested.
Great. I've been following up on those gremlins for a while; appreciate you noticing this