Intel has recently released a new microcode for processors belonging to the 13th and 14th generations in order to address issues related to instability that have been observed in these models. Earlier in August, ASUS and MSI were among the first to offer BIOS updates containing this patch labeled as “0x129”. These updates have already shown initial promising results in performance tests.
Performance tests conducted on the Intel Core i9-14900K processor revealed that overall performance levels have remained relatively consistent. In the Cinebench R23 test, there were no changes in results for multi-thread calculations, with a slight improvement noted in single-core tasks. However, a minor decrease in performance was noticed for multi-thread tasks in the Cinebench 2024 test.
The most significant performance decrease was observed in the Timespy Extreme test, with results dropping by 700 points. Nonetheless, when it came to game tests like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Cyberpunk 2077, any performance losses were minimal or nonexistent.
Additionally, the new microcode release addresses an issue involving heightened voltage that could potentially cause processor instability. Intel has indicated that the patch effectively limits voltage requests exceeding 1.55 V, which is expected to prevent future problems.
Although the initial results are promising, comprehensive conclusions can only be drawn after more extensive testing. Intel is actively working on further enhancements and intends to roll out additional updates by the end of August.