Intel's "0x129" Microcode Mitigates 14th Gen & 13th Gen CPU Instability Issues, Benchmarks Reveal No Performance Downgrades (2024)

Intel's new microcode to mitigate the 14th Gen & 13th Gen CPU instability problems is finally out, & the first set of "credible" benchmarks reveals a ray of hope.

Intel Might Have Done The Job With Its New Microcode Patch, Now Being Offered By Both ASUS & MSI To Resolve 14th & 13th Gen Instability Issues

It looks like Team Blue decided to solve the instability issue earlier than expected. Industry sources said we could have a new microcode drop by mid-August. Still, Intel agreed to be one step ahead, providing motherboard manufacturers with the new "0x129" microcode in the first week of August. ASUS and MSI became the first firms to offer the new microcode patch in their BIOS update, and fortunately, JayzTwoCents managed to benchmark 14th Gen CPUs with the new microcode, giving us a detailed look at how the performance has changed.

So, JayzTwoCents decided to compare the new "0x129" microcode on an ASUS motherboard against the previous "0x123" microcode which is an older firmware versus the "0x125" which addressed the eTVB bug. The "0x123" patch was released in May and brought in "Intel's Baseline" settings. This was done to see how far Intel has come in terms of the optimizations brought in with the set of microcodes within the May-August timeline. JayzTwoCents tested the new "0x129" patch on Intel's Core i9-14900K CPU, which constitutes a majority portion of the "unstable CPUs" out there.

Starting with the benchmarks, the microcode was tested on Cinebench R23, and the multi-threaded results obtained show that the performance hasn't taken much of a hit when compared to the 0x123 microcode; however, with single-core, there's a slight uplift, going up from 2,336 points to 2,345 points.

There was a noticeable drop in performance when the chips were compared at Cinebench 2024 multi-threaded benchmarks, dropping from 2,136 to 2,124. The results were consistent when tested in environments such as Geekbench, showing that, in general, performance hasn't seen much of a downgrade.

The biggest performance change was seen with TimeSpy's Extreme CPU test, in which the scores went from 11,941 to 11,264, marking a drop of 700 points. While the reason behind such a drop isn't certain yet, it's most likely associated with the new microcode.

Moving onto gaming benchmarks, titles such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Cyberpunk 2077 were tested, and to our surprise, the performance drop was negligible and non-existent in some cases as well.

Comparing core clocks, CPU temperatures, and core VIDs, it looks like there wasn't any sort of noticeable drop or increase in them, which shows that, in general, the new "0x129" microcode hasn't deteriorated the performance at all and the performance differences are well within the margin of error.

Of course, if you compare it to the "pre-instability" era, the results are quite lower, but given that we have now reached a pivot point, it's safe to say that Intel's new "0x129" microcode has brought stability to the 14th Gen & 13th Gen CPU platforms. Meanwhile, Intel has also shared more info on the 0x129 microcode patch which can be seen below:

Intel is currently distributing to its OEM/ODM partners a new microcode patch (0x129) for its Intel Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors which will address incorrect voltage requests to the processor that are causing elevated operating voltage.

For all Intel Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processor users:This patch is being distributed via BIOS update and will not be available through operating system updates. Intel is working with its partners to ensure timely validation and rollout of the BIOS update for systems currently in service.

Instability Analysis Update – Microcode Background and Performance Implications

In addition toextended warranty coverage, Intel has released three mitigations related to the instability issue – commonly experienced as consistent application crashes and repeated hangs – to help stabilize customer systems with Intel Core 13th and 14th gen desktop processors:
1. Intel default settings to avoid elevated power delivery impact to the processor (May 2024)
2. Microcode 0x125 to fix the eTVB issue in i9 processors (June 2024)
3. Microcode 0x129 to address elevated voltages (August 2024)

Intel’s current analysis finds there is a significant increase to the minimum operating voltage (Vmin) across multiple cores on affected processors due to elevated voltages. Elevated voltage events can accumulate over time and contribute to the increase in Vmin for the processor.

The latest microcode update (0x129) will limit voltage requests above 1.55V as a preventative mitigation for processors not experiencing instability symptoms. This latest microcode update will primarily improve operating conditions for K/KF/KS processors. Intel is also confirming, based on extensive validation, all future products will not be affected by this issue.

Intel is continuing to investigate mitigations for scenarios that can result in Vmin shift on potentially impactedIntel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors. Intel will provide updates by end of August.

Intel’s internal testing – utilizing Intel Default Settings - indicates performance impact is within run-to-run variation (eg. 3DMark: Timespy, WebXPRT 4, Cinebench R24, Blender 4.2.0) with a few sub-tests showing moderate impacts (WebXPRT Online Homework; PugetBench GPU Effects Score). For gaming workloads tested, performance has also been within run-to-run variation (eg. Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Warhammer III – Mirrors of Madness) with one exception showing slightly more impact (Hitman 3: Dartmoor). However, system performance is dependent on configuration and several other factors.

For unlocked Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors, this latest microcode update (0x129) willnotprevent users from overclocking if they so choose. Users can disable the eTVB setting in their BIOS if they wish to push above the 1.55V threshold. As always, Intel recommends users proceed with caution when overclocking their desktop processors, as overclocking may void their warranty and/or affect system health. As a general best practice, Intel recommends customers with Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors utilizethe Intel Default Settings.

via Intel

However, there's a slight twist here, which I feel could play out. Given that the microcode dropped yesterday, we still have to witness its long-term stability, given our past experiences. So, while the above results are a sigh of relief, we will have to wait and see whether the microcode has "healed the damage" permanently.