Intel set to roll out update that reduces performance for high-end CPUs

Last month, Intel launched an investigation into the recent reports of game crashes for owners of the company's high-end CPU.

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A report from BenchLife via VideoCardz, claims that Intel has sent guidance to motherboard partners to roll out the Intel Default Settings on Z789 motherboards. These new default settings will restrict a PL2 of 188 watts, which is the maximum boost power that the CPU can draw sparingly during heavy loads. For context, PL1 is the base power the CPU can sustain for longer periods of time.

The report claims Intel's guidance is to restrict the performance of its high-end CPUs, particularly the Core i9-14900K, which appeared to be the CPU getting the most reports of instability issues. Notably, GIGABYTE has already rolled out its update for PL2, being restricted to 188W on the Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K, and according to testing conducted by Hardware Unboxed, it resulted in an overall 20% performance reduction for both CPUs.

For context, Intel's official specifications for the Core i9-14900K state PL2 is 253W.

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According to the report Intel wants these updates rolled out by the end of May, and the company will be making a public statement about the instability issue sometime this month.