Intel Instability on a Brand New Processor and Updated BIOS?

[agarcia06]

Im at a loss at this point. I got a refund for my i7 14700K which was having the Intel instability issues. At the time the Beta version of the 0x12B microcode was pushed and I updated the BIOS. Once the refund was approved I was able to update to the latest BIOS update (2703) while still on the i7. With my refund I purchased a i9 14900K. Literally installed it the CPU on my mobo this past Saturday (11/02/2024) and yesterday I started getting BSOD.

I've ensured multiple times that Intel Baseline profile is selected in the BIOS. I re-installed Windows twice now. I haven't even had a chance to enable XMP. Im not overclocking at all. I installed Armoury Crate and had it updated all the firmware from ASUS. I literally have not installed any video games so I don't think my PC has done anything other than idle for the most part. However, I did install VMware player and ran a VM in which I did push it but I mean that was just once. Also, I did have the Performance profile selected instead of the Extreme which is recommend by Intel. Once I corrected it to Extreme it seemed to get worse so I changed it back.

My understanding is that the Intel instability is a process which degrades over time, right? So there is no way that my brand new CPU is already bad, could my issue with this i9 and even with the refunded i7 have been something else completely? My SSD is a bit older but Samsung Magician says its still good(purchased and used since 2017). Could it be my RAM even though its on the QVL? Is the mobo settings for Intel Baseline sufficient or was I suppose to make other manual changes?

Any advice, forums, or articles I could read would be greatly appreciated.

i9 14900K
ROG STRIX Z790-H Version 2703
Corsair Vengeance 2X32BG CMK64GX5M2B5600C40
Gigabyte Geoforce RTX 4060
Corsair RM750e
Samsung SSD EVO 500GB
Windows 11 Home 64 bit

[Jiaszzz_ROG · Accepted solution]

Hello @agarcia06 

Thank you for reaching out to us and providing detailed context.
For information on the version covering the 0x12B microcode, please refer to the [Intel] September 2024 update on 'Instability Reports on Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Proces...

After consulting with our engineers, we recommend clearing CMOS, keeping BIOS settings in default, and checking if the blue screen issue persists after removing VMware Player or testing with a fresh OS installation without VMware Player.

If the issue continues, please help us by providing a complete video, which should include clearing CMOS, entering the system, recording your usage scenario, capturing the blue screen occurrence along with the error code, and your current troubleshooting methods.
Please also share two .txt files generated on your Windows system using the steps below:
1.Press the WIN+R keys on the keyboard to open the command window
2.Key in: dxdiag → OK
3.Click [Save All Information]
4.Select the save location and click [Save]
Same steps, replace the command line in step 2 with: msinfo32
5.Key in: msinfo32 → OK → and save the txt file.
You may upload the files to cloud storage, grant access, and share a link with us for further investigation. 

Thank you.

[agarcia06]

Thank you for your response. I cleared the CMOS and my PC would not pass the POST and I was getting a yellow QLED. I removed one of the sticks and I was able to get into the BIOS. I ran the MemTest86 and the test failed almost immediately. I removed that bad stick from A2 and plugged in the other RAM stick into A2 and ran a new test. The second RAM stick finished all 4 tests of the MemTest86 with no errors.

I started an RMA with Corsair. I will update this thread once I get the new RAM.

[agarcia06]

@Jiaszzz_ROG I got new RAM from Corsair. They sent me a small upgrade to 6000 MT/s (CMK64GX5M2B6000C40) which is on the QVL. I ran a MemTest86 on all 64G with no issues. I then enabled XMP 1 and the MemTest86 in the BIOS also passed with no issues.

I guess I may have had RAM issues since day one but Intel muddied the waters for me. Everything is looking good on my end. Thank you for your help.

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello @agarcia06 

I'm glad you were able to pinpoint the problem.
If you encounter any further difficulties or have any concerns, please feel free to start another discussion thread or DM me anytime.

Thank you.