9900K CPU Core Frequency While Gaming

[Subierumble]

I have a stock 9900k with XMP I enabled and multi-core disabled. Using HWMonitor I've noticed that in some games under load all 8 of my cores are consistently at 4700mhz while in other games all 8 cores are are not pinned at 4700mhz. Basically some games have the cores fluctuating in frequency.

For example, while playing Modern Warfare and Destiny 2 both games have all 8 cores pinned at 4700mhz for the entire time I'm playing. Doesn't matter if I'm in the menu or playing the moment the game is turned on all 8 cores are pinned at 4700mhz.

I decided to check out a couple other games like Red Dead Redemption 2, DMC 5 and Resident Evil 2. I noticed right away that with these games the 8 cores were not always pinned at 4700mhz like Destiny and COD. I guess I was also expecting those games to have all 8 cores pinned at 4700mhz also.

Is what I'm experiencing normal and nothing to worry about? Or should every game always have all cores at the same turbo frequency? I just want to make sure my 9900k is working as intended.

[Zando_]

That's normal. If the game pushes all the cores, it'll boost them all. If it just pushes a few, it'll only boost those. 

[unclewebb]

The 9900K uses Turbo Boost 2.0.  

 

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/186605/intel-core-i9-9900k-processor-16m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz.html

 

In Turbo Boost 2.0, all active cores are locked to the exact same multiplier, all the time.  Idle, part load, full load; doesn't matter.  If 2 or more cores are active, they are using the same multiplier.  That is how these Intel CPUs work.

 

When HWMonitor shows you that your CPU is using different multipliers for each core, that is physically not possible.  Ignore that data.  Some monitoring apps do not follow the Intel recommended monitoring methods and will incorrectly report multipliers from inactive cores that are in one of the low power C states.  This data is not accurate and it is meaningless.

[Subierumble]

Okay thanks for that information, which monitoring software do you recommend I use that's more accurate? 

[unclewebb]

I use ThrottleStop.  It shows the average multiplier for each thread.  Once you know how Intel CPUs with Turbo Boost 2.0 work, when you see ThrottleStop reporting different multipliers for each thread, that just means that some of the threads are in one of the low power C states.  This is more of a laptop oriented tool so it does not fully support Intel's 9th Gen desktop CPUs with 8 cores.  It should show the multipliers just fine but it will not show C state data for all 8 cores.

 

The multiplier and monitoring graphs that Intel XTU reports are OK but it is a big and bloated monitoring app so you might not be interested installing that one.  Most other monitoring apps will have you believing that all your cores are running at different speeds which is not possible.  These CPUs only have a single multiplier at any moment in time.

 

Here is an example of ThrottleStop running on a 6 core mobile CPU.  The FID (multipliers) are very consistent from thread to thread because all cores are active so they are using the same multiplier.  It follows the Intel recommended monitoring methods.

 

 

The MSI Afterburner in game data that everyone loves also suffers from the same problem with it reporting multipliers for inactive cores.  Technically speaking, inactive cores are not using any multiplier.  That is why they are referred to as inactive.

[Falkentyne]

5 hours ago, unclewebb said:

I use ThrottleStop.  It shows the average multiplier for each thread.  Once you know how Intel CPUs with Turbo Boost 2.0 work, when you see ThrottleStop reporting different multipliers for each thread, that just means that some of the threads are in one of the low power C states.  This is more of a laptop oriented tool so it does not fully support Intel's 9th Gen desktop CPUs with 8 cores.  It should show the multipliers just fine but it will not show C state data for all 8 cores.

 

The multiplier and monitoring graphs that Intel XTU reports are OK but it is a big and bloated monitoring app so you might not be interested installing that one.  Most other monitoring apps will have you believing that all your cores are running at different speeds which is not possible.  These CPUs only have a single multiplier at any moment in time.

 

Here is an example of ThrottleStop running on a 6 core mobile CPU.  The FID (multipliers) are very consistent from thread to thread because all cores are active so they are using the same multiplier.  It follows the Intel recommended monitoring methods.

 

 

The MSI Afterburner in game data that everyone loves also suffers from the same problem with it reporting multipliers for inactive cores.  Technically speaking, inactive cores are not using any multiplier.  That is why they are referred to as inactive.

Unclewebb,

I sent you a very...."complicated" PM on NBR

You're going to have fun with that one...

[Mister Woof]

Also keep in mind that if they use AVX instructions it could be lower frequency.

 

Iirc, when my 8700k was stock, games like Destiny 2 would clock below 4.3ghz.