Why is the ASUS Prime B660M-A motherboard overclocking the i5-12400F processor?

[Noresz]

Hello! We bought a computer with an Asus Prime B660M-A motherboard and an i5-12400F processor for my girlfriend. We noticed that the processor goes up to 75 watts and 80 degrees. On the furmark load, the utilization in the CPUID HWMonitor program is 159%. My computer has a TUF motherboard with a 12400F, but only 60 watts, 60 degrees and the utilization is 100%. How do I reset my Prime motherboard to not overclock? All settings are the same on both motherboards.

[Jurrunio]

But default power limit of a 12400F should be 65W, not 75 or 60?

 

Either way, they are adjustable in the BIOS. Exact wording differ between companies but it should have "power limit" or "PL" in the name, say turbo power limit or PL1, with a number input. You could set it to whatever you want, I think the maximum allowed for a 12400F is 117W but Intel's not enforcing board makers to follow power limits because higher power makes them look better in benchmarks.

[--SID--]

It's not OC, it's turbo boost.

[Noresz]

I also have the turbo is on, but it doesn't go to 75 watts. If I turn off boost, the process will be weak.

[porina]

12400F is listed by Intel has having a base power (TDP) of 65W and maximum turbo power of 117W. The CPU running above TDP by itself is not necessarily overclocking. Intel allows the system builder to set the maximum power limit, which at least for the short term, is normal to be above TDP. Different mobos may default to different power limits. Basically, higher end boards are more likely to set higher power limits. Cheap boards with weak power delivery are more likely to set a lower power limit.

 

Thinking about it more, mobo may offer to performance optimise for you which is setting those higher power limits. If there is a setting called Asus Performance Enhancement (APE) try turning that off. If it is only altering the power limits, which is about all it can do on a non-K CPU, it is safe and the higher power limit is higher performance, as long as the CPU cooling is sufficient to keep up with it.

[Noresz]

The Asus Performance Enhancement didn't help.

[unclewebb]

7 hours ago, Noresz said:

the utilization in the CPUID HWMonitor program is 159%

The utilization data that CPUID HWMonitor reports is the amount of turbo boost your CPU is using. The 12400F has a base frequency of 2.50 GHz and a maximum turbo boost frequency of 4.40 GHz. 

 

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/134587/intel-core-i5-12400f-processor-18m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz.html

 

4.40 GHz / 2.50 GHz = 176%

 

When a 12400F is running at 4.00 GHz you get utilization of,

 

4.00 GHz / 2.50 GHz = 160%

 

which is more or less the same as the 159% that HWMonitor is reporting for your CPU. As more cores become active, the amount of turbo boost automatically decreases. This is how Intel designed the 12400F to work. 

 

If your other computer is only showing 100% utilization in HWMonitor then your computer has a problem. That computer must have Intel turbo boost disabled. 

 

2.50 GHz / 2.50 GHz = 100%

 

I do not understand why anyone would want to run their CPU at a fraction of its rated speed. Your computer is not set correctly and now you are trying to screw up your girlfriend's computer too. No more fixing things. Leave her computer alone. It is working as Intel designed it to work. Turbo boost has been a feature of almost all Intel CPUs for the last 15 years. It would be foolish to disable this feature. 

 

Here is my CPU running at 5.00 GHz. The default base frequency is 3.60 GHz.

 

5.00 GHz / 3.60 GHz = 138%

Utilization numbers higher than 100% are completely normal for any Intel CPU that supports turbo boost. 

Do not compare HWMonitor Utilization data to the Task Manager Utilization value. The Task Manager rounds down and caps any Utilization value greater than 100% and reports 100% max instead of the value that HWMonitor reports. 

 

[Noresz]

I updated HWMonitor and the new version says 159% under load. So far, all my PCs have been around 60 degrees with turbo. I have never set anything on the motherboard, maximum energy saving, which is also set on it. My girlfriend's computer is sometimes too loud and reaches 80 degrees. So his performance is a few % better. The processor cooler is the same for both of us, with factory paste. Do you think her same processor needs a bigger cooler?

[Noresz]

Hm... The values in the 7-Zip performance test are correct (~60W, ~62C). Furmark overclocks my girlfriend's machine.

[unclewebb]

4 hours ago, Noresz said:

Furmark overclocks my girlfriend's machine

The 12400F does not support any overclocking. None, zero, zilch. Her CPU is using Intel Turbo Boost. That makes the CPU run at its full rated speed. Intel does not want users turning this feature off.

 

Intel encourages users to run Intel CPUs at their rated speeds which includes Turbo Boost. Intel prefers hot and fast over cold and sluggish. 

 

80C is a normal operating temperature for an Intel CPU. Buy a bigger cooler with a quiet fan if you want less noise.

[Noresz]

If I start furmark cpu burner or video convert:
My pc is 60w, 60c, quiet fan. (Tuf B660m)
My girlfriend's pc: 75w, 80c, loud fan. (Prime B660m)
Both are 12400f, the same cooling, the difference is the motherboard.