Gigabyte Z790&B760 BIOS update enables CEP (Current Excursion Protection) control for Intel 14th Gen Core CPus

Gigabyte releases BIOS that disables CEP on 14th Gen Core CPUs

Intel Raptor Lake-Refresh may operate at lower temperatures with CEP disabled. 

Just a month ago, MSI introduced a new BIOS feature designed for Intel CPUs. This feature allows users to disable a specific functionality known as CEP (Current Excursion Protection). MSI identified that CEP can contribute to higher operating temperatures when the CPU is under heavy load. Essentially, CEP safeguards the CPU from insufficient voltage, which could otherwise result in reduced performance while maintaining high power consumption.

For hardware enthusiasts who enjoy tweaking their systems, MSI advised that disabling CEP, if possible, could be beneficial. Following in MSI’s footsteps, Gigabyte has now released a similar BIOS update for all Intel Z790 and B760 based motherboards. However, it’s worth noting that this feature is only compatible with the 14th Gen Core CPU series. Gigabyte highlights that by disabling CEP, users can expect improved CPU performance alongside lower temperatures and enhanced stability.

For a long time, the CEP function on Intel B760 chipset was default enabled for 14th Gen CPUs and unable to be disabled. This always results in the requirement of higher power protection and voltage compensation settings to ensure performance with stability, or a sacrifice in performance instead. The new BETA BIOS supports disabling the CEP function by utilizing Intel’s updated microcode. Additionally, GIGABYTE BIOS not only features optimized power settings that suits every different CPU but also offers exclusive easy settings, like PerfDrive, to enable a simple balance of performance, power consumption, and temperature with Intel® Core™ processors. This ensures achieving the same performance at lower CPU operating temperatures as well as excellent stability and high efficiency, safeguarding the durability of CPU/VRM components.

The company mentions a test featuring the Core i5-14600 processor, a 65W non-K version, paired with the B760M AORUS Elite AX motherboard. In the test results, when the CEP (presumably Intel’s Adaptive Boost Technology) is disabled, the CPU demonstrates a 16-degree decrease in temperature while maintaining the same performance level.

Source: Gigabyte PR