[SOLVED] I9 9900k Cinebench Scores

[HennyX]

Hello! I recently upgraded my machine with a 9900k. I have an ASUS PRIME z390 A mobo. I have noticed that when I run r20 at the stock setting for my cpu and my motherboard I get a score of around 42-4400. Since that seemed low to me I tried messing around with the BIOS and windows settings a bit. The main thing that made a difference seemingly was setting the “Long Duration Package Power Limit” setting from auto to 155. This brings r20 to a consistent score of 4883.

Why is this? Is it something to do with the VRM on the mobo? Or just is it underpowering itself? And would 4883 be a relatively good score for keeping almost everything else on the system at stock? Most of the R20 scores I have seen are in or near the 5000s, usually around 4900 for stock and above that for any amount of OC. MCE is disabled as well, it should be using nothing other than Intel’s Boost settings but I do not understand why the score is so low at the stock settings(42-4400).

Thanks for any help

 

[Phaaze88]

Let's use the 10th gen power tables, for example.

https://imgur.com/YwqWtBb

View: https://imgur.com/YwqWtBb


If the 9900K is anything like the K SKUs on that chart, it's default Tau, or power limit duration, is also 56 seconds.
When this expires, the cpu throttles back down; it is to keep power consumption and thermals in check.

You've increased it to 155 seconds, so it runs at the max turbo clock for 99 seconds longer before throttling back down to base clock, and staying there until the task, Cinebench, is finished.
Those extra 99 seconds of it running at the max turbo clock is what increased your score.

 

[HennyX]

Is it something that will vary by motherboard? I just thought that something might be wrong since the score that I was getting at stock and without changing that in the bios was much lower than most I had been seeing online for stock speeds on the same chip.

Thank you

 

[Phaaze88]

Is it something that will vary by motherboard?

No, I believe they all cap at 155 seconds Tau in bios.
Increasing that is an easy way to increase performance on the cpu from stock, though this will increase power consumption and thermals a little.

 

[HennyX]

So it’s basically just something that has to be messed around with? The lower score I was getting or get when everything is stock isn’t a problem and it is working as intended? I suppose the ones I’m looking at online have most likely had to mess around with things as well even at stock. I just saw nothing as low as what I originally got and was worried.

 

[Phaaze88]

So it’s basically just something that has to be messed around with? The lower score I was getting or get when everything is stock isn’t a problem and it is working as intended?

Yes and yes... if your cooler can keep up.
Again, increasing power limits and power time limits equates to higher thermals. 85C and lower is the general acceptable safe range for cpu load thermals.

 

[HennyX]

Thank you! I have a Noctua NH D15 so it’s keeping it within those limits very well! I appreciate the responses.