PC Processors

[psikotic]

Just got a 9950x3d cpu, clean windows 11 install, latest patches and drivers, latest x870e chipset drivers from AMD, MSI x870e Carbon Wifi, running bios rev 7E49v1A27 (latest one released march 4th 2025) I'm having a problem where windows 11 seems to be detecting the cpu, when I'm gaming, it parks one of the CCD's .. but it's parking CCD0 and running everything on CCD1. 

I'm new to the dual ccd x3d cpu's, googled a bit and found the vcache ccd is supposed to be CCD0?

I tried another clean install of windows 11, and the same issue persisted.

Out of morbid curiosity to see if 'maybe the inet was wrong' I changed the bios CPPC preferred cores from Driver (which I'm having this issue) to 'cache' to see which of the CCD's it would park the load on when I'm gaming, (maybe the vcache was moved to the second ccd (ccd1) and people were mistaken.

After trying this out, with the preference from CPPC on 'cache' from the msi bios, windows 11 now parks CCD1 when gaming and runs everything on CCD0, which to my understanding should of been the intended outcome when using the CPPC preferred cores setting to driver? 

My concern is that if I leave the bios CPPC setting on cache preferred, when I'm running work station applications that it too will prioritize the Vcache CCD0, when it should be allocating them to CCD1. 

Has anyone had similar issues to this, and is this unique to this motherboard or are other people having this issue on other motherboards as well.

All available updates and service pack/patches are applied to my Windows 11 install as of time of this posting.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, 

POST edited for solution: turns out it's a problem with the new bios revision for the motherboard. Clearing Cmos fixes the core parking not working with the 9950x3d on the msi x870e carbon wifi.

[ajlueke · Accepted solution]

Your understanding is correct.  When you set the UEFI to "cache" mode, you are seeing the correct behavior with CCD1 off.  Cinebench is also sending non game tasks to CCD1.  So in "driver" it is shutting down the wrong CCD which sounds a bit like the VBS issue that was prevalent in Windows 10.

Since you are in Windows 11, that seems a bit strange.  Do you have VBS (Virtualization Based Security) listed as "running" under "System Information" in Windows 11?

If so, try turning it off and see if the issue is resolved.

[ajlueke]

Do you have the Windows Game Bar installed and active when gaming with the "driver" setting set in UEFI?

When you run something like Cinebench single core.  Which CCD gets used?  I that being appropriately routed to the high frequencies cores?

[psikotic]

Yeah, I have the game bar installed and active .. (WIN+G works) .. it identifies things as a game. 

Running Cinebench R23.. It uses a core on the CC1 .. which at least I think is expected behavior, they should clock slightly higher than the Vcache ccd

I even as a test went into resource monitor, getting game bar to 'remember that it's a game' .. core parking happens right away when focusing on the application. The issue is .. the CCD that is gets parked is CCD1. I originally tried this with an inplace upgrade (as jayz2cents on youtube had good results) .. Then broke down and have done (a couple) fresh installs, new partitions, full wipe. Updated bios.. reset bios to defaults.. then set the CPPC to driver. I also tried (yet another clean install) with it set to CPPC to 'cache' setting. In which case the core parking worked again, parking CCD1 this time. However now all my workstation applications are now thrown on the Vcache CCD0 as well by default until they spill over to CCD1 and 'wake' the other CCD if the workload requires it. 

Maybe I have a fundamental misunderstanding about how these processors are supposed to operate. My basic understanding was.. in games, you'd lose half the cores, it would shut down the non Vcache CCD (CCD1) and throw everything on CCD0. During non game detection, normal thread priority would take over, where the higher clocking cores (CCD1) would be prioritized for anything not 'tagged' as a game by 'game bar'. 

I have more questions than answers 🙂

[ajlueke · Accepted solution]

Your understanding is correct.  When you set the UEFI to "cache" mode, you are seeing the correct behavior with CCD1 off.  Cinebench is also sending non game tasks to CCD1.  So in "driver" it is shutting down the wrong CCD which sounds a bit like the VBS issue that was prevalent in Windows 10.

Since you are in Windows 11, that seems a bit strange.  Do you have VBS (Virtualization Based Security) listed as "running" under "System Information" in Windows 11?

If so, try turning it off and see if the issue is resolved.

[psikotic · Accepted solution]

I have resolved the issue and found the root cause. This seems to be specific to the MSI x870eCarbon wifi motherboard. 

Went to go update all the drivers from the website.. ethernet.. there.. bluetooth.. updates.. wifi .. yeah.. no wifi .. not found. Hit reddit about it.. apparently a cmos clear is needed to get it to detect wifi again (odd for a motherboard with the suffix wifi) .. and magically.. core parking is working again.. So I'm guessing it's some shoddy problems with the new bios msi released for the mainboard, lets just pray it's a bios error that can be corrected, and not some over site in the motherboard. 

Thank you for all your time and help.