MSI BIOS update adds 105W TDP mode for Ryzen 9600X and 9700X CPUs

MSI has released a BIOS update for specific AMD motherboards, which includes a simple way to increase the thermal limit on AMD's newest 65W TDP processors, namely the Ryzen 5 9600X and the Ryzen 7 9700X.

TDP stands for thermal design power and indicates the maximum heat that a chip's cooling system can handle. Both of AMD's new entry-level Zen 5-based chips were shipped with a 65W TDP, but there have been rumors about AMD considering increasing the TDP to enhance performance and sales.

Rather than waiting for AMD to take action, MSI has proactively made changes in its latest AGESA 1.2.0.1 BIOS. The new "TDP to 105W" feature does precisely what its name suggests – it raises the TDP of the Ryzen 5 9600X / Ryzen 7 9700X to 105W. For AMD’s Ryzen 7 9700X, this new option is reported to increase the CPU's performance by 13% in Cinebench R23. It's a substantial performance boost, especially given how effortless it is to activate this option.

It is currently unclear whether this feature originates from MSI or AMD. Will this option be available on other AM5 motherboards through future BIOS updates, or is it an exclusive feature of MSI?

This new BIOS feature provides an additional performance boost for AMD’s latest Ryzen CPUs, essentially for free. However, this "free" performance enhancement comes with its drawbacks. Users will require robust cooling solutions to manage the increased heat output at the higher wattage setting. Moreover, the elevated power target will result in higher power consumption, which comes with its own implications.

The adjustments to the TDP of these two CPUs, combined with the Windows update, may potentially improve what has been a lackluster launch for the two most cost-effective Zen 5 CPUs. When these two CPUs were launched in early August, reviewers did not observe the performance improvements advertised by AMD. However, their prospects may soon improve with these unexpected updates arriving so soon after the launch, which is truly an unprecedented situation. Enthusiastic gamers are likely holding off on upgrades until the V-Cache versions of Zen 5 are released, which may happen later this year or in early 2025. Until then, you can try checking out our comparator to find the best deals for your next favorite game.