ASUS BIOS Update Improves Intel Core Ultra 155H "Meteor Lake" Performance/Watt

[btarunr]

UltrabookReview, which recently took the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED UX3405 for a spin, noticed something interesting with the Intel Core Ultra 155H "Meteor Lake" processor powering it—apparently Intel is still working with its device partners to improve performance and efficiency, and a UEFI firmware update (BIOS update) from ASUS improves the processor's performance/Watt. The reviewer compares the notebook with its original BIOS version 201, to the updated version 203, and notices improvements in performance/Watt at 28 W. The firmware apparently updates the notebook's power management. The improvements are most apparent with Cinebench R23, where the best-run score with the original 201 firmware was 12357 points, and the updated 203 firmware was 13873 points (a 12.25% improvement). You can catch the review in the source link below.



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[Shou Miko]

Not a bad improvement but 12.25% that's really specific number not even just like around 12% as much would say hmm so is this a little too good to be true?

 

[wNotyarD]

Not a bad improvement but 12.25% that's really specific number not even just like around 12% as much would say hmm so is this a little too good to be true?

Marketing "playbook" says the less rounded a number, better the odds people will believe them. That last 5 strikes me weirdly, that position deserved a 7.

 

[sephiroth117]

I'm pleased to see efficiency finally coming back to intel CPU after the 13/14x00

Gamernexus made a thorough efficiency review a few days ago intel vs ryzen

I'm all in on Ryzen right now but in-between foundries innovations and aggressive R&D FINALLY back at intel, I think the future desktop gaming CPU architectures will be much more interesting from Intel.

..but right now for gaming a 7800X3D just shreds intel equivalent, in price, in efficiency, in performance, in thermals..

I have no idea what the future desktop architecture will look like, as Meteor is laptop-only, so we'll see

 

[Denver]

The problem is that none of them are actually 28w, the boost raises the TDP up to 50w+

 

[Solaris17]

The problem is that none of them are actually 28w, the boost raises the TDP up to 50w+

Source? I got this one. It should come in later today. All reviews iv seen show ASUS locking the wattage at 28 even if intel specs it higher.

That’s the general trend in the mobile space for a long time. Dell is quite bad with it.

 

[Denver]

Source? I got this one. It should come in later today. All reviews iv seen show ASUS locking the wattage at 28 even if intel specs it higher.

That’s the general trend in the mobile space for a long time. Dell is quite bad with it.

It's on the Ark website, AnandTech, in videos everywhere. It is no coincidence that Intel pushes the TDP up to 60w in PL2, below 30w these processors lose a lot of performance, so limiting it to 28w is not a good idea.

Video,

 

[Solaris17]

That’s just the TDP though like I said. Where does it actually say these laptops are going that high? Your MSI prestige video? This thread is not about the MSI prestige.

 

[Denver]

That’s just the TDP though like I said. Where does it actually say these laptops are going that high? Your MSI prestige video? This thread is not about the MSI prestige.

You know well that consumption is very close to the announced TDP, in the case of Intel it has always exceeded the specs. As I said Meteor Lake is inefficient, perhaps because it is not monolithic.

If you want to believe that all models spend 50w in total Soc consumption, except the Zenbook, that's fine.

 

[Solaris17]

You know well that consumption is very close to the announced TDP

I don’t. This is really common by some manufacturers and has been a big issue with mobile 12th gen and up getting power limited. Phoronix benched this laptop and it was at 28w like the entire time.

if it does go higher in the ASUS case that’s actually great news. Since this is super common.

there are examples of this even on this website in the throttle stop forum all the time.

in either case I have an inline usb-c power meter so I will be testing it when mine comes in.

 

[Denver]

I don’t. This is really common by some manufacturers and has been a big issue with mobile 12th gen and up getting power limited. Phoronix benched this laptop and it was at 28w like the entire time.

if it does go higher in the ASUS case that’s actually great news. Since this is super common.

there are examples of this even on this website in the throttle stop forum all the time.

in either case I have an inline usb-c power meter so I will be testing it when mine comes in.

Normally they cannot maintain the TDP so high for long periods because of the temperature factor. That's why there are the terms TDP long boost (28w) and short boost (50-60w).

"I reran and updated the Cinebench scores again, with the laptop fresh from a cold boot up. In Cinebench R23, the CPU starts at 50W and ends up around 35W for the best-effort run. For the 10 min loop, it starts at 50W and then gradually drops and stabilizes at around 28W (after about 5-6 minutes it gets to 28W).

201: CineBench R23: CPU 12357 pts (best run), CPU 11342 pts (10 min loop test), CPU Single Core 1751 pts (best run);
203: CineBench R23: CPU 13873 pts (best run), CPU 12132 pts (10 min loop test), CPU Single Core 1761 pts (best run);

Yes, 3dmark, Uniengine are on BIOS 203. Everything else except for games and Cinebench R24 are on BIOS 203. Still updating those.

"

 

[Solaris17]

Makes sense ultra books get super toasty. I was already planning on re pasting mine with LM like my last. Power aside the GPU is where it shines. Compute seems handily beat all around by AMD from what if seen.

still doesn’t stop me from being interested though. I knew most of the performance metrics going in.

 

[dyonoctis]

The problem is that none of them are actually 28w, the boost raises the TDP up to 50w+

I don't think there's any performance-oriented mobile CPU strictly sticking to the base TDP right now. AMD is also boosting above the TDP (just not as much). And load battery life has been x86 laptop's biggest issue against Apple. MTL marketing talked a lot about efficiency in low-load

 

[Denver]

I don't think there's any performance-oriented mobile CPU strictly sticking to the base TDP right now. AMD is also boosting above the TDP (just not as much). And load battery life has been x86 laptop's biggest issue against Apple. MTL marketing talked a lot about efficiency in low-load

Well, I can't speak about all models on the market, but my office laptop (lenovo, with ryzen 5000) has an option to select the maximum TDP in the bios, 12-15w(battery saving), 18-22w(smart cooling) and 22-30w(Extreme). It never exceeds the selected TDP, it goes up to the maximum TDP (PL2) and stabilizes at PL1, long boost, if the temperature rises too much. AMD is very efficient with low TDP and keeps most of its performance on battery.

 

[kondamin]

Should be enough to make people claiming it was trash delete their yt channel