HardwareProcessorsMSI’s latest BIOS could give AMD Zen 5 yet another performance boost with a 105 W TDP toggle for the Ryzen 9600X and 9700XWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

HardwareProcessorsMSI’s latest BIOS could give AMD Zen 5 yet another performance boost with a 105 W TDP toggle for the Ryzen 9600X and 9700XWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of the retail packaging box for an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor

Is it possible to know how AMD Ryzen 9000-series CPUs actually perform yet? It seems like every day there’s a new rumoured or actual change affecting how we should interpret the performance and value of these new processors. Right after learning that a Windows update canimprove Zen 3, 4, and 5 gaming performance, we’re now hearing that TDP boost modes are here for theRyzen 5 9600XandRyzen 7 9700X.

We’d previously heard a rumour that AMD would officially push a105 W TDP boost for the chips in an AGESA 1.2.0.1a Patch A BIOS update, and while we’ve not heard any word from AMD about this, it looks like MSI might be the first to add such a boost option in an upcoming BIOS release.

According to Wccftech, this update should be packaged in the latest AGESA 1.2.0.1 BIOS release for MSI boards. Following this, the official higher TDP mode should launch with an AGESA 1.2.0.2 BIOS update, which Wccftech was told will be released in September or October.

Received new BIOS from MSI, with a new option “TDP to 105W” to increase TDP of Ryzen 9700X/9600X from 65W to 105W. Ryzen 9700X Cinebench R23 multi-core score : 65W: 20,409, 105W: 23,153. It’s 13% faster. pic.twitter.com/mt9wh5AnJSAugust 28, 2024

Received new BIOS from MSI, with a new option “TDP to 105W” to increase TDP of Ryzen 9700X/9600X from 65W to 105W. Ryzen 9700X Cinebench R23 multi-core score : 65W: 20,409, 105W: 23,153. It’s 13% faster. pic.twitter.com/mt9wh5AnJSAugust 28, 2024

We can only advise caution when messing with power limits, even if motherboard vendors are giving you an easy way to do so. After all, one of Intel’s qualms with motherboard vendors was that theyweren’t implementing default power settings, which could have been affecting overvolting problems and causingstability issues—a fact we now know was only ever a small part of a much larger problem.

The point being: Increase such limits at your own risk.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

With that warning out of the way, I must say that it would make sense if this TDP option launches officially in a future AGESA update. Our Nick’s testing of the two 65 W chips showed them to be a little underwhelming on the performance front, but also very low on power draw, meaning there should be significant headroom to increase power and eke out more performance.

As for how much extra performance a 105 W TDP will net you, koroberu’s X post points out that a comparison between a 65 W and 105 W 9700X in Cinebench R23’s multi-threaded benchmark shows a 13% performance increase.

Coincidentally, AMD apparently toldArs Technicathat the latest AMD performance-boosting (optional) Windows update could improve performance up to 13%. It’d have been nice to have these performance gains present right out the door, but like I said about the Windows update: You won’t hear me complaining about free performance.

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

Best CPU for gamingBest gaming motherboardBest graphics cardBest SSD for gaming

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and AMD.Best gaming motherboard: The right boards.Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits.Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.

More about processorsNvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetNvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTekLatestTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistSee more latest►

More about processorsNvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetNvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTekLatestTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistSee more latest►

More about processorsNvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetNvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTek

More about processors

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummetNvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTek

A photo of a quantum computer hanging from the ceiling of a clean room laboratory

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummet

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang’s simple reminder that useful quantum computing is a long way off has somehow caused industry stocks to plummet

Nvidia Project Digits supercomputer on a desk showing words and graphics and code on a screen with keyboard and mouse

Nvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTek

Nvidia seems to have just confirmed upcoming Arm and Blackwell laptop chips based on its new GB10 processor in collaboration with MediaTek

LatestTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistSee more latest►

Latest

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

Tencent HQ

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

See more latest►

Most PopularIf you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era ChicagoPath of Exile 2 players are calling foul on Elon Musk’s high-level hardcore character after he streams his struggles with core game mechanicsAlan Emrich, the game designer and writer who coined the term ‘4X,’ has diedTrack down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planetOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skillHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterFallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA firesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process’I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel RivalsLenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in June

Most PopularIf you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era ChicagoPath of Exile 2 players are calling foul on Elon Musk’s high-level hardcore character after he streams his struggles with core game mechanicsAlan Emrich, the game designer and writer who coined the term ‘4X,’ has diedTrack down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planetOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skillHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterFallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA firesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process’I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel RivalsLenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in June

Most PopularIf you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era ChicagoPath of Exile 2 players are calling foul on Elon Musk’s high-level hardcore character after he streams his struggles with core game mechanicsAlan Emrich, the game designer and writer who coined the term ‘4X,’ has diedTrack down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planetOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skillHyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of DrifterFallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA firesAssassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process’I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel RivalsLenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in June

Most Popular

If you missed it over the holidays, this noir Half-Life 2 mod turns you into a hardboiled detective in Prohibition-era Chicago

Path of Exile 2 players are calling foul on Elon Musk’s high-level hardcore character after he streams his struggles with core game mechanics

Alan Emrich, the game designer and writer who coined the term ‘4X,’ has died

Track down a missing person in this ‘Geoguessr-inspired detective game’ set on an alien planet

Old meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skill

Hyper Light Breaker will cost $30 and for a limited time come with a free copy of Drifter

Fallout season 2 filming delayed due to massive LA fires

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is delayed again ‘to better incorporate player feedback gathered over the past three months’

The Freewrite Wordrunner with a built-in word counter might be the keyboard to look out for if you want to improve your writing process

‘I created it, let me move on’: Ex-Cloud 9 player, the Overwatch team whose blunder inspired the infamous ‘C9’ slang, watches in horror as the term moves onto Marvel Rivals

Lenovo’s rollable laptop screen isn’t just a CES party trick—you’ll be able to pick one up yourself in June

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

1

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

2

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

3

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

4

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

5

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

1

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

2

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

3

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

4

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

5

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review