In response to a reply by Asus overclocker Shamino on the ROG boards, (opens in new tab) Intel’s DLVR (Digital Linear Voltage Regulator) know-how is disabled on present technology Raptor Lake processors. The tech was fused off by Intel on the manufacturing facility.
The reply was made in response to an ROG discussion board consumer who requested why DLVR’s function set exits within the Z690 Hero UEFI, to which Shamino mentioned engineering pattern Raptor Lake chips did have DLVR enabled and operational, nevertheless it was fused off mid-way into improvement by Intel. Consequently, Asus determined to go away the DLVR function intact contained in the BIOS, simply in case Intel decides to convey the function again in a future CPU structure/technology.
DLVR may be very carefully associated to Intel’s built-in voltage regulator FIVR know-how. Intel patented this know-how earlier this yr and confirmed its existence within the Raptor Lake CPU structure. DLVR had the potential of lowering Raptor Lake CPU energy consumption by as much as 25%, if Intel had enabled the function.
In primary phrases, DLVR sits contained in the CPU die and helps regulate energy, working in parallel with the voltage regulators discovered on the motherboard. By introducing a digital regulator so near the CPU, voltage ripples might be lowered, thus decreasing energy consumption. Intel’s patent says the CPU’s VID, the voltage requested by the processor, will be lowered by as a lot as 160mv. Since energy scales with the sq. of voltage, that is the place the 20% to 25% energy discount comes from.
In response to the discussion board submit, Asus has a number of DLVR settings for adjusting the digital regulator’s conduct on the Z690 Hero: auto, enabled, and disabled. There’s additionally a “CPU DLVR Bypass Mode Allow” choice, which Shimano says all Raptor Lake chips are fused to on the manufacturing facility. It is not clear what the distinction between “disabled” and “bypass” mode might need been, however the function was lower properly into the event course of.
It is also unclear why Intel determined to tug the plug on DLVR throughout the improvement of Raptor Lake. We suspect the know-how was too new, a minimum of for the precise implementation in Raptor Lake. Auto-tuning of voltages can doubtlessly trigger issues if it isn’t carried out accurately. No matter occurred, it looks as if we’ll be seeing DLVR return sooner or later sooner or later — most likely simply not with Raptor Lake.