u/Laserfreak1337

Hi everyone,
I need help with an MSI X299 system. My Intel Core i7-7820X is permanently stuck at 1.20 GHz / x12 multiplier and does not boost at all.
System:
CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X
Platform: Intel X299
Motherboard: MSI X299 board — exact model still to confirm, likely X299 Pro / similar
OS: Windows
No intentional overclock active
CPU temperature in ThrottleStop: around 31–32 °C
CPU-Z behavior:
Core Speed: ~1200 MHz
Multiplier: x12
Bus Speed: ~100 MHz
Even when running CPU-Z → Bench → Stress CPU, the CPU stays locked at 1.20 GHz / x12. No boost, no multiplier movement.
What I already tried:
Checked Windows power settings
Reset Windows power plans
Tested high performance power plan
Checked BIOS CPU/power settings
Tested CPU-Z stress test
Tested ThrottleStop
ThrottleStop showed BD PROCHOT active/red
I unchecked BD PROCHOT and clicked Turn On
Result: no change, CPU still stuck at 1.20 GHz
Tested both BIOS chips with the onboard BIOS switch:
BIOS 1: stuck at 1.20 GHz
BIOS 2: stuck at 1.20 GHz
Performed full CMOS reset by removing the CMOS battery
Loaded optimized/default BIOS settings afterwards
Disabled OC/Game Boost-type settings
Still stuck at 1.20 GHz
Current suspicion:
Since both BIOS chips behave the same and CMOS reset did not help, I suspect something MSI-board-specific or hardware-level, for example:
Slow Mode / LN2 / OC switch
CPU ratio forced to x12 somewhere
VRM / motherboard sensor forcing protection mode
CPU EPS power issue
Power limit / EDP OTHER / VR thermal limit
Faulty board sensor or motherboard issue
Questions for MSI X299 owners:
Does this board have a physical Slow Mode / LN2 / OC switch that can hard-lock the CPU to x12 / 1.20 GHz?
Where exactly on the MSI X299 board should I look for such a switch?
Can a VRM/MOS sensor or board protection mode force this fixed 1.20 GHz behavior?
Could this be caused by missing/loose CPU EPS power?
Are there known MSI X299 issues where the CPU gets stuck at 1.20 GHz even after CMOS reset?
Which BIOS settings should I specifically check on MSI X299 for CPU ratio, Turbo Boost, SpeedStep, Speed Shift, Game Boost, or OC Genie?
I can provide screenshots of CPU-Z, ThrottleStop, ThrottleStop Limits, HWiNFO sensors, and clear motherboard photos if needed.
Any help from MSI X299 users would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for help with a weird CPU clock/limit issue on an X299 system.
My Intel Core i7-7820X is permanently stuck at 1.20 GHz / x12 multiplier. It does not boost at all, even under load.
System:
CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X
Platform: X299
Motherboard: MSI X299 board, exact model still to confirm
OS: Windows
No intentional overclock currently active
CPU temperature in ThrottleStop: around 31–32 °C
What CPU-Z shows:
Core Speed: ~1200 MHz
Multiplier: x12
Bus Speed: ~100 MHz
When I run CPU-Z → Bench → Stress CPU, the CPU still stays at 1.20 GHz / x12. No boost, no multiplier change.
What I already tried:
Checked Windows power settings
Reset Windows power plans
Tested high performance power plan
Checked BIOS settings
Tested CPU-Z stress test
Tested ThrottleStop
ThrottleStop showed BD PROCHOT active/red
I unchecked BD PROCHOT and clicked Turn On
Result: no change, still stuck at 1.20 GHz
Tested both BIOS chips using the BIOS switch:
BIOS 1: stuck at 1.20 GHz
BIOS 2: stuck at 1.20 GHz
Performed full CMOS reset by removing the CMOS battery
Loaded optimized/default BIOS settings afterwards
Disabled OC/Game Boost-type settings
Still stuck at 1.20 GHz
Current suspicion:
Since disabling BD PROCHOT did not change anything and both BIOS chips behave the same, I’m thinking this may be a board-level or hardware-level limit, such as:
MSI Slow Mode / LN2 / OC switch
CPU ratio somehow forced to x12
VRM / motherboard sensor forcing protection mode
CPU EPS power issue
Power limit / EDP OTHER / VR thermal limit
Faulty board sensor or motherboard issue
Questions:
Can an MSI X299 board hard-lock an i7-7820X to x12 / 1.20 GHz through Slow Mode, LN2 mode, or an OC switch?
What exactly should I check in ThrottleStop TPL/FIVR/Limits?
Which HWiNFO sensors are most important here? EDP OTHER, VR THERMAL, PL1/PL2, IA PROCHOT?
Could a bad EPS power connection or VRM sensor cause this fixed x12 behavior?
Are there known MSI X299 cases where the CPU gets stuck at 1.20 GHz even after CMOS reset?
I can provide screenshots of CPU-Z, ThrottleStop main window, ThrottleStop Limits, HWiNFO sensors, and motherboard pictures.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,
I need help diagnosing a CPU clock issue. My Intel Core i7-7820X is stuck at 1.20 GHz constantly. It does not boost at all, even under CPU-Z stress test.
System:
CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X
Platform: X299
Motherboard: MSI X299 board — exact model still to confirm, likely MSI X299 Pro / similar
Windows system
CPU temperature in ThrottleStop: around 31–32 °C
CPU-Z shows:
Core Speed: ~1200 MHz
Multiplier: x12
Bus Speed: ~100 MHz
Problem:
The CPU is permanently stuck at 1.20 GHz / x12 multiplier.
It stays there in idle and also under load. Starting CPU-Z → Bench → Stress CPU does not make the clock go higher.
This is causing terrible performance in games and general usage.
Things I already tried:
Checked Windows power settings
Reset Windows power plans
Set Windows power mode / energy plan to high performance
Checked BIOS power/performance-related settings
Tested CPU-Z stress test
Tested ThrottleStop
In ThrottleStop, BD PROCHOT was active/red
I unchecked BD PROCHOT and clicked Turn On
Result: no change, CPU still stays at 1.20 GHz
Tested BIOS switch:
BIOS 1: stuck at 1.20 GHz
BIOS 2: also stuck at 1.20 GHz
Performed a BIOS/CMOS reset by removing the CMOS battery
After CMOS reset, I loaded defaults and adjusted basic settings again
Result: still stuck at 1.20 GHz
No overclock is active
I have not enabled OC Genie / Game Boost intentionally
What I suspect now:
Since BIOS 1, BIOS 2, CMOS reset, Windows settings, and disabling BD PROCHOT did not fix it, I suspect something board-level or hardware-related, for example:
Slow Mode / LN2 / OC switch on the MSI X299 board
CPU ratio somehow hard locked to x12
VRM / motherboard sensor issue
CPU EPS power issue
Mainboard fault
Power limit / EDP OTHER / VR thermal limit
Questions:
Can an MSI X299 board force an i7-7820X to stay at x12 / 1.20 GHz because of a Slow Mode, LN2, or OC switch?
Which exact ThrottleStop or HWiNFO sensors should I check next?
Could this be caused by CPU EPS power, VRM sensor, or a faulty motherboard?
What should I check physically on the board?
Is there any known MSI X299 issue where the CPU gets locked to 1.20 GHz?
I can provide screenshots of CPU-Z, ThrottleStop, ThrottleStop Limits, HWiNFO sensors, and pictures of the motherboard if needed.