I built a new PC with an Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus running at stock settings, an MSI Z890 PZ motherboard with the latest BIOS, and a G.Skill 5600 MT/s CL28 dual-channel kit. I'm using only the processor's integrated graphics through the motherboard's HDMI output.
As soon as Windows 11 loads with XMP enabled, the display develops severe white, static-like artifacts that resemble a lost analog TV signal. The system is extremely difficult to use until it is restarted. The problem does not occur when the memory runs at the default 4800 MT/s without XMP, although the issue has occasionally disappeared temporarily even with XMP enabled and during Cinebench testing.
So far I have reinstalled Windows 11, installed the motherboard and CPU drivers, updated the BIOS, tested different memory slots, completed around ten MemTest86 runs without errors, replaced the CPU, run multiple Cinebench R24 tests, disabled 200S Boost and the NPU, adjusted the NGU and D2D ratios, tried different monitors and HDMI cables, and fully disconnected system power for 30 minutes. None of that helped at 5600 MT/s. The artifacts even returned after a later three-pass MemTest86 run.
The system works normally with XMP disabled at 4800 MT/s, so I suspect the XMP, memory controller, and integrated graphics configuration are interacting badly. Has anyone encountered this behavior, and is there a reliable way to run the iGPU stable at 5600 MT/s?
3 Answers
This appears to be a broader issue affecting some Core Ultra systems when XMP is enabled, rather than an isolated Windows installation or monitor problem. Similar reports describe iGPU instability or playback problems with faster memory profiles. Since the system is stable at 4800 MT/s, the practical workaround may be to leave XMP off or manually tune the memory to a slightly lower speed until a BIOS, firmware, or graphics-driver update addresses the compatibility issue.
Try Intel’s own driver update utility rather than relying only on the drivers listed by the motherboard manufacturer. Vendor driver packages can lag behind Intel’s current graphics and platform updates. For testing, enable XMP by itself and leave the NGU and D2D ratios at their standard values. Also leave 200S Boost disabled. If that works, change those ratios one at a time afterward; there may be no reason to raise them for a 5600 MT/s memory kit.
As a diagnostic step, install Windows 10 on a spare drive and see whether the artifacts appear there. If the problem only occurs in Windows 11, that would point more toward an operating-system or driver interaction. If it also happens there with XMP enabled, the memory profile, integrated graphics, motherboard firmware, or CPU memory controller is more likely responsible.
I’ve already found reports of similar behavior, but none showed artifacts quite like mine. I’ll still try Intel’s driver utility, although Windows and the drivers have already been freshly reinstalled.