What do you want to know?
Intel says it has identified the root cause of instability in 13th and 14th generation desktop processors; a microcode fix is expected in mid-August.
More Intel processors than expected are potentially affected by the microcode bug, including K, KS, KF, and non-K 65W (and above) variants.
Intel does not plan to conduct a full recall, but instead urges affected users to contact customer support.
It’s been a busy few weeks for Intel and its attempts to stop the hemorrhage of 13th and 14th generation processors (CPUs). The hemorrhage I’m talking about is the instability issues that have plagued Intel’s most recent “Raptor Lake” desktop chips (and the 14th generation Raptor Lake refresh) over the past two years.
Reports of crashes and blue screens of death (BSODs) have been investigated by Intel for years, but on July 22nd, we got a major update. Intel’s Thomas Hannaford posted on the Intel Community Forum that the company had finally found the root cause of the instability issues. Here’s what Hannaford delivered:
“Based on extensive analysis of 13th/14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors returned to us due to instability issues, we have determined that high operating voltage is causing instability issues in some 13th/14th Gen desktop processors. Our analysis of the returned processors confirms that the high operating voltage is caused by a microcode algorithm that is causing incorrect voltage requests to the processor.
Intel is providing a microcode fix that addresses the root cause of high voltage exposure. We are continuing validation to ensure that the instability scenarios reported to Intel regarding its 13th/14th Gen Core desktop processors are addressed. Intel is currently targeting mid-August for release of the fix to partners after full validation.
Intel is committed to addressing this issue for our customers, and we continue to ask that any customers currently experiencing instability issues on their 13th/14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors contact Intel Customer Support for assistance.
To narrow this down a bit, Intel has acknowledged that its microcode – which is sort of like a stripped-down firmware – is the root of the instability issue and will hopefully find a solution via motherboard BIOS updates in the coming weeks.
Intel Community Manager Lex Hoyos also acknowledged that high voltages due to the microcode issue are not the only possible cause of instability. In a post on the Intel subreddit, Hoyos acknowledged that a manufacturing issue leading to oxidation was discovered and fixed in 2023. This issue only affected some 13th-gen chips.
All the latest news, reviews and guides for Windows and Xbox enthusiasts.
Intel instability is more widespread than initially thought
Intel Core i5-13600K processor may be affected by Raptor Lake instability/microcode issue. (Photo credit: Daniel Rubino)
This is where things take a different turn. While it was once thought that the issue was limited to high-performance Core i7 and Core i9 chips, typically reserved for enthusiasts, a recent Q&A with Hannaford from The Verge revealed that the problem is more widespread than initially thought.
When asked how many Intel chips could be affected by this bug, Hannaford revealed that all Raptor Lake chips running at 65W or more could be affected. This even includes some 13th and 14th Gen non-K chips, as well as K, KF, and KS models. As with high-performance Intel Raptor Lake/Refresh chips, there is no guarantee that you will encounter the issue on your system. It appears that mobile chips for laptops are not affected.
🔥The best hardware deals🔥
What can you do about your faulty Intel Raptor Lake processor?
Intel Admits CPU Issues. How to Stop Instability and Protect Your CPU! – YouTube
Intel Admits CPU Issues. How to Stop Instability and Protect Your CPU! - YouTube
To watch
While Intel has acknowledged that its microcode is the root cause of the instability issue, the company is steadfastly avoiding a recall. It plans to roll out an update via the motherboard BIOS in mid-August, but that’s only good news for those who haven’t had the issue yet.
As reported by Tom’s Hardware, “the bug causes irreversible degradation of impacted processors” and “the microcode fix not “fix processors that are already experiencing crashes, but this should prevent issues on processors that are not currently affected by the issue.” In the meantime, Intel suggests sticking to Intel’s default settings for processors and keeping the system BIOS as up-to-date as possible.
But what if your processor is in trouble and no official recall is planned? Intel recommends contacting its customer support team, even if previous RMA attempts have been rejected. If you’re not sure whether your chip is affected, Intel suggests watching Robeytech’s excellent YouTube video that walks you through the process.
What’s going on with AMD Ryzen 9000 processors?
AMD Ryzen 5 Desktop Chip with AI-Generated Magnifying Glass
Intel’s latest processors aren’t the only ones experiencing problems. (Photo credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
Intel isn’t the only chipmaker running into problems. AMD announced a delay in the release of its Ryzen 9000 desktop processors last week, and it appears that the delay was due to a much smaller quality control issue.
Two of the Zen 5 chips, including the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X, were incorrectly labeled as Ryzen 9 chips. This forced AMD into “a short delay” while the chip markings were sorted out.
With the initial release date set for July 31, AMD’s new chips have been previewed to reviewers and influencers ahead of time and are expected to arrive any day now. Whether or not these samples have the wrong markings remains to be seen, but there’s potential here for these chips to become serious collectibles.
.jpg)
.webp)
0 Comments