On Monday, it seemed like it was the beginning of the end for Intel’s desktop processor instability issues. The company confirmed that a patch would be available in mid-August, and that it should address the “root cause” of high-voltage exposure. But if your 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already crashing, this patch apparently won’t fix the problem.
Quoting anonymous sources, Tom’s gear Intel has said that any CPU degradation is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson didn’t deny that when we asked. Intel is “confident” that the fix will prevent it from happening in the first place. (As a preventative measure, you should update your motherboard BIOS as soon as possible.) But if your faulty CPU has been damaged, your best bet is to replace it instead of changing BIOS settings to try to fix the problems.
And Intel confirms that high voltages aren’t the only reason some of these chips are failing. Intel spokesman Thomas Hannaford confirms that it’s A The root cause is unknown, but the company is still investigating. Intel Community Manager Lex Hoyos also revealed that some reports of instability can be attributed to an oxidation manufacturing issue that was resolved at an unspecified date last year.
This raises many questions. Will Intel recall these chips? Extend their warranty? Replace them without questions? Suspend sales as AMD just did with its Ryzen 9000? Identify defective batches with a manufacturing defect?
We asked Intel these questions, and I’m not sure you’ll like the answers.
Why are these products still on sale without even an extended warranty?
Intel has not stopped sales or recovered inventory. It will not conduct a recall, period. The company is not currently commenting on whether or how it might extend its warranty. It declined to share its estimates with other companies. The edge of the number of chips that may be irreversibly affected, and it has not explained why it continues to sell these chips before any solution is available.
Intel hasn’t yet told us how warranty replacements will work, other than trying customer support again if you’ve already been denied. The company hasn’t explained how it will contact customers with these chips to alert them of the problem.
But Intel do tell us that it is “certain” that you do not need to worry about invisible degradation. If you are not currently experiencing problems, the fix “will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service.” (If you are unsure whether you are experiencing problems, Intel currently suggests the Robeytech test.)
And, perhaps for the first time, Intel has confirmed the scope of the problem. The high voltages could potentially affect any 13th or 14th generation desktop processor that draws 65W or more, not just the top-performing i9-series chips that initially appeared to have the problem.
Here are the questions we posed to Intel and the responses we received via email from Intel’s Hannaford:
How many chips does Intel say are likely to be irreversibly affected by these issues?
13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors with a base power of 65W or higher, including 65W K/KF/KS and non-K variants, may be affected by the high voltage issue. However, this does not mean that all listed processors are (or will be) affected by the high voltage issue.
Intel continues validation to ensure that instability scenarios reported to Intel regarding its 13th and 14th Gen Core desktop processors are addressed.
For customers who are experiencing or have experienced symptoms of instability on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors, Intel continues to advise customers to contact Intel Customer Support for further assistance. Additionally, if customers have experienced these symptoms of instability on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors but have received an RMA [return merchandise authorization] For rejected requests, we ask them to contact Intel Customer Support for further assistance and remediation.
Will Intel issue a recall?
Will Intel proactively warn buyers of these chips of the warning signs or need for this update? If so, how will it warn them?
Intel aims to release a production microcode update to OEM/ODM customers by mid-August or earlier and will share additional details about the microcode fix at that time.
Intel is currently investigating solutions to easily identify affected processors on end-user systems. In the meantime, Intel recommends that users follow Intel’s default settings on their desktop processors and ensure that their BIOS is up to date.
Has Intel halted sales and/or conducted channel inventory recalls while it validates the update?
Does Intel think the fix will be effective for chips that are already in service but are not yet showing symptoms (i.e. invisible degradation)? Are these processors just living on borrowed time?
Intel believes the microcode fix will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service, although validation continues to ensure that instability scenarios reported to Intel regarding its 13th/14th Gen Core desktop processors are addressed.
Intel is exploring options to easily identify affected or at-risk processors on end-user systems.
It is possible The fix will provide some instability improvements to currently affected processors; however, customers experiencing instability on their systems based on 13th or 14th generation desktop processors should contact Intel Customer Support for assistance.
Will Intel extend its warranty on these 13th and 14th generation parts, and for how long?
Given the difficulty Intel has had in resolving this issue, what evidence will customers need to provide to obtain an RMA? (How lenient will Intel be?)
What will Intel do for 13th Gen buyers once supplies of 13th Gen parts run out? The last shipments were scheduled to end last month, I read.
Intel is committed to ensuring that all customers who are experiencing or are currently experiencing symptoms of instability on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors will be supported through the exchange process. This includes working with Intel’s retail customers and resellers to ensure that end users are supported for symptoms of instability with their 13th and/or 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors.
What will Intel do for 14th Gen buyers once the supply of 14th Gen parts runs out?
Will replacement/RMA chips ship with the microcode update pre-applied starting in August? Is Intel still shipping replacement chips before this update?
Intel will apply the microcode to 13th/14th Gen desktop processors that are not yet shipping once the production patch is released to OEM/ODM partners (expected mid-August or earlier). For 13th/14th Gen desktop processors already in service, users will need to apply the patch via BIOS update once it is available.
What, if anything, can customers do to slow or stop degradation before the microcode update?
Intel recommends that users follow Intel’s default settings on their desktop processors and ensure that their BIOS is up to date. Once the microcode fix is released to Intel partners, we recommend that users check for corresponding BIOS updates.
Will Intel release specific manufacturing dates and serial numbers for oxidized processors so critical companies can selectively rip and replace them?
Intel will continue to work with customers on Via Oxidation related reports and ensure they are fully supported in the exchange process.
Why Intel Believes in Instability Issues does not affect laptop chips?
Intel is continuing its investigation to ensure that reported instability scenarios on 13th/14th Gen Intel Core processors are properly addressed.
This includes ongoing analysis to confirm key factors preventing 13th/14th Gen mobile processors from being exposed to the same instability issue as 13th/14th Gen desktop processors.
That’s all we’ve heard from Intel so far, though Hannaford assured us that more answers are on the way and that the company is working on solutions.
Again, if your CPU is already damaged, you should ask Intel to replace it, and if Intel won’t, please let us know. In the meantime, you’ll want to update your BIOS ASAP, as your CPU could potentially be damaged invisibly. And if you’re handy with a BIOS, you may also want to adjust your motherboard to Intel’s default performance profiles.
Finally, here’s the video from Robeytech that Intel is recommending to Redditors to help them identify if their chip has a problem. Intel says it’s also looking into other ways to identify it.
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