There is no fix for Intel 13th and 14th Gen CPU failures – any damage is permanent

On Monday, it initially seemed like the beginning of the end for Intel’s desktop CPU instability issues: the company confirmed that a patch that should address the “root cause” of high voltage exposure will be released in mid-August. But if your 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already failing, that patch apparently won’t fix it.

Citing anonymous sources, Tom’s Hardware Store Intel says any processor downgrade is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson didn’t deny that when we asked. Intel is “confident” that the patch will prevent this from happening in the first place. (As another preventative measure, you should update your motherboard’s BIOS as soon as possible.) But if your faulty CPU has been damaged, your best bet is to replace it rather than tweak BIOS settings to try to alleviate the problems.

Intel confirms that overly high voltages are not the only reason some of these chips fail. Intel spokesman Thomas Hannaford confirms that to The root cause is this: the company is still investigating. Intel community manager Lex Hoyos also revealed that some reports of instability can be traced back to a manufacturing oxidation issue that was fixed at an unspecified date last year.

This raises a lot of questions. Will Intel pull these chips from the market? Will it extend their warranty? Will it replace them with no questions asked? Will it pause sales like AMD just did with its Ryzen 9000? Will it identify defective batches with the manufacturing defect?

We asked Intel these questions and I’m not sure it will like the answers.

Intel has not halted sales or recalled inventory. It will not recall products, period. The company has not commented at this time on whether or how it will extend its warranty. It has not shared estimates with The edge how many chips are likely to be irreversibly affected, and did not explain why it continues to sell these chips before any fix is ​​given.

Intel has not yet told us how warranty replacements will work beyond retrying to contact customer service if the product was previously rejected. It did not explain how it will contact customers who have these chips to warn them about the problem.

But Intel does Tell us you’re “confident” you don’t need to worry about invisible degradation. If you’re not currently experiencing problems, the patch “will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service.” (If you don’t know if you’re experiencing problems, Intel currently suggests the Robeytech test.)

And, perhaps for the first time, Intel has confirmed just how widespread this issue could be. The elevated voltages could affect any 13th or 14th Gen desktop processor that draws 65W or more of power, not just the higher-end i9 series chips that initially appeared to be experiencing the problem.

Here are the questions we asked Intel and the responses we received via email from Intel’s Hannaford:

How many chips does Intel estimate will likely be irreversibly affected by these issues?

13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors with a base power of 65W or higher (including K/KF/KS variants and 65W non-K variants) might be affected by the high voltages issue. However, this does not mean that all listed processors are (or will be) affected by the high voltages issue.

Intel is continuing validation to ensure that instability scenarios reported to Intel for its 13th and 14th Gen Core desktop processors are addressed.

Intel continues to recommend that customers who are experiencing or have experienced symptoms of instability on their 13th or 14th Gen desktop processors contact Intel Customer Care for further assistance. Additionally, if customers have experienced these symptoms of instability on their 13th or 14th Gen desktop processors but their RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) requests were denied, we ask that they contact Intel Customer Care for further assistance and resolution.

Will Intel issue a recall?

Will Intel proactively alert buyers of these chips about the warning signs or the need for this update? If so, how will it do so?

Intel aims to release a production microcode update for OEM/ODM customers in mid-August or sooner and will share additional details about the microcode patch at that time.

Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected processors on end-user systems. In the meantime, as a general best practice, Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel’s default settings on their desktop processors and ensure their BIOS is up to date.

Has Intel paused sales and/or performed any channel inventory recalls while validating the update?

Does Intel anticipate the fix will be effective for chips that have already been in service but are not yet showing symptoms (i.e. invisible degradation)? Are those CPUs simply living on borrowed time?

Intel is confident that the microcode patch 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 and 14th Gen Core desktop processors are addressed.

Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected or at-risk processors in end-user systems.

Is possible The patch will provide some instability improvements to currently affected processors; however, customers experiencing instability on their systems based on 13th or 14th Gen desktop processors should contact Intel Customer Support for further assistance.

Will Intel extend its warranty for these 13th and 14th Gen parts, and for how long?

Considering how difficult it was for Intel to identify 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 when the supply of 13th Gen parts runs out? Final shipments were due to end last month, I’m reading.

Intel is committed to ensuring that all customers who have or are currently experiencing symptoms of instability on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported through the upgrade process. This includes working with Intel’s retail and channel customers to ensure end users receive care for symptoms of instability with their 13th and/or 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors.

What will Intel do for 14th Gen buyers after the supply of 14th Gen parts runs out?

Will replacement or RMA chips be sent with the pre-applied microcode update starting in August? Is Intel still sending replacement chips before that update?

Intel will apply the microcode to 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors that have not yet shipped once the production patch is released to OEM/ODM partners (expected in mid-August or sooner). For 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors already in service, users will need to apply the patch via a 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 stick to Intel’s default settings on their desktop processors and ensure their BIOS is up to date. Once the microcode patch is released to Intel partners, we recommend that users check for relevant BIOS updates.

Will Intel share specific manufacturing dates and serial number ranges for rusty processors so that mission-critical companies can selectively remove and replace them?

Intel will continue to work with customers on reports related to Via Oxidation and ensure they are fully supported in the exchange process.

Why does Intel believe in instability issues? It does not affect mobile laptop chips.?

Intel is continuing its investigation to ensure that reported instability scenarios on 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core processors are appropriately addressed.

This includes ongoing analysis to confirm the key factors that prevent 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 doesn’t, let us know. In the meantime, you’ll need to update your BIOS as soon as possible because your processor might be damaging itself invisibly. Also, if you know how to use a BIOS, you might also want to adjust your motherboard to Intel’s default performance profiles.

Finally, here’s the Robeytech video that Intel recommends to Reddit users to help them identify if their chip has a problem. Intel says it’s also looking into other ways to identify it.