There is no fix for Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen CPUs — any damage is permanent

On Monday, it initially seemed for illustration nan beginning of nan extremity for Intel’s desktop CPU instability woes — nan institution confirmed a spot is coming successful mid-August that should reside nan “root cause” of vulnerability to elevated voltage. But if your 13th aliases 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already crashing, that spot apparently won’t hole it.

Citing unnamed sources, Tom’s Hardware reports that immoderate degradation of nan processor is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson did not contradict that erstwhile we asked. Intel is “confident” nan spot will support it from happening successful nan first place. (As different preventative measure, you should update your motherboard BIOS ASAP.) But if your defective CPU has been damaged, your champion action is to switch it alternatively of tweaking BIOS settings to effort and alleviate nan problems.

And, Intel confirms, too-high voltages aren’t nan only logic immoderate of these chips are failing. Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford confirms it’s a superior cause, but nan institution is still investigating. Intel organization head Lex Hoyos besides revealed immoderate instability reports tin beryllium traced backmost to an oxidization manufacturing issue that was fixed astatine an unspecified day past year.

This raises tons of questions. Will Intel callback these chips? Extend their warranty? Replace them nary questions asked? Pause income like AMD conscionable did pinch its Ryzen 9000? Identify faulty batches pinch nan manufacturing defect?

We asked Intel these questions, and I’m not judge you’re going to for illustration nan answers.

Intel has not halted income aliases clawed backmost immoderate inventory. It will not do a recall, period. The institution is not presently commenting connected whether aliases really it mightiness widen its warranty. It would not stock estimates pinch The Verge of really galore chips are apt to beryllium irreversibly impacted, and it did not explicate why it’s continuing to waste these chips up of immoderate fix.

Intel’s not yet telling america really warranty replacements will activity beyond trying customer support again if you’ve antecedently been rejected. It did not explicate really it will interaction customers pinch these chips to pass them astir nan issue.

But Intel does show america it’s “confident” that you don’t request to interest astir invisible degradation. If you’re not presently experiencing issues, nan spot “will beryllium an effective preventative solution for processors already successful service.” (If you don’t cognize if you’re experiencing issues, Intel presently suggests the Robeytech test.)

And, possibly for nan first time, Intel has confirmed conscionable really wide this rumor could perchance be. The elevated voltages could perchance impact immoderate 13th aliases 14th Gen desktop processor that consumes 65W aliases much power, not conscionable nan highest i9-series chips that initially seemed to beryllium experiencing nan issue.

Here are nan questions we asked Intel and nan answers we’ve received by email from Intel’s Hannaford:

How galore chips does Intel estimate are apt to beryllium irreversibly impacted by these issues?

Intel Core 13th and 14th Generation desktop processors pinch 65W aliases higher guidelines powerfulness – including K/KF/KS and 65W non-K variants – could beryllium affected by nan elevated voltages issue. However, this does not mean that each processors listed are (or will be) impacted by nan elevated voltages issue.

Intel continues validation to guarantee that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.

For customers who are aliases person been experiencing instability symptoms connected their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors, Intel continues advising them to scope retired to Intel Customer Support for further assistance. Additionally, if customers person knowledgeable these instability symptoms connected their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors but had RMA [return merchandise authorization] requests rejected we inquire that they scope retired to Intel Customer Support for further assistance and remediation.

Will Intel issue a recall?

No.

Will Intel proactively pass buyers of these chips astir nan informing signs aliases that this update is required? If so, really will it pass them?

Intel targets to merchandise a accumulation microcode update to OEM/ODM customers by mid-August aliases sooner and will stock further specifications connected nan microcode spot astatine that time.

Intel is investigating options to easy place affected processors connected extremity personification systems. In nan interim, arsenic a wide champion practice Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings connected their desktop processors, on pinch ensuring their BIOS is up to date.

Has Intel halted income and / aliases performed immoderate transmission inventory recalls while it validates nan update?

No.

Does Intel anticipate nan hole will beryllium effective for chips that person already been successful work but are not yet experiencing symptoms (i.e., invisible degradation)? Are those CPUs conscionable surviving connected borrowed time?

Intel is assured that nan microcode spot will beryllium an effective preventative solution for processors already successful service, though validation continues to guarantee that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.

Intel is investigating options to easy place affected aliases at-risk processors connected extremity personification systems.

It is possible the spot will supply immoderate instability improvements to presently impacted processors; nevertheless customers experiencing instability connected their 13th aliases 14th Generation desktop processor-based systems should contact Intel customer support for further assistance.

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

[No reply yet.]

Given really difficult this rumor was for Intel to pin down, what proof will customers request to stock to get an RMA? (How lenient will Intel be?)  

[No reply yet.]

What will Intel do for 13th Gen buyers aft proviso of 13th Gen parts runs out? Final shipments were group to extremity past month, I’m reading.

Intel is committed to making judge each customers who person aliases are presently experiencing instability symptoms connected their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported successful nan speech process. This includes moving with Intel’s unit and transmission customers to guarantee extremity users are taken attraction of regarding instability symptoms pinch their Intel Core 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors.

What will Intel do for 14th Gen buyers aft proviso of 14th Gen parts tally out? 

Same arsenic above.

Will replacement / RMA’d chips vessel pinch nan microcode update preapplied opening successful August? Is Intel still shipping replacement chips up of that update?

Intel will beryllium applying to microcode to 13th/14th Gen desktop processors that are not yet shipped erstwhile nan accumulation spot is released to OEM/ODM partners (targeting mid-August aliases sooner). For 13th /14th Gen desktop processors already successful service, users will request to use nan spot via BIOS update erstwhile available.

What, if anything, tin customers do to slow aliases extremity degradation ahead of nan microcode update?

Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings connected their desktop processors, on pinch ensuring their BIOS is up to date. Once nan microcode spot is released to Intel partners, we counsel users cheque for nan applicable BIOS updates.

Will Intel share circumstantial manufacturing dates and serial number ranges for nan oxidized processors truthful mission-critical businesses tin selectively rip and replace? 

Intel will proceed moving pinch its customers connected Via Oxidation-related reports and guarantee that they are afloat supported successful nan speech process.

Intel is continuing its investigation to guarantee that reported instability scenarios on Intel Core 13th/14th Gen processors are decently addressed.

This includes ongoing study to corroborate nan superior factors preventing 13th / 14th Gen mobile processor vulnerability to nan aforesaid instability rumor arsenic nan 13th/14th Gen desktop processors.  

That’s each we’ve heard from Intel truthful far, though Hannaford assured america much answers are connected nan measurement and that nan institution is moving connected remedies.

Again, if your CPU is already damaged, you request to get Intel to switch it, and if Intel won’t do so, please fto america know. In nan meanwhile, you’ll want to update your BIOS arsenic soon arsenic imaginable because your processor could perchance beryllium invisibly damaging itself — and if you cognize your measurement astir a BIOS, you whitethorn want to set your motherboard to Intel’s default capacity profiles, too.

Lastly, present is that Robeytech video that Intel is recommending to Redditors to perchance thief them place if their spot has an issue. Intel says it’s looking into different ways to place that, too.