Intel chip bug FAQ: Which PCs are affected, how to get the patch, and everything else you need to know

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Intel chip bug FAQ: Which PCs are affected, how to get the patch, and everything else you need to know

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Intel

For the past few months, consumers with desktop PCs running 13th- or 14th-generation Raptor Lake Intel Core CPUs have been plagued by crashes and instability issues. 

Although a fix is now being pushed out, and warranties extended for affected processors, the hassle and confusion for impacted customers continues, as does the damage to Intel’s reputation.

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The bottom line: While Intel communicates through its PR and community channels, these messages are aimed mostly at hardcore enthusiasts; there’s little information trickling down to mainstream customers. 

I’ve spoken to a few users of Raptor Lake chips who had no idea — until recently — that these issues existed, and one user who’s had an ongoing battle with the company that sold them their PC because tech support believed the damage had been caused by overclocking.

Below, I’ll distill what consumers with desktop PCs running 13th- or 14th-generation Raptor Lake Intel Core CPUs need to be aware of, and what they need to do. 

Below is a list provided by Intel. According to the company, only the desktop versions are affected and not the mobile/laptop versions:

13th Generation Intel Core 14th Generation Intel Core

i9-13900KS

i9-14900KS

i9-13900K

i9-14900K

i9-13900KF

i9-14900KF

i9-13900F

i9-14900F

i9-13900

i9-14900

i7-13700K

i7-14700K

i7-13700KF

i7-14700KF

i7-13790F

i7-14790F

i7-13700F

i7-14700F

i7-13700

i7-14700

i5-13600K

i5-14600K

i5-13600KF

i5-14600KF

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Intel describes them as instability issues “commonly experienced as consistent application crashes and repeated hangs.”

It depends on how you acquired the PC or processor:

  • Boxed processors (you bought a processor for a PC you built) – Contact Intel Customer Support.
  • Tray processors (you’re a system builder who buys a lot of chips) – Contact the place of purchase.
  • OEM/System Integrator Intel Core 13th/14th Gen-powered desktop system (you bought a pre-built PC) – Contact your system manufacturer.

Intel has extended the warranty for affected processors by two years. 

Who covers the cost of swapping out processors on a system you built yourself or those smaller system builder companies? Intel has been silent. 

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Similarly, there is no guidance for consumers who may have paid for repairs thinking the issue was related to factors such as incorrect installation or overclocking.

The patch — called “microcode 0x129” — prevents the elevated voltages from being sent to the cores, and should prevent both the crashes and instability issues, and stop the CPU from being damaged by elevated voltages. 

It is important to note that this update will not fix damaged hardware. If the PC has crashed or been unstable due to this issue, the CPU is damaged. 

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But, Intel has said that it is investigating possible “mitigations” for systems already showing symptoms, and will have more information by the end of August. However, Intel continues to recommend that affected users get their processors swapped out under warranty.

This is where things get messy.

It had been assumed that Intel and motherboard makers would make use of Windows Update to push the patch out to affected systems. However, users will now need to download and install BIOS updates from the relevant motherboard manufacturer. To do this, you need to know what motherboard you have (this guide will help you identify your hardware), download the patch for the appropriate motherboard, and correctly install it.

So far, at the time of writing, MSI and Asus have published information on BIOS updates. But there’s no word on when other motherboard manufacturers will release updates.

While the update will not prevent unlocked chips, Intel recommends users “proceed with caution when overclocking their desktop processors, as overclocking may void their warranty and/or affect system health,” and also recommends “customers with Intel Core 13th- and 14th-Gen desktop processors utilize the Intel Default Settings.”

According to Intel’s investigations, future products are all unaffected by this issue.





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