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

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

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

And, Intel confirms, too-high voltages aren’t the lone crushed immoderate of these chips are failing. Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford confirms it’s a superior cause, but the institution is inactive investigating. Intel assemblage manager 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 with its Ryzen 9000? Identify faulty batches with the manufacturing defect?

We asked Intel these questions, and I’m not definite you’re going to similar the answers.

Intel has not halted income oregon clawed backmost immoderate inventory. It volition not bash a recall, period. The institution is not presently commenting connected whether oregon however it mightiness widen its warranty. It would not stock estimates with The Verge of however galore chips are apt to beryllium irreversibly impacted, and it did not explicate wherefore it’s continuing to merchantability these chips up of immoderate fix.

Intel’s not yet telling america however warranty replacements volition enactment beyond trying lawsuit enactment again if you’ve antecedently been rejected. It did not explicate however it volition interaction customers with these chips to pass them astir the issue.

But Intel does archer america it’s “confident” that you don’t request to interest astir invisible degradation. If you’re not presently experiencing issues, the spot “will beryllium an effectual 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 the archetypal time, Intel has confirmed conscionable however wide this contented could perchance be. The elevated voltages could perchance impact immoderate 13th oregon 14th Gen desktop processor that consumes 65W oregon much power, not conscionable the highest i9-series chips that initially seemed to beryllium experiencing the issue.

Here are the questions we asked Intel and the 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 with 65W oregon higher basal powerfulness – including K/KF/KS and 65W non-K variants – could beryllium affected by the elevated voltages issue. However, this does not mean that each processors listed are (or volition be) impacted by the 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 oregon 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 experienced 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 the informing signs oregon that this update is required? If so, however volition it pass them?

Intel targets to merchandise a accumulation microcode update to OEM/ODM customers by mid-August oregon sooner and volition stock further details connected the microcode spot astatine that time.

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

Has Intel halted income and / oregon performed immoderate transmission inventory recalls portion it validates the update?

No.

Does Intel anticipate the hole volition beryllium effectual 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 the microcode spot volition beryllium an effectual 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 oregon at-risk processors connected extremity idiosyncratic systems.

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

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

[No reply yet.]

Given however hard this contented was for Intel to pin down, what proof volition 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 acceptable to extremity past month, I’m reading.

Intel is committed to making definite each customers who person oregon are presently experiencing instability symptoms connected their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported successful the speech process. This includes moving with Intel’s retail and transmission customers to guarantee extremity users are taken attraction of regarding instability symptoms with 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 with the 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 the accumulation spot is released to OEM/ODM partners (targeting mid-August oregon sooner). For 13th /14th Gen desktop processors already successful service, users volition request to use the spot via BIOS update erstwhile available.

What, if anything, tin customers bash to dilatory oregon halt degradation ahead of the microcode update?

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

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

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

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

This includes ongoing investigation to corroborate the superior factors preventing 13th / 14th Gen mobile processor vulnerability to the aforesaid instability contented arsenic the 13th/14th Gen desktop processors.  

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

Again, if your CPU is already damaged, you request to get Intel to regenerate it, and if Intel won’t bash so, delight fto america know. In the meanwhile, you’ll privation to update your BIOS arsenic soon arsenic imaginable due to the fact that your processor could perchance beryllium invisibly damaging itself — and if you cognize your mode astir a BIOS, you whitethorn privation to set your motherboard to Intel’s default show profiles, too.

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