Saturday, October 5th 2024
Intel Confirms 13th Gen and 14 Gen Core Voltage Issues Fixed with 0x12B Microcode
Intel 13th Gen and 14th Gen Core processor models based on the 8P+16E "Raptor Lake" silicon are prone to an infamous bug that caused their performance and stability to irreversibly degrade over time due to excessive voltage. This was isolated to a faulty microcode. Intel responded to this by extending the warranty of affected processor models, and releasing a slew of CPU microcode updates encapsulated into motherboard UEFI firmware updates, through PC OEMs and motherboard vendors, with the latest such microcode update being 0x12B. There's good news—Intel extensively tested affected processor models and confirmed that the 0x12B microcode fixes this issue. It is crucial that you update your motherboard BIOS (UEFI firmware) to the latest version, which contains this microcode.
The Verge recently interviewed Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford on this topic, who stated that the company had identified four scenarios causing processors to irreversibly degrade, and had recommended mitigations to stable processors before the degradation set in, with the latest microcode update fixing all outstanding scenarios. If a processor is unstable (i.e. degradation has set in), the firmware update is of no use, and you should just get the processor replaced under warranty. Intel extended the warranty to cover even the very first purchases of affected processor models. "Yes, we're confirming this is the cause and that it is fixed," Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford tells The Verge.
Source:
The Verge
The Verge recently interviewed Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford on this topic, who stated that the company had identified four scenarios causing processors to irreversibly degrade, and had recommended mitigations to stable processors before the degradation set in, with the latest microcode update fixing all outstanding scenarios. If a processor is unstable (i.e. degradation has set in), the firmware update is of no use, and you should just get the processor replaced under warranty. Intel extended the warranty to cover even the very first purchases of affected processor models. "Yes, we're confirming this is the cause and that it is fixed," Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford tells The Verge.
79 Comments on Intel Confirms 13th Gen and 14 Gen Core Voltage Issues Fixed with 0x12B Microcode
Personally I have a 12600k finally thinking I had an upgrade path with intel but now...well I dont feel like I do.
Im just going to go AMD for the next build in the future.
So they fixed it again.
I am pretty sure they will fix it again again in 3 monthsYou don't.
Just assume all 13/14th CPUs are affected.
The intel wlan nic is loosing connection and crashing one of my operating systems in use. Since i bought the wlan module in July 2023. I crosstested with usb tethering only in any operating systems without an issue for weeks. All those newer firmware updates from intel does not fix it at all since i can remember. I was fooled by the "decent" reputation from Intel. The main reason I paid more for that particular wlan module and not going for a 5€ wlan usb stick.
I do not know any decent working INTEL product, regardless if it was on the job or elsewhere. Mostly hinting about all those Intel - HP microtowers (ASUS equivalent) with different issues regarding lost USB connection - wrong drawn screen contents of O365 with W10pro, intel Ethernet and intel Wireless lan with different issues. Most of my previous cpus were from INTEL.If there are alternatives I avoid it. For example I avoided to buy any SAMSUNG NVME drives. The issues repeated after the first issue several times already.
Feel free to buy whatever you want. for x86_64 based plattforms there are not much alternatives as far as i know when you are a windows 11 pro gamer.
Raptor throws that principle out the window. It may work today; it may work tomorrow, but you'll never really know. The fact that Intel announces a new "final" fix for the problem on a biweekly basis certainly doesn't engender confidence. I'm morbidly curious to see how the secondary market shakes out over the mid/long term. I'd bet on Alder Lake holding inflated value and RPL dropping into the toilet. All because of trust. I can't think of a worse scandal relating to a CPU product line, at least not in this century. Prescott was disappointing, but as far as I know it didn't self-destruct. Bulldozer, likewise.
None of this is to say that AMD's recent products have been free of teething issues--EXPO goofiness, extra-long boot times, the infamous burnt socket controversy. Even the Zen 5 launch could be characterized as a blunder--not because an unimpressive generational performance uplift is a big deal in itself, but rather because AMD wildly overhyped it, and in so doing managed to provide cover for Intel's implosion-in-progress. AMD, as the saying goes, never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Then there's the ongoing story of Windows 11's scheduling scheme, which affected/affects both Intel and AMD. (Sidenote: I'm amused at how quickly we went from "You NEED Win11 if you're running e-cores," to, "Linux and even Win10 are superior at handling modern CPUs!") At this point I think you'd have to be desperate and/or mildly insane to buy any new product from Intel or AMD in the first few months after release. Certainly any new platform, chipset, or architectural quirk should be allowed to age out.
Insane voltages cause damage and they're pushing their silicon waaaaay too hard.
I'm hoping someone benchmarks the old vs new microcode to work out how much performance has been lost, and also whether the CPUs run any cooler now that they're presumably not being overvolted to the moon and back....
However, performance has since taken at least two hits that I know of. The first one came with the "Baseline" firmware changes. The second performance hit came more recently with the root cause fix. This second one being the real humdinger that says Intel had intentionally made the microcode work that way for performance reasons.
Hence, Intel owes everyone a refund for false advertising.
My approach is the same as always, I use my system as long as it works properly, if a component fails I RMA it if under warranty or buy a replacement. I dont see how this is any different.Its already been tested and is no measurable performance loss, why its took so long? I assume because unlike the baseless claims, Intel needed to figured out what was wrong which takes time, which is the opposite of the pretence they knew it all for many months before disclosing any of it. It took AMD longer to fix TPM stability issues, that problem existed over multiple generations of chips.
Intel seem to be rushing their chips to market too quickly possibly due to the idea something should be released to schedule rather than when it is ready, and that has been exposed here, with the bugs that have needed to be fixed.
Had to flash BIOS about 4 times in the last 2 years (I had the Intel LAN dropout issue and the first BIOS flash fixed it), which is 4 too many for me :D, Intel should do better with Arrow Lake and not relying their users to keep fixing their QA mistakes
At least I have a fallback plan if one craps out.
AFAIK, the only CPU that received any change in core configuration were some of the i7 models that got bumped from 8E to 12E, the rest of 14th gen was just Raptor lake rebranded, with harmful voltage curves to try and reach slightly higher boost clocks.
15th gen: seriously, you'd buy that on day one? Month one? Year one? The right time would be around October 2025, not much earlier. Besides, you never get a better perf/$ shortly after the launch.
Any gen: you can't avoid checking the voltages often, and again after a bios or microcode update. Intel, AMD, mobo makers and Microsoft deserve less trust than ever before.
All is back to being well in the CPU world. Anyone who says different is ill-informed or has an agenda.
The reason why I ask is with Arrow Lake on the horizon, I suspect we might see further discounts on previous generation CPUs, making them a viable option for budget builds
Unfortunately, corporations have been allowed to get away with inadequate solutions. Apple, for instance, refused to replace Nvidia GPU daugherboards for its MacBook Pro laptops (with a redesign that corrects the problem) when it became clear that the lead-free solder formulation was a ticking time bomb. Any owner of one of these machines could have Apple replace the daughterboard but the replacement would have a defective GPU. That kind of solution would never happen under proper governance. It only happens when government is inadequate. There were even reports, which I cannot confirm, that Apple would use used parts to replace failed daughterboards.
I do not believe any corporation that sold any laptops using those Nvidia GPUs with the defective solder was required to do a recall, nor did any choose to do the right thing. (I don't think Nvidia was to blame for the situation, as it was the solder that was defective, not the GPUs, although I don't know the origin of the solder spec. It could have been with Nvidia. Regardless, when a product ships with a defective part, such as a vehicle with faulty airbags, the producer of the product has to do a recall.)
As long as governments side with corporations over consumers these sorts of "fixes" will be in. It is true that the issue may be fixed, when it comes to unused parts. When it comes to used parts, though, only a recall is an actual fix.