Intel finally determines cause of processor instability issues and has a patch in the pipeline

Users of Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Processors have been plagued with instability problems for some 18 months or more. The issue has been causing crashes and blue screens and the chipmaker has now finally announced that it knows what is causing the problem.

Having determined that "elevated operating voltage stemming from a microcode algorithm" is causing incorrect voltage requests to CPUs, Install says it is ready to issue a micropatch. Well, almost ready.

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The patch is currently planned for launch in the middle of August, but this is subject to change. Intel will deliver the micropatch as a BIOD update, and it is not thought that there will be any adverse performance side effects.

The company has already put in place a program to replace processors which have been harmed by the problem, and this continues to run as the upcoming patch will only prevent impairment to affected but as-yet-undamaged chips.

Writing on the Intel Support Community forums, company employee Thomas Hannaford explains the latest findings and upcoming plans:

Based on extensive analysis of Intel Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors returned to us due to instability issues, we have determined that elevated operating voltage is causing instability issues in some 13th/14th Gen desktop processors. Our analysis of returned processors confirms that the elevated operating voltage is stemming from a microcode algorithm resulting in incorrect voltage requests to the processor.

Intel is delivering a microcode patch which addresses the root cause of exposure to elevated voltages. We are continuing validation to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors are addressed. Intel is currently targeting mid-August for patch release to partners following full validation.

Intel is committed to making this right with our customers, and we continue asking any customers currently experiencing instability issues on their Intel Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance.

Overclocking these chips is not recommended at the moment, and this could still be the case even after the patch is released. Tinkering with power profile is off limits for now, and this could continue.

More details are available here.

Image credit: Andrii Savchenko / Dreamstime.com