Intel has officially confirmed the stability issues affecting their 13th and 14th generation Core CPUs and has provided guidance on how to address these problems. The process of resolving the issues is expected to begin in August.
Intel recently announced that they have identified the root cause of the crashes affecting their processors. The company will release a microcode update to address the issues in mid-August, putting an end to the ongoing saga that began with the first reports of CPU crashes in December 2022 and peaked at the end of 2023.
Intel’s response comes after complaints about the issue, which causes sudden computer crashes/blue screens during gaming and other tasks, reached a peak in recent weeks. However, the microcode update will not repair the affected processors. Intel also confirmed a rumored oxidation issue in its 7nm node, but stated that those problems were resolved in 2023 and did not contribute to the crashes.
Intel will release a microcode update in August to address the stability issues.
According to Intel’s announcement, faulty CPU microcode is the root cause of the instability issues. The microcode causes the CPU to require higher voltage levels, leading the processor to operate outside of its safe range. Intel is currently finalizing a microcode patch to fix the issues, with plans to release it in mid-August. This patch will be distributed through BIOS updates from motherboard manufacturers and via Windows updates.
Intel stated that the current microcode patch does not have any negative impact on performance (i.e., does not slow down the chip), but testing is ongoing. We can expect Intel to share more information about performance impacts in the future.
The microcode patch will not repair processors that have already experienced crashes, but it is expected to prevent issues in processors that are not currently affected by the problem. Since the microcode update will not fix the faulty processors, Intel is committed to providing warranty service for all affected customers.