The American microprocessor giant has just deployed a new microcode that is sowing doubts among users. Explanations.
At the launch of the first 13th-generation Core processors - based on Raptor Lake architecture - Intel had to contend with widespread skepticism about its chips overheating, but nothing more. It was more or less the same at the launch of the 14th generation - Raptor Lake Refresh - when most testers lamented Intel's lack of innovation and increased performance due to a rise in power consumption to the limit of what was bearable. Moreover, Intel made no secret of the fact that a robust cooling system was needed to calm the ardor of the Core i9-14900K. But there was never any question of real malfunctions.
And yet this is the issue that has dogged Intel for several weeks now, following the release of these 14th-generation processors. The most powerful Raptor Lake Refresh users - especially Core i7-14700K and Core i9-14900K users - started reporting problems with unexpected Windows crashes, and in the most critical cases, outright PC crashes. In reality, things turned out to be much more serious, as the Core i7-13700K and Core i9-13900K could also be affected, and these malfunctions could go as far as processor failure. Initially dubious, Intel finally took the bull by the horns, announcing that it was conducting an investigation and increasing the warranty period - from 3 to 5 years - for the affected chips. The investigation revealed a problem in the management of supply voltages delivered by the motherboard to the processor: Intel seemed to have found the origin of the bug and, last October, a new microcode (0x12B) was deployed so that motherboard manufacturers could update their BIOSes and prevent any failure.
© Intel
The case seemed to be settled until Intel released a new microcode - 0x12C - which quickly reassured everyone that it had nothing to do with the voltage problems... but last week's release of yet another version of the microcode (0x12F) was indeed linked to the voltage problem. Will Intel be caught up in this story again? Would 13th/14th-generation Core i7s and Core i9s go through hell again? Well, phew, the matter seems less serious than once feared. Intel actually explains: " As part of its continuous product improvement efforts, Intel is releasing a new microcode update (0x12F) that complements the 0x12B update released in September 2024. This new microcode further improves the system conditions likely to contribute to Vmin offset instability on 13th and 14th generation Intel Core systems. Intel is releasing this 0x12F update following an investigation into a limited number of reports of systems running continuously for several days with low-activity, low-threaded workloads ".
There is no question of reproducing the problem in many cases, we're talking about systems " running continuously for several days ". Intel points out that, even on these systems, the problem has been corrected and that no loss of performance is to be deplored. The American company is encouraging users to check for the release of a BIOS update for their motherboard by the manufacturer, in order to put this problem to bed once and for all. All the best to Intel and its unfortunate customers.
