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Intel chip bug FAQ: Which PCs are affected, how to get the patch, and everything else you need to know
[UPDATED August 15, 2024]
For the past few months, consumers with desktop PCs running 13th- or 14th-generation Raptor Lake Intel Core CPUs have been plagued by crashes and instability issues.
Although a fix is now being pushed out, and warranties extended for affected processors, the hassle and confusion for impacted customers continues, as does the damage to Intel's reputation.
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The bottom line: While Intel communicates through its PR and community channels, these messages are aimed mostly at hardcore enthusiasts; there's little information trickling down to mainstream customers.
I've spoken to a few users of Raptor Lake chips who had no idea -- until recently -- that these issues existed, and one user who's had an ongoing battle with the company that sold them their PC because tech support believed the damage had been caused by overclocking.
Below, I'll distill what consumers with desktop PCs running 13th- or 14th-generation Raptor Lake Intel Core CPUs need to be aware of, and what they need to do.
What's the issue with these Intel chips?
In a nutshell, Intel investigated widespread reports of instability and crashes and traced them back to a problem with the CPUs where too much voltage was being sent to the cores. Not only did this issue cause the instabilities and crashes that consumers were experiencing, but the research confirmed this problem was causing permanent damage to the processor.
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Reports of these issues have been quite widespread for months.
What processors are affected?
Below is a list provided by Intel. According to the company, only the desktop versions are affected and not the mobile/laptop versions:
| 13th Generation Intel Core | 14th Generation Intel Core |
i9-13900KS | i9-14900KS |
i9-13900K | i9-14900K |
i9-13900KF | i9-14900KF |
i9-13900F | i9-14900F |
i9-13900 | i9-14900 |
i7-13700K | i7-14700K |
i7-13700KF | i7-14700KF |
i7-13790F | i7-14790F |
i7-13700F | i7-14700F |
i7-13700 | i7-14700 |
i5-13600K | i5-14600K |
i5-13600KF | i5-14600KF |
How do I know what processor I have?
Read our guide on figuring out what motherboard and CPU you have installed. As yet, Intel has not offered consumers any utility to help them highlight affected processors.
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What are the issues to look out for?
Intel describes them as instability issues "commonly experienced as consistent application crashes and repeated hangs."
How do I get my processor swapped out?
It depends on how you acquired the PC or processor:
- Boxed processors (you bought a processor for a PC you built) - Contact Intel Customer Support.
- Tray processors (you're a system builder who buys a lot of chips) - Contact the place of purchase.
- OEM/System Integrator Intel Core 13th/14th Gen-powered desktop system (you bought a pre-built PC) - Contact your system manufacturer.
Intel has extended the warranty for affected processors by two years.
Who covers the cost of swapping out processors on a system you built yourself or those smaller system builder companies? Intel has been silent.
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Similarly, there is no guidance for consumers who may have paid for repairs thinking the issue was related to factors such as incorrect installation or overclocking.
What will the patch do?
The patch -- called "microcode 0x129 update" -- prevents the elevated voltages from being sent to the cores, and should prevent both the crashes and instability issues, and stop the CPU from being damaged by elevated voltages.
It is important to note that this update will not fix damaged hardware. If the PC has crashed or been unstable due to this issue, the CPU is damaged.
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But, Intel has said that it is investigating possible "mitigations" for systems already showing symptoms, and will have more information by the end of August. However, Intel continues to recommend that affected users get their processors swapped out under warranty.
How do I get the patch?
This is where things get messy.
It had been assumed that Intel and motherboard makers would make use of Windows Update to push the patch out to affected systems. However, users will now need to download and install BIOS updates from the relevant motherboard manufacturer. To do this, you need to know what motherboard you have (this guide will help you identify your hardware), download the patch for the appropriate motherboard, and correctly install it.
So far, at the time of writing, Gigabyte, MSI and Asus have published information on BIOS updates, and I can find sporadic updates from other manufacturers such as ASRock. Keep an eye out on the download pages and support forums.
Has Intel published a list of safe settings for motherboards?
Yes, Intel has published a list of recommended safe settings. If you want to tweak your motherboard ahead of getting a patch -- and assuming your board allows for it -- here are the settings you should use.
Intel Default power delivery profile settings for Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen (K/KF/KS) desktop processors
Is there a performance hit and does the patch solve the issue?
It's hard to tell.
Intel is confident that this patch solves the problem, and claims that the microcode has little or no detrimental effect on performance.
But I'm seeing a number of reports that show that the new microcode update performs worse but also forces the CPU to run at higher temperatures and increased wattages. The microcode update is also forcing CPUs to thermal throttle -- limit performance when the temperatures get too high -- which could also be shortening the life of the chips.
I've seen suggestions that users should tweak their PCs running these processors even more conservatively. For example, the YouTube channel Tech YES City suggests going back to the earliest stable BIOS update, manually setting the CPU speed to 5.2GHz, disabling the E-Cores, setting the VDD_CPU and VDD_IMC voltages to 1.3V, and then setting the RAM speeds to a spot where everything is stable at that reduced VDD_IMC voltage.
What about overclocking?
Don't!
While the update will not prevent unlocked chips, Intel recommends users "proceed with caution when overclocking their desktop processors, as overclocking may void their warranty and/or affect system health," and also recommends "customers with Intel Core 13th- and 14th-Gen desktop processors utilize the Intel Default Settings."
But tests have shown that choosing a settings other than the Intel defaults can cause damaging voltages to be sent to the processor.
Are patched systems running the microcode 0x129 update safe?
No.
Tweaking the settings to anything other than the new Intel defaults -- for example, selecting the motherboard maker's defaults -- can potentially cause high voltages to be sent to the CPU, damaging the CPU. It seems that for now, the only safe settings to use on updated systems are the Intel defaults.
Are other or future chips affected?
According to Intel's investigations, future products are all unaffected by this issue.