Intel chip bug FAQ: Which PCs are affected, how to get the patch, and everything else you need to know

Below is a list provided by Intel. According to the company, only desktop versions are affected and not mobile or laptop versions:

Intel describes these as instability issues “commonly experienced as persistent application crashes and repeated hangs.”

It depends on how you acquired the PC or processor:

• Boxed processors (you purchased a processor for a PC you built yourself): Contact Intel Customer Support.
• Tray processors (you are a system builder who buys a lot of chips): Contact your place of purchase.
• OEM/System Integrator Desktop system with 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor (purchased a pre-built PC): Contact your system manufacturer.

Intel has extended the warranty on affected processors by two years.

Who covers the cost of changing processors in a system you built yourself or one that smaller system builders do? Intel hasn’t said anything.

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Similarly, there is no guidance for consumers who have paid for repairs thinking the problem was related to factors such as improper installation or overclocking.

The patch, dubbed “microcode update 0x129,” prevents high voltages from being sent to the cores and should prevent crashes and instability issues, as well as prevent the CPU from being damaged by high voltages.

It is important to note that this update will not repair damaged hardware. If your PC has crashed or been unstable due to this issue, the CPU is damaged.

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However, Intel has said it is investigating possible “mitigations” for systems already exhibiting symptoms and will have more information by the end of August. However, Intel still recommends that affected users replace their processors under warranty.

This is where things get complicated.

Intel and motherboard manufacturers were supposed to use Windows Update to push the patch to affected systems. However, users will now need to download and install BIOS updates from the respective motherboard manufacturer. To do this, you need to know which motherboard you have (This guide will help you identify your hardware), download the patch for the appropriate motherboard and install it correctly.

So far, at the time of writing this, Gigabyte, MSI and Asus I have posted information about BIOS updates and can occasionally find updates from other manufacturers such as ASRock. Keep an eye on the download pages and support forums.

Yes, Intel has published a list of recommended secure configurationsIf you want to modify your motherboard before getting a patch (and assuming your board allows it), these are the settings you should use.

It’s hard to say.

Intel is confident that this patch will fix the issue and says the microcode has little to no detrimental effect on performance.

But I see several reports showing that the new microcode update has worse performance, but also forces the CPU to run at higher temperatures and higher wattage. The microcode update also forces CPUs to apply thermal throttling (limiting performance when temperatures get too high), which could also shorten the lifespan of the chips.

I’ve seen suggestions that users should tune their PCs with these processors even more conservatively. For example, the YouTube channel YES Technology City suggests reverting back to the first stable BIOS update, manually setting the CPU speed to 5.2GHz, disabling E-Cores, setting both VDD_CPU and VDD_IMC voltages to 1.3V, and then setting the RAM speeds to a point where everything is stable at that reduced VDD_IMC voltage.

No!

While the update will not prevent chips from being unlocked, Intel recommends users “proceed with caution when overclocking their desktop processors as overclocking may void your warranty and/or affect system health,” and also recommends that “customers with 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors use Intel’s default settings.”

But testing has shown that choosing a setting other than Intel’s default can Cause damaging voltages to be sent to the processor..

No.

Changing settings other than Intel’s new default settings (for example, selecting the motherboard manufacturer’s default settings) can result in high voltages being sent to the CPU, which can damage it. It appears that for now, the only safe settings to use on updated systems are Intel’s defaults.

According to Intel’s research, all future products will be affected by this issue.