Intel finally announces a solution for CPU crashing errors — claims elevated voltages are the root cause; fix coming by mid-August

Intel has announced that it has found the root cause of the crashing issues plaguing its CPUs. The company will issue a microcode update to fix the issues by mid-August, ostensibly ending the long-running saga that began when the first sporadic reports of CPU crashing errors surfaced in December 2022 and grew to a crescendo by the end of 2023. Intel’s response comes after complaints about the issue, which causes PCs to inexplicably BSOD during gaming and other workloads, reached a fever pitch in recent weeks.Intel’s advisory says an erroneous CPU microcode is the root cause of the incessant instability issues. The microcode caused the CPU to request elevated voltage levels, resulting in the processor operating outside its safe boundaries. Intel is now validating a microcode patch to correct the issues, with its release slated for mid-August. The company isn’t sharing many details about the bug yet, but says it will continue its validation process to ensure the microcode fully addresses the issues.The company had previously advised its customers to stick with the basic power guidelines for its processors, rather than running them at fully unlocked settings, as it worked through the issues. Those instructions, which you can see here, remain in effect for now, and Intel hasn’t issued any new workarounds for impacted customers. It is unclear if Intel will lift the existing restrictions after it issues the patch.Intel advises all customers having issues to seek help from its customer support. Intel has granted RMAs to impacted customers, and we’ll follow up to see if the company will continue to replace impacted processors rather than expecting customers to wait for the microcode fix. Intel has not issued a recall of its processors. For now, it is unclear if CPUs exposed to excessive voltage suffer from degradation or damage that hasn’t resulted in crashes on any given CPU but could lead to errors or crashes in the future. It is also unclear if the mitigation could impact performance, or if it will work fully in the wild. We’re following up with Intel for more details, stay tuned.Here’s Intel’s advisory that it posted to its support page:Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.”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.”Breaking news…more to come.