Intel CPUs: A Stability Dilemma

InfoThis is a summary of the following YouTube video:

Why We Can't Recommend Intel CPUs - Stability Story So Far

Hardware Unboxed

Aug 6, 2024

·

Science & Technology

Intel CPUs face significant stability issues

  1. The video addresses Intel's ongoing stability issues, emphasizing that while there may not be new information for those closely following the situation, it provides the creators' opinions and future review plans until the issue is resolved.
  2. There is a misconception that the issue is being ignored because it hasn't been discussed on the main channel for two months. However, the creators clarify that they are waiting for a microcode update to test before discussing it further.
  3. Intel's current situation is dire, with a significant drop in share price and the announcement of mass job cuts affecting 15,000 employees, which is concerning for the industry as a whole.
  4. The importance of Intel remaining competitive is highlighted, as a single dominant force in the industry can lead to stagnation. The hope is that Intel's next generation of products will be strong enough to recover from recent brand damage.
  5. Intel has been struggling with declining demand for its processors from the 11th to the 14th generation, exacerbated by AMD's competitive performance and pricing, which have made AMD more appealing to consumers.
  6. Stability concerns have further damaged Intel's reputation, with reports of crashing in 13th and 14th generation CPUs during tasks like loading games, often misidentified as video memory issues, affecting high-end models like the 13900K and 14900K.

Intel CPUs face ongoing stability issues

  1. The video addresses stability concerns with Intel's 13th and 14th generation processors, initially discussed in a previous video titled 'Intel CPUs are crashing and it's Intel's fault.' The title was direct to emphasize that Intel, not its partners, was responsible for the issues.
  2. Many online commentators and some tech media incorrectly blamed Intel's partners, such as motherboard manufacturers, for the stability problems. However, the video asserts that Intel is primarily at fault, a claim that has been substantiated over time.
  3. In April, the video tested new Intel Baseline profiles developed by Asus and Gigabyte, intended to cap power limits of Intel's K-series CPUs to address stability issues. The crashes were thought to be caused by partners running CPUs above safe limits, contrary to Intel's recommendations.
  4. The process of implementing these profiles was chaotic. Not all partners issued BIOS updates, and Asus and Gigabyte used the Baseline terminology differently, leading to inconsistent settings. The performance impact of Gigabyte's Baseline profile was significant, causing customer dissatisfaction.
  5. In May, Intel intervened, requesting all partners to implement new official Intel default settings by May 31st to resolve stability issues. Intel's approach seemed to position them as the responsible party correcting their partners' mistakes, adding to the confusion.
  6. Intel issued three default profiles: Baseline, Performance, and Extreme, but the implementation was inconsistent. Partners switched between profiles, and none were fully rolled out by the promised date, leaving both consumers and partners confused.
  7. Despite these efforts, stability issues persisted, with reports of crashes continuing. Major game developers and server companies began publicly sharing information about widespread crashes in Intel K-series CPU-powered servers.
  8. The use of K-series CPUs in servers is due to their leading single-core performance, which is beneficial for server applications. However, the stability issues have led to public criticism, with companies like Elderon Games labeling the CPUs as defective.

Intel CPUs face stability and degradation issues

  1. A dinosaur survival game has transitioned all its servers to AMD, citing that AMD CPUs experience significantly fewer crashes compared to Intel CPUs. This decision highlights concerns about the reliability of Intel CPUs, which are reportedly prone to failure over time.
  2. Intel's initial response to the stability issues involved creating BIOS profiles intended to temporarily address the problem. These profiles were seen as a way to delay addressing the root cause, either by hoping the issue would fade or by minimizing costs associated with a full resolution.
  3. Intel attempted to deflect responsibility for the CPU issues by blaming partners and, subsequently, customers. The creation of a 125-watt power profile for a 253-watt CPU part was seen as a tactic to ensure even degraded CPUs would function, avoiding the need for replacements.
  4. Intel's high-performance CPUs, like the Core i9-13900K, are advertised to operate continuously at 253 watts. However, this power level may be causing rapid degradation, leading to stability issues. Intel's solution was to offer a performance profile that reduces power limits to stabilize systems without replacing CPUs.
  5. Despite these efforts, stability issues persisted in Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs. Intel released a report on July 22nd, attributing the instability to elevated operating voltage caused by a microcode algorithm error, which led to incorrect voltage requests.
  6. Intel announced plans to release a patch by mid-August to address the voltage issue, but there is skepticism about whether this will resolve the underlying problems. The community is concerned about the effectiveness and feasibility of fixing the degradation issue through software updates.
  7. Speculation about CPU degradation as the root cause of instability was confirmed by multiple sources during the Computex trade show in Taiwan. These sources, closely connected to the issue, indicated that degradation was indeed occurring, leading to the observed stability problems.
  8. Intel has not officially confirmed or denied the degradation issue, and when questioned, they have avoided directly addressing the matter. This lack of transparency has fueled further speculation and concern among users and industry observers.

Intel CPUs face unresolved stability issues

  1. Intel has acknowledged a stability issue with their CPUs but has not confirmed specific instances of the problem occurring. They have mentioned an upcoming patch to address the issue, implying its existence.
  2. A significant issue identified is the Via oxidization, confirmed by Intel to have occurred in 2023. Despite this, Intel denies it as the main cause of current stability problems, leaving customers uncertain about the true cause.
  3. Intel has not provided PCH numbers or specific manufacturing details for affected CPUs, leaving customers unsure if their products are defective. They have stated they will work with customers on oxidization reports.
  4. Intel has decided not to recall Raptor Lake CPUs or halt sales despite acknowledging stability issues. They continue to sell potentially defective CPUs while validating updates.
  5. An extended 2-year warranty has been announced for 13th and 14th gen desktop processors. Customers experiencing issues are advised to contact customer support, though success in obtaining replacements varies.
  6. Intel has been criticized for deflecting blame and minimizing the problem, including blaming board partners and suggesting power profile fixes that reduce performance instead of offering replacements.
  7. The situation remains unresolved, with Intel's handling of the issue leading to distrust among customers. The 13th and 14th gen CPUs, particularly models 13900K and 14900K, are widely reported to have stability issues.

Intel CPUs face unresolved stability issues

  1. Intel's 13th and 14th Gen processors are experiencing stability issues, affecting even base model locked core i5s like the 13400. This has led to a recommendation against purchasing these processors until the issues are fully resolved.
  2. The main problem is believed to be irreversible degradation causing crashes, and Intel needs to provide replacement parts to affected users to honor their warranty commitments.
  3. The plan is to continue benchmarking these processors using the Intel extreme profile but without recommending them until a microcode fix is released and the situation is reassessed.
  4. Intel has been aware of these issues since mid-2023 but has been slow to address them, leading to speculation about their understanding of the problem and willingness to bear the costs of fixing it.
  5. There is a belief that Intel knows the cause of the degradation and is avoiding replacing parts due to the high costs involved, although this is a personal opinion of the author.
  6. The author emphasizes that they have been proactive in addressing these issues, including discussing them in tech media and consulting with engineers, but have been limited by the lack of new information or updates to test.

Testing Zen 5 amid Intel issues

  1. The video discusses the current stance on Intel CPU stability issues and the plan to test the upcoming microcode update when it is released, expected in a few weeks.
  2. The focus will shift to testing Zen 5 processors in the meantime, indicating a temporary move away from Intel CPU testing due to ongoing stability concerns.
  3. Viewers are encouraged to engage with the channel through likes, subscriptions, and joining platforms like Floatplane and Patreon for additional content and community interaction.
  4. The host, Steve, invites viewers to join their Discord server for more direct communication, monthly live streams, and behind-the-scenes content.
  5. The video concludes with a thank you message to the audience for their support and viewership.