Intel has finally acknowledged the root cause of instability problems reported by users of its 13th and 14th Gen CPUs, but the chipmaker’s response has created more confusion than clarity.
After months of user complaints and minimal action from Intel, the company released a statement addressing the instability issues affecting its Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs. Intel attributed the problem to an error in the microcode algorithm, leading to incorrect voltage requests and elevated voltages within the processor. The company announced plans to release a microcode update in mid-August to address the voltage issue.
However, Intel took to Reddit to reveal an additional issue—oxidation. According to Intel, internal testing discovered an oxidation manufacturing problem, specifically affecting Intel Core 13th Gen processors. While claiming the oxidation issue was unrelated to the instability issue, Intel later contradicted itself by stating that a small number of instability reports could be linked to the manufacturing problem.
This conflicting information leaves users with numerous questions. First, if oxidation is not related to the instability issue, why is it being mentioned as a contributing factor? Secondly, Intel failed to provide a timeframe for the faulty CPU manufacturing period, making it impossible for customers to determine if they own an affected processor.
The lack of transparency and conflicting information from Intel only adds to the frustration of users facing instability issues with their CPUs. As Intel prepares to release a microcode update in mid-August, it remains unclear whether this will fully resolve the instability problems or if further action is required to address the oxidation issue.
