Intel’s latest CPUs are causing a major headache for customers, particularly gamers, data centers, and game studios. The problem, first reported in February, has escalated from a gaming issue to a broader concern with widespread consequences.
Alderon Games, the developer behind Path of Titans, has made a strong statement about the issue. The studio claims Intel’s 13th and 14th-gen CPUs have a near 100% failure rate, citing crashes, instability, and corrupted SSDs and memory. As a result, Alderon Games is switching all its servers to AMD, emphasizing the lack of a fix from Intel and highlighting the significant difference in performance.
These issues are not confined to consumer PCs. These powerful CPUs are also used in game servers, and the lack of a solution has created serious challenges for Alderon Games. The company’s founder, Matthew Cassells, has publicly warned other game server providers and game server sellers to avoid using these CPUs.
Further evidence of the problem comes from YouTuber Level1Techs, who investigated crash reports from two games. Out of 1,584 decompression errors, 1,431 occurred on Intel’s 13th and 14th-generation processors, compared to only four reports for AMD CPUs.
The impact extends beyond gaming. Data center providers are charging a premium for maintenance on Intel-based servers due to the persistent crashes. An unnamed game developer has reported potential losses of over $100,000 due to player churn caused by game crashes attributed to these faulty CPUs.
Intel’s response has been slow and inadequate. The only real fix currently available is to return the CPU for a replacement, but customer experiences with this process have been inconsistent. A journalist from Hardware Times reported having to return a Core i9-13900KF twice, with the second unit still experiencing crashes. Despite the clear fault of the CPU, Intel refused to provide a refund.
The situation highlights the urgency of a comprehensive fix from Intel. Customers are demanding a solution, and the company’s reputation is at stake. The longer Intel delays, the more damage it will inflict on its customers and its own brand.
