Intel's crashing CPU crisis deepens as more models are affected than originally thought

A hot potato: Intel probably thought the worst was behind it after the company identified the source of the instability surrounding its 13th- and 14th-gen CPUs and promised a patch to address the issue. But new reports say that the patch won't resolve the problems for processors already experiencing crashes. Even worse, whatever the problem is, it affects a broader range of models than previously assumed.

The news coming out of Intel about its crashing 13th- and 14th-generation CPUs is not getting any better, even after it said it had finally solved the mystery behind the instability and promised that patch should arrive in the middle of next month.

The first disappointment is that the patch won't fix the processors if they are already crashing. Intel has advised owners to use Intel Default Settings in their motherboard BIOS while waiting for the microcode update, although this is not a guaranteed fix. But it appears the best course of action for customers that have already experienced damage is to simply replace the processor instead of tweaking BIOS settings. Intel would not share estimates with reporters of how many chips are likely to be irreversibly impacted.

Worse, it now appears that the crashing issue is also affecting all 65W and higher CPUs as well as the mainstream non-K models alongside their K/KF/KS variants.

It is a troublesome turn of events. The K/KF/KS variants, designed for overclockers, feature unlocked multipliers that allow for higher performance tuning, making them more susceptible to instability when pushed beyond standard operating conditions. However, mainstream non-K models have locked multipliers, which generally results in more stable performance under typical usage conditions.

In short, the fact that even the regular models are experiencing problems means the issue is more widespread than initially thought and makes it clear that Intel hasn't fully uncovered the cause of the crashes. As of right now, Intel says the root cause of the problem is erroneous microcode instructing the CPU to request more voltage than is safe, which can lead to irreversible damage. But Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford confirmed that while high voltage is the primary cause of the problems, it's not the only factor. The company is still investigating other potential causes.

So far, Intel has only grudgingly provided relief to affected customers. It is not planning a recall of the affected processors nor is it halting their sale. It has also failed to provide details on extended warranties or no-questions-asked replacements. One overture it is making: It will apply the microcode update to processors not yet shipped once the production patch is released.