🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/intel › megathread for intel core 13th & 14th gen cpu instability issues
r/intel on Reddit: Megathread for Intel Core 13th & 14th Gen CPU instability issues
July 30, 2024 -

This thread will be updated as more information becomes available, please read this thread in full and check back regularly for any updates.

Over the last several months, there have been ongoing problems with instability issues on some desktop 13th and 14th Gen Intel CPUs.

Official Intel Statement: — July 2024 Update on Instability Reports on Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Processors


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 sure all customers who have or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported in the exchange process.

To help streamline the support process, Intel's guidance is as follows:

  • For users who purchased 13th/14th Gen-powered desktop systems from OEM/System Integrator - please reach out to your system vendor's customer support team for further assistance.

  • For users who purchased boxed/tray 13th/14th Gen desktop processors - please reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance.


TL;DR: If you have a system with an Intel Core 13th or 14th Gen Intel Raptor Lake or Raptor Lake Refresh CPU, the first thing you should do is download the latest BIOS/Firmware for your system or motherboard and check back regularly for any other BIOS/Firmware updates.


I have an Intel CPU, am I affected?
  • Intel says that only socketed desktop 13th and 14th Gen CPUs are affected.

  • Intel claims that 13th - 14th Gen HX/H/P/U mobile CPUs are not affected.

  • If you have any other generation of Intel CPU, for example Intel Core Ultra (Meteor Lake), 12th Gen (Alder Lake), 11th Gen (Rocket Lake), 10th Gen (Comet Lake) or any other generation of Intel CPU, Intel says these CPUs are not affected.

I have an Intel 13th - 14th Gen Desktop CPU and I'm having crashes and instability, what should I do?
  • First, make sure any crashes or instability are caused by the CPU and not the result of an unstable overclock, faulty RAM, bad power supply, bad motherboard, graphics card or any other hardware or software issues.

  • If you bought your system as a pre-built desktop (e.g. from Dell, HP, Lenovo) then reach out to the manufacturer of your pre-built system for additional support.

  • If you bought your CPU for a system you've built yourself, then you should contact Intel's Customer Support.

I have an Intel 13th - 14th Gen Desktop CPU and I'm not currently experiencing crashes or instability, what should I do?
  • Update your motherboard's BIOS and check regularly for any BIOS updates published over the coming weeks and months. These updates will include the microcode updates the Intel press releases have mentioned that resolve the issue.

  • Ensure your power settings within your BIOS are set to Intel's recommend settings


UPDATE - 2nd August 2024

Intel has confirmed that they are extending boxed retail 13th and 14th Gen desktop CPU warranties by two years.

They have also provided more information on the reported Oxidation issues.

Details here


UPDATE - 6th August 2024

Intel has confirmed that they are extending OEM/Tray 13th and 14th Gen desktop CPU warranties by two years.

Details here


UPDATE - 8th August 2024

Some vendors are now releasing BIOS updates for motherboards and systems which contain the 0x129 microcode.

Intel says this microcode update resolves the voltage spikes that occured under certain conditions, subsequently causing degradation to the CPU and that this newer microcode update will prevent degradation occuring in future for non-affected CPUs.

Please check your support page for your motherboard/system and make sure you install the latest BIOS and check regularly for future versions.


UPDATE - 30th August 2024

Intel has released an additional update, confirming that future processors, including Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake are unaffected by the Vmin Shift Instability (what this thread is about) and provided further clarification on which CPUs are affected.

Intel confirms these currently available processors are not affected by the Vmin Shift Instability issue:

  • 12th Gen Intel Core desktop and mobile processors

  • Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen i5 (non-K) & i3 desktop processors

  • Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen mobile processors – including HX-series processors.

  • Intel Xeon processors – including server and workstation processors.

  • Intel Core Ultra (Series 1) processors

Details here


UPDATE - 25th September 2024

Intel has released an additional update, confirming the root cause of the Vmin Shift Instability issue and confirmed there will be an additional Microcode release (0x12B) that will contain everything included in the 0x125 and 0x129 Microcode updates and will address elevated CPU voltages when in an idle state.

Details here


🌐
Dell
dell.com › home › support home › knowledge base article
Industry-wide Issue With Intel Core 13th and 14th Generation i5, i7, and i9 Processors | Dell US
November 19, 2025 - Intel states that the elevated operating voltage stemming from a microcode algorithm results in incorrect voltage requests to the processor which causes the issue. For Intel’s statement, see: July 2024 Update on Instability Reports on Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Processors
Discussions

PSA for 13th/14th gen Intel CPU owners | Overclockers Forums
There has been an increasing number of reports of 13th and 14th gen Intel CPUs having instability issues. These have manifested as random crashes, memory errors, and even "out of VRAM" messages in games. Despite the many different symptoms, it seems that the highly clocked Raptor Lake CPUs being... More on overclockers.com
🌐 overclockers.com
July 11, 2024
13th / 14th Gen Intel CPUs affected by a potential design / hardware fault causing CPU degradation over time
This isn’t exactly news and has been brewing over the past few months, with Intel mostly keeping quite, but has hit the headlines hard in the past few days as more data comes in confirming a very high percentage (potentially 100%) failure rate of 13th and 14th Gen CPUs. https://www.xda-d... More on forum.endeavouros.com
🌐 forum.endeavouros.com
0
3
July 22, 2024
My thoughts and fix of the instability issues of Intel 13th & 14th gen CPU's
sounds like you watched the FrameChasers video too haha More on reddit.com
🌐 r/overclocking
92
15
July 26, 2024
Intel Core 13th/14th Gen Issue Megathread
Hey folks, I recently applied for and was approved for a replacement chip. After docking my credit card for over $600, they sent me a chip that IS OLDER than the one they are replacing, plus it had been used for in house testing according to a slip I think was accidentally snugged into the package. Such a chip is guaranteed to fail, even though my BIOS is up to date. Becasue it is only a software fix, for a hardware problem, should my bios ever get behind, the instability would start, being irreversible, and unstoppable. When I questioned this, explaining that the replacement could be no better than the chip I am replacing, they were very dismissive. When I requested another chip, they told me they could not find any. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/buildapc
329
370
April 19, 2024
🌐
Intel Community
community.intel.com › t5 › Mobile-and-Desktop-Processors › Are-all-13th-gen-cpu-affected › td-p › 1617824
Are all 13th gen cpu affected? - Intel Community
December 21, 2025 - Only the K models of 13th and 14th gen are affected - i5, i7 and i9. Your CPU is not affected. The BIOS update due in August should fix the issue for the K processors.
🌐
PC Gamer
pcgamer.com › hardware › processors
A year later and over six months since the last patch, Intel is STILL releasing updates to fix instability problems with its 13th and 14th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs | PC Gamer
May 9, 2025 - The new microcode fix—dubbed 0x12F and not to be confused with the 0x125, 0x129 and 0x12B patches that came before it—"further improves system conditions that can potentially contribute to Vmin Shift Instability on Intel Core 13th and 14th ...
🌐
Overclockers
overclockers.com › home › forums › hardware › cpus › intel cpus
PSA for 13th/14th gen Intel CPU owners | Overclockers Forums
July 11, 2024 - These have manifested as random crashes, memory errors, and even "out of VRAM" messages in games. Despite the many different symptoms, it seems that the highly clocked Raptor Lake CPUs being unstable is the cause.
🌐
Linus Tech Tips
linustechtips.com › the workbench › new builds and planning
13th and 14th Gen Intel, Is It Safe to Buy Now? (and what's the alternative) - New Builds and Planning - Linus Tech Tips
November 30, 2024 - Hello again. So, from reading and watching some computer-related news, I understand that 13th and 14th Gen Intel CPUs had some "instability issues". As I am planning to buy a new CPU, my question is: 1. What's the situation for this issue right now? Is it still an issue that is recurring? 2. Woul...
Find elsewhere
🌐
Wildgate
support-wildgate.dreamhaven.com › hc › en-us › articles › 34828669562395-Known-Issues-with-13th-14th-Gen-Intel-CPUs
Known Issues with 13th & 14th Gen Intel CPUs – Wildgate
March 11, 2025 - There is a confirmed hardware problem ... system instability and causes, among other things, Oodle Data decompression failures and crashes in games built with Unreal....
🌐
Quora
quora.com › Is-there-really-a-problem-with-Intels-13th-and-14th-generation-cores
Is there really a problem with Intel's 13th and 14th generation cores? - Quora
Since this problem has a higher chance of happening with higher tier processors that have lower sales, there is a smaller pool size for Intel to work with. 14th Gen processors are a rehash of their 13th Gen. Really people should call it 14th Gen in name only. Motherboards have always given these CPU’s a little bit of extra voltage, but now the issue is these chips have been pushed so hard that they need almost an unsafe level of voltage to run stable.
🌐
Intel Community
community.intel.com › t5 › Processors › July-2024-Update-on-Instability-Reports-on-Intel-Core-13th-and › m-p › 1617113
July 2024 Update on Instability Reports on Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Processors - Intel Community
August 12, 2025 - 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.
🌐
The Verge
theverge.com › tech › intel
Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs: all the news and updates | The Verge
October 4, 2024 - And the company claims they are definitely not affected by the too-high voltage issue, which it’s now calling “Vmin Shift Instability.”Read Article > ... Acer will honor Intel’s warranty extension on crashing chips — meaning everyone’s finally on the same page. ... We are offering a two-year extended warranty for affected 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors causing instability issues.
🌐
TechRadar
techradar.com › computing › computing components › cpu
Intel finally confirms instability issues with 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs are fully fixed – but some owners may still be worried | TechRadar
October 6, 2024 - Intel has confirmed that the well-documented stability problems with its 13th and 14th-gen CPUs have been fully fixed. As you may recall, Intel recently recapped the four mitigations (including three microcode updates) that have been applied to resolve these instability issues – the final one of which has only just started being deployed – and from the wording Team Blue used, it seemed as if this would be the end of the matter.
🌐
PC Gamer
pcgamer.com › hardware › processors
Intel CPU crashes: what you need to know—Intel explains the root cause and plans a final microcode fix for 13th and 14th Gen CPUs | PC Gamer
September 26, 2024 - Intel signals the end for its 12th ... productivity, and peace of mind · Intel admitted that there's a problem with the CPU microcode causing "elevated operating voltage" in affected processors and rolled out a microcode patch ...
🌐
Marvel Rivals
marvelrivals.com › guide › 20241114 › 41348_1193677.html
Intel CPU Crash Troubleshooting Guide _Marvel Rivals - The Super Hero Team-based PVP Shooter
November 14, 2024 - If you are using an Intel 13/14th generation CPU, you may encounter stability issues, low VRAM warnings, or crashes during shader compilation while gaming. To address these issues, we recommend updating to the latest BIOS version as instructed ...
🌐
Ars OpenForum
arstechnica.com › forums › ars lykaion › news & discussion
Intel has finally tracked down the problem making 13th- and 14th-gen CPUs crash | Ars OpenForum
July 23, 2024 - Given that this is "early 13th gen", some chips may actually be getting pretty close to the warranty end date. As for the microcode update. I'll believe it actually fixes the issue when I see long term (>1 year) failure data that shows return to "normal" failure rates after the update releases. Given how cagey Intel has been on this until really influential youtubers (specifically Wendell from L1T and Steve from GamersNexus) brought a blazing spotlight on it in the last 2-3 weeks, I wouldn't put it past them to just be trying to slow down failure rates to a "manageable" level and hopefully get past the standard 3 year warranty period.
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › low level
intel CPUs are literally falling apart - YouTube
Intel CPUs have been failing all over the world. But why? In this video, we talk about two major issues with the 13th and 14th generation of CPUs.Writeups:ht...
Published   July 24, 2024
Views   221K
🌐
EndeavourOS
forum.endeavouros.com › lounge › linux lounge
13th / 14th Gen Intel CPUs affected by a potential design / hardware fault causing CPU degradation over time - Linux lounge - EndeavourOS
July 22, 2024 - This isn’t exactly news and has been brewing over the past few months, with Intel mostly keeping quite, but has hit the headlines hard in the past few days as more data comes in confirming a very high percentage (potentially 100%) failure rate of 13th and 14th Gen CPUs. https://www.xda-d...
🌐
iBUYPOWER®
ibuypower.com › home › blog › support › intel 13th and 14th gen cpus
An Update on Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen Desktop Processors | iBUYPOWER®
August 7, 2024 - After some investigation, Intel stated that “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 ...
🌐
MSI
forum-en.msi.com › home
Owners of 13th/14th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs
July 12, 2024 - Older MSI motherboards, All boards older than listed in Intel and AMD section. ... MSI Graphics Cards, Nvidia and AMD/ATI-based. ... Place to discuss MSI Gaming AIO (AG series) related topics. MSI All-In-One (AIO), Windtop, Nettop and all other barebones PC systems. ... General non-technical ...
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Intel 13th and 14th Gen Issues - Grand Finale - YouTube
Story with Intel CPU issues has revealed quite fast and now there is also a resolution. Like it or not, but if you have one of the affected CPUs, and you had...
Published   July 29, 2024