Intel has made up our minds that the guaranty extension the company introduced closing week, for chips suffering from instability problems, applies to all its Thirteenth-gen and 14th-gen processors, and no longer simply boxed CPUs.
For those who recall, when the transfer, which upped the guaranty from 3 to 5 years, was once made, Intel mentioned it carried out to boxed merchandise, however no longer CPUs that got here in prebuilt PCs. (So-called ‘tray’ CPUs, named as a result of they’re equipped in quantity, in trays, to PC makers, without a field or packaging – as this isn’t wanted, and is an needless value on this case).
As VideoCardz noticed, Intel has equipped some additional main points at the guaranty extension, and within the name of that publish (from Thomas Hannaford, Intel’s Communications Supervisor), there’s a key new nugget – that the guaranty applies to “Intel Core Thirteenth/14th-gen Desktop Boxed/Tray CPUs.”
So, be aware the point out now of each boxed and tray processors, while earlier than, Intel had mentioned that there was once “two-year prolonged guaranty beef up for our boxed Intel Core Thirteenth and 14th-gen desktop processors.” (Our bolding for emphasis in each circumstances).
Group Blue additionally lists all of the chips from those generations which can be lined by means of the guaranty extension, as you’ll see within the screenshot underneath (from the Core i5 13600K/14600K and upwards, mainly – however no longer the non-Ok variations of the 13600/14600, it must be famous).
Research: Unhealthy timing
Intel is busy firefighting an attractive nasty PR crisis at this level, which is most likely why this guaranty protection has been broadened. At any price, it’s just right to get an professional acknowledgment that no matter Thirteenth-gen or 14th-gen chip you could have, if it’s an affected fashion as indexed within the above desk, you get the good thing about that five-year guaranty – whether or not the processor was once purchased one after the other in a field, or it got here in a prebuilt PC.
There’s nonetheless a great deal of discontent rumbling and echoing round quite a lot of on-line boards relating to this entire factor. For starters, there’s the subject of when the microcode replace – the preventative patch that’s inbound – goes to reach. We have been promised it for mid-August, and that’s simplest a few week away now, but there’s nonetheless no phrase.
Granted, it might nonetheless be proper on course, however we’re getting shut now. And to be honest, we’d somewhat Intel took the time to get this as proper as imaginable, versus speeding out the replace – so there’s that too.
Then again, there also are considerations for the ones affected who’ve returned their CPU, and could be getting a brand new substitute chip quickly – if it arrives earlier than mentioned microcode patch, is it protected to put in the processor and run it (or may that injury it, if the preventative replace isn’t in a position and launched)? Or will new chips include this microcode tweaking already baked in? We don’t know.
So far as we’re conscious, Intel continues to be investigating those balance issues to peer if additional key reasons could be lurking below the hood of Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh processors. There’s a way of unease and uncertainty about Intel’s general way right here, and for us, the fear that most likely processors that appear unaffected at the moment, may sooner or later manifest system defects smartly down the road. (Which is no doubt what the guaranty extension is set – however what about CPUs previous that five-year level)?
We’re additionally looking ahead to Intel to pin down the separate oxidation factor with extra accuracy (in relation to offering batch numbers of affected processors), and a few other folks on-line are nonetheless fearful about Thirteenth-gen or 14th-gen pc chips too, even if Intel has confident us those don’t seem to be affected.
With Arrow Lake CPUs due later this yr, and Ryzen 9000 freeing imminently, Intel faces an uphill fight at the desktop already – with out those additional doubts being forged on its present desktop CPU levels.
Computer processor worries received’t assist both, even supposing they’re unwarranted. Particularly as Intel is dealing with off two foes in this entrance, given the hype round new Copilot+ PCs – specifically Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X silicon, and Ryzen AI 300 cellular processors.
In brief, it’s a nasty time for all this to be going down, and we really feel Intel must step up the wear regulate over those balance gremlins, and ship some additional clarifications once imaginable.
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