Due to a production issue, Intel has faced significant challenges this year with its 13th- and 14th-generation Core CPUs. This flaw caused the processors to run at high voltages and temperatures, leading to crashes and permanent damage, thereby reducing their lifespan.
After nearly two months of investigations, Intel announced that they’ve found another cause of the problem, despite some initial fixes being rolled out through BIOS updates. The company identified the issue as “Vmin shift instability,” which refers to an unexpected rise in the minimum operating voltage of the CPUs. This fluctuation has resulted in frequent crashes and error messages reported by users.
The complexity of this issue stems from the fact that the Vmin shift can be triggered by various factors, making it difficult to pinpoint all the root causes until now. Intel’s recent findings suggest they have finally identified the last of these causes.
Intel’s investigation highlighted several specific issues:
Motherboard Power Delivery Settings: Some configurations exceeded Intel’s power guidelines. – Intel recommends using default settings for its Core 13th and 14th Gen processors.
eTVB Microcode Algorithm: An algorithm that allows processors to reach higher performance states at elevated temperatures. – A microcode update (version 0x125) released in June 2024 addresses this issue.
SVID Algorithm in Microcode: This was causing high voltage requests that led to the Vmin shift. – A microcode update (version 0x129) released in August 2024 resolved this.
Elevated Voltage Requests During Idle or Light Activity: – Another microcode update (version 0x12B) will address this by refining core voltage demands.
Although Intel states that performance will remain unaffected after applying these BIOS updates, users whose CPUs are already damaged will not benefit from the patches. – Intel has extended warranties on some affected models for up to five years, so take advantage of that if applicable.
Intel’s fixes are now being distributed to motherboard manufacturers, who will release BIOS updates over the coming weeks. Make sure to check your motherboard’s support page regularly for updates.