Intel admitted fault for Raptor Lake instability, but already knows how to fix it

Intel has finally made an official statement regarding the instability issue with 13th and 14th generation Core processors (Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh) for desktop computers. The company admitted that the problem is caused by increased operating voltage of the processors, and its cause lies in the microcode. The problem will be resolved soon, Intel said.

The first reports of problems with instability of 13th generation Core processors with an unlocked multiplier began appearing more than a year ago. Earlier this year, the number of complaints from owners of 13th and 14th generation Core chips with the “K” suffix increased significantly. Users have reported that within a few weeks or months of purchasing these processors, games began to crash on their PC, and BSOD errors also appeared regularly.

Intel promised to investigate these incidents, and since then unofficial reports have appeared on the Internet from time to time that the cause of the problem has been found. For example, it was reported that Intel blamed the problems on motherboard manufacturers who implemented incorrect settings in the BIOS. Then this message was refuted, and the cause of the malfunction was said to be errors in the microcode from Intel itself. Now the processor manufacturer has officially admitted that the problem was indeed hidden in the microcode. This means that it can be solved with the help of updates.

An Intel employee wrote on the company’s official forum as well as in an official Reddit thread: “Through extensive analysis of 13th/14th generation Intel Core desktop processors returned to us due to instability issues, we have determined that increased operating voltage causes instability issues in some 13th/14th generation processors. Our analysis of the returned processors confirmed that the increased operating voltage was caused by a microcode algorithm that resulted in incorrect voltage requests to the processor.”

It was also noted that Intel is already supplying motherboard manufacturers with a microcode fix that addresses the root cause of the incorrect voltage being supplied. “We are continuing to review to ensure that the instability scenarios reported by Intel for 13th/14th generation Core desktop processors are resolved,” Intel said. Intel currently plans to release the patch to partners in mid-August after full review.

Intel also noted its commitment to correcting the situation, and asked all customers who are experiencing instability issues with 13th and 14th generation Core desktop processors to contact Intel support for further assistance.