After a string of financial woes and stability issues with its Raptor Lake chips, Intel could have had some good news on Friday. And this week, they're delivering just that, releasing the first version of a long-awaited microcode fix for desktop Raptor Lake processors, as well as the first detailed explanation of the underlying issue.
The new microcode release, version 0x129, is Intel's first attempt to address the overvoltage issue that has apparently been the cause of performance degradation in Raptor Lake processors for the past year and a half. Intel has been investigating the issue all year, and after a slow start, has started making more significant progress in recent weeks, identifying what it calls an “overvoltage” issue in high-TDP desktop Raptor Lake (13y and 14y Generation Core) chips. Back in late July, the company was microcode fix release scheduled for mid-August To fix (or rather prevent) the degradation issue, and just before that deadline, Intel started sending microcode to its motherboard manufacturing partners.
However, even with this new microcode, Intel has not solved the stability issue. Intel is still investigating whether it can improve the stability of already degraded processors, and the overall tone of Intel’s announcement is very much like a beta software fix – Intel will not be sending this particular version of the microcode for distribution via operating system updates, for example. So even if this microcode successfully stops the ongoing degradation, it appears that Intel has not closed the book on the issue entirely, and that the company is apparently working on a fix suitable for a wider release.
Limit at 1.55V: High voltage produces high voltage
So what does microcode update 0x129 do? In short, it limits the voltage of the affected desktop Raptor Lake chips to a still-high (but in-spec) 1.55V. As noted in previous Intel announcements, the cause of the issue appears to be excessive voltages, so limiting voltages to what Intel has determined to be the proper limit should prevent future damage to the chips.
Letter from the company to the community also describes for the first time what exactly is going on under the hood of degraded chips. Those chips that had already succumbed to the problem due to repeated voltage spikes had deteriorated in such a way that the minimum voltage required to operate the chip – Vmin – exceeded Intel’s original specifications. As a result, these chips no longer receive enough voltage for work.
Experienced overclockers will no doubt find this a familiar story, as it’s one of the ways in which overclocked CPUs tend to get worse over time. In these cases — as seems to be the case with Raptor Lake — more voltage is required to keep the chip stable, especially in workloads where the chip’s voltage is already sagging.
And while all signs point to this degradation being irreversible (and plenty of RMAs in Intel's future), there is a silver lining. If Intel's analysis is correct that degraded Raptor Lake chips can still run fine with higher Vmin, there is a chance that at least some of these chips can be salvaged and returned to stability.
This “Vmin shift,” as Intel calls it, is the next target of the company’s investigation. According to the company’s letter, they intend to provide updates by “late August.”
Meanwhile, Intel's motherboard partners have already begun releasing BIOSes with the new microcode, with ASUS and MSI even jumping the gun and sending out BIOSes before Intel had a chance to properly announce the microcode. Both vendors are releasing these as beta BIOSes, reflecting the general early nature of the microcode fix. While we expect most users will want to install this microcode as soon as possible to mitigate further damage to affected chips, it would be prudent to treat these beta BIOSes as such.
In that vein, as noted earlier, Intel is currently only distributing microcode 0x129 via BIOS updates. This microcode will not be coming to other systems via operating system updates. At this point, we still expect that distribution via OS updates will be the end of this fix, but Intel has not yet provided a timeline or other indication of when that might happen. So for PC enthusiasts at least, a BIOS update is the only way to get it for now.
Performance impact: usually zero, but not always
Finally, Intel's post also gives a little guidance on the performance impact of the new microcode, based on their internal testing. The company has previously indicated that they don't expect a significant impact on performance, and based on their extensive testing, that remains generally the case. However, there will be some workloads that will suffer from performance regression as a result.
So far, Intel has found a few workloads that show regressions. These include PugetBench GPU Effects Score and, on the gaming side of things, Hitman 3: Dartmoor. Otherwise, almost everything else Intel has tested, including common benchmarks like Cinebench and mainstream games, shows no performance regressions. So the overall result of the fix isn’t exactly a perfect recovery, but it also doesn’t cause widespread performance losses.
As for AnandTechwe'll be digging into this on our own test suite as time permits. We have Another processor is expected to launch next week.so there'll be plenty of work in the coming days. (Sorry, Gavin!)
Intel's full statement
For all 13th/14th Gen Intel Core desktop processor users: This patch is being distributed via a BIOS update and will not be available via operating system updates. Intel is working with its partners to ensure timely validation and deployment of the BIOS update to systems currently in production.
Instability Analysis Update – Microcode History and Performance Implications
In addition to extended warrantyIntel has released three solutions to address an instability issue that typically manifests as persistent application crashes and recurring hangs to help stabilize customer systems with 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors:
- Intel default settings to avoid CPU power consumption impact (May 2024)
- Microcode 0x125 to fix the eTVB issue in i9 processors (June 2024)
- Microcode 0x129 Overvoltage Fix (August 2024)
Current Intel analysis shows that overvoltage events cause significant increases in minimum operating voltage (Vmin) on multiple cores of affected processors. Overvoltage events can accumulate over time and contribute to increased Vmin for the processor.
The latest microcode update (0x129) will limit voltage requests above 1.55V as a preventative mitigation for processors not experiencing instability symptoms. This latest microcode update will primarily improve the operating conditions of K/KF/KS processors. Intel also confirms, based on extensive testing, that all future products will not be affected by this issue.
Intel continues to explore mitigation options for scenarios that may result in Vmin shifting on potentially impacted 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processors. Intel will provide updates by the end of August.
Intel’s internal testing using Intel’s default settings shows that the performance impact is within the range of run-to-run variability (e.g. 3DMark: Timespy, WebXPRT 4, Cinebench R24, Blender 4.2.0), with several subtests showing a moderate impact (WebXPRT Online Homework; PugetBench GPU Effects Score). For the gaming workloads tested, performance was also within the range of run-to-run variability (e.g. Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Warhammer III – Mirrors of Madness), with one exception showing a slightly larger impact (Hitman 3: Dartmoor). However, system performance will vary based on configuration and several other factors.
For unlocked 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processors, this is the latest microcode update (0x129) No prevent users from overclocking if they want to. Users can disable the eTVB setting in the BIOS if they want to exceed the 1.55V threshold. As always, Intel recommends that users exercise caution when overclocking desktop processors, as overclocking may void the warranty and/or affect system functionality. As a general recommendation, Intel recommends that customers with 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core desktop processors use Intel default settings.
In light of the recently announced extended warranty programIntel reiterates its confidence in its products and is committed to providing support through the exchange process to all customers who are experiencing or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors. Customers experiencing persistent instability symptoms should contact their system manufacturer (OEM/SI purchase), Intel Customer Support (boxed processor), or point of purchase (tray processor) for assistance.
–Intel Community Message