News Intel details microcode update to address instability and crashing errors — patch has negligible performance impacts, requires BIOS update

[Admin]

Intel says that its microcode 0x129 patch must be installed via a BIOS update. While this update will limit voltage requests to a maximum of 1.55 volts, it does not represent a material impact on performance, except for a few select tests.

Intel details microcode update to address instability and crashing errors — patch has negligible performance impacts, requires BIOS update : Read more

 

[DS426]

What does Intel mean by saying that aren't releasing the BIOS update via Windows Update? Isn't it purely up to OEM/ODM's, e.g. HP and others to release their own BIOS updates? Intel is making yet another mistake and continuing to crush confidence if they are purposely limiting distribution of the fix; surely, after a month or two of testing, it'd be safe to release to WU.

Also, so they're saying that new chips are modified such that they don't exhibit this defect, regardless of microcode? Would this simply be part of CPU stepping?

And what about the tool to help identify the problem children?

 

[Gururu]

What does Intel mean by saying that aren't releasing the BIOS update via Windows Update? Isn't it purely up to OEM/ODM's, e.g. HP and others to release their own BIOS updates? Intel is making yet another mistake and continuing to crush confidence if they are purposely limiting distribution of the fix; surely, after a month or two of testing, it'd be safe to release to WU.

Also, so they're saying that new chips are modified such that they don't exhibit this defect, regardless of microcode? Would this simply be part of CPU stepping?

And what about the tool to help identify the problem children?

I think the message is that the problem isn't as wide as the enthusiast says it is and like Puget, major pc sellers (Dell, HP) are not sending a wide and clear message to Intel that there is a problem. Custom builders will likely be those for which the fix is most applicable.

 

[evdjj3j]

"However, Intel said in a statement to Tom's Hardware that this microcode patch will only be available through BIOS updates and not through Windows Update."

Why, reporter?

 

[Mattzun]

Really disappointing that the microcode won't be delivered via Windows update.
I'd love to see how high the voltage spikes on a normally configured OEM machine without the patch.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

"microcode update"
"negligible performance impacts"
"A few tests have shown some impact"
"a few sub-tests showing moderate impacts"
"system performance is dependent on configuration and several other factors."

Toms' upcoming benchmarks will be much appreciated.

 

[Loadedaxe]

Windows (MS) does not do bios updates through WU, its up to board manufacturers and OEMs

 

[CelicaGT]

Windows (MS) does not do bios updates through WU, its up to board manufacturers and OEMs

They absolutely do, for larger OEMs like Dell and HP. My Dell G15 did one last month when I first received it. I was quite surprised to learn firsthand this was a thing. In this case however, I think what intel is referring to is the typical microcode soft updates that are loaded on boot on pretty much every system, not an actual BIOS update.

 

[thestryker]

JayzTwoCents did some initial testing with the new microcode and the performance differences seem random. None of the differences appeared to be big and the highest voltage they saw with the new microcode was 1.51V.

What does Intel mean by saying that aren't releasing the BIOS update via Windows Update? Isn't it purely up to OEM/ODM's, e.g. HP and others to release their own BIOS updates? Intel is making yet another mistake and continuing to crush confidence if they are purposely limiting distribution of the fix; surely, after a month or two of testing, it'd be safe to release to WU.

The way I interpret the statement is that they won't be issuing the microcode update by itself through Windows Update (they've done this in the past). That shouldn't have any impact on OEMs who may deploy BIOS updates through Windows Update.

 

[Guardians Bane]

What does Intel mean by saying that aren't releasing the BIOS update via Windows Update? Isn't it purely up to OEM/ODM's, e.g. HP and others to release their own BIOS updates? Intel is making yet another mistake and continuing to crush confidence if they are purposely limiting distribution of the fix; surely, after a month or two of testing, it'd be safe to release to WU.

Also, so they're saying that new chips are modified such that they don't exhibit this defect, regardless of microcode? Would this simply be part of CPU stepping?

And what about the tool to help identify the problem children?

OEMs (most that is) seem to have custom mobos. So maaaaby they can offer the updated microcode through customer accounts or something like that? Everyone is saying the mobo partners are pushing the updates, so maybe the OEMs will do the same as well somehow?

I haven't bought a DT pre-built in a long time, so I really don't know how they would do it. I'm just throwing an idea out there to somehow make sense of all this. Lol

 

[wingfinger]

So intel has a policy that it won't provide microcode updates or ME firmware updates directly to computer owners.

Is it that the OEMs complained about returns caused by bad flashes?

Are the BIOSs so entangled and fragile, they cannot accept CPU fixes without validation?

Is it better to suffer exploited vulnerabilities or actual damage, than to allow a fix that could fail.

Are we, the end consumers, now and now+, less important than your business partners? We both need your products, or a similar products.

 

[raminpro]

INTEL SAY LIE , all gen11-14 cpu super hot , give bluescreen even in labtobs with low setting , newly i seen 3 intel labtop burn cpu even motherboard

with new microcode performance 30% must drop (if you put settings in intel defult base) above 1.3000 V = cpu will burn

 

[Guardians Bane]

INTEL SAY LIE , all gen11-14 cpu super hot , give bluescreen even in labtobs with low setting , newly i seen 3 intel labtop burn cpu even motherboard

with new microcode performance 30% must drop (if you put settings in intel defult base) above 1.3000 V = cpu will burn

What are you talking about??? I'm not much of a fan of Intel CPUs myself and I can say that not all from 11-14 are experiencing higher than normal failure rates. 12 gen in particular doesn't have the same architecture that 13-14 have. Neither does 11th. Yeah, 11th had a higher than normal, but nothing like now. Especially not like now. The oxidation degradation is only on 13-14 gen with CPUs 65w and higher. The mobile platform CPUs? Nope, mobile is just fine. 3 new laptops failing is alarming. Are you sure they're not running DT CPUs in a gaming laptop? I think some Intel based DT CPUs are being used in some very high end gaming/productivity laptops. I could very well be wrong on that last part. I'll have to look it up and get more educated.

But so far there's he hardly and reports of Intel based laptops dying because of oxidation degradation.

As someone who is NOT a fanboy of Intel, even I can see that.

Also what is this 1.3v thing you're going on about? Should you be telling Intel and d engineers instead of us laypeople in the internet.? Lol... Please don't be part of the problem. You're spreading misinformation and people who don't know better might believe what you're saying and continue spreading in accurate information and people can be hurt financially because of false and inaccurate information being spread.

 

[watzupken]

I've used a 12700K for sometime, and did not experience any instability issues. So I believe it is factual that the issue may only be limited to Raptor Lake chips.

Having said that, there's been testing out there showing that the microcode update may result in substantial performance regression in very CPU heavy workloads.

 

[hannibal]

Micro code and bios are not same thing. Both affect the same situation. One is ”permanen” and one is do it every time you boot machine. It could be that the woltage regulations can not be done pure boot up PC microcode level and needs bios update and bios updates are allways done by mb manufacturers.

 

[YSCCC]

I've used a 12700K for sometime, and did not experience any instability issues. So I believe it is factual that the issue may only be limited to Raptor Lake chips.

Having said that, there's been testing out there showing that the microcode update may result in substantial performance regression in very CPU heavy workloads.

my old 12700KF had stability due to bios or ram tranining profiles in early gigabyte Z690UD bios... since F7 or whatever it stabilizes, then comes upgrading to 14900k, the contact frame, Noctua NH-U12A and day 1 first boot undervolt seems kind of saved the chip till now (fingercrossed), but I am kind of surprised they have the cap voltage as high as 1.55v

 

[RolandOlifant]

Intel says that its microcode 0x129 patch must be installed via a BIOS update. While this update will limit voltage requests to a maximum of 1.55 volts, it does not represent a material impact on performance, except for a few select tests.

Intel details microcode update to address instability and crashing errors — patch has negligible performance impacts, requires BIOS update : Read more

Couldn't you just set the voltage yourself?

 

[Gururu]

Couldn't you just set the voltage yourself?

I believe the issue is not what the VRM actually provides, but what the CPU is asking for. If you set the voltage, the CPU will still ask for a lot, but your setting limits the amount delivered. The BIOS update on the other hand, corrects the CPU instruction so that it does not ask for as much. Your setting the limit in the BIOS would in effect match or further limit the delivered amount.

 

[YSCCC]

I believe the issue is not what the VRM actually provides, but what the CPU is asking for. If you set the voltage, the CPU will still ask for a lot, but your setting limits the amount delivered. The BIOS update on the other hand, corrects the CPU instruction so that it does not ask for as much. Your setting the limit in the BIOS would in effect match or further limit the delivered amount.

I believe so, you can't expect ppl know and just manually set a hard limit right out of the box, just because the CPU shouldn't be asking suicide power at stock, which seems like somehow slipped from intel QC during release

 

[tamalero]

And still nothing for my Aorus PRO

 

[RolandOlifant]

I believe the issue is not what the VRM actually provides, but what the CPU is asking for. If you set the voltage, the CPU will still ask for a lot, but your setting limits the amount delivered. The BIOS update on the other hand, corrects the CPU instruction so that it does not ask for as much. Your setting the limit in the BIOS would in effect match or further limit the delivered amount.

Ah ok thanks.

 

[Guardians Bane]

Couldn't you just set the voltage yourself?

The main problem with that is the thousands, if not millions, of OEM and big box store pre-built PC owners don't know the first thing about how to do that. They may not even be aware a problem exists. So hopefully an update is able to be sent and installed somehow without the owner having to know ahead of time. But even then, if the CPUs already have the oxidation issue and has started degrading even without noticable problems yet, the microcode can't stop it from getting worse.

 

[YSCCC]

The main problem with that is the thousands, if not millions, of OEM and big box store pre-built PC owners don't know the first thing about how to do that. They may not even be aware a problem exists. So hopefully an update is able to be sent and installed somehow without the owner having to know ahead of time. But even then, if the CPUs already have the oxidation issue and has started degrading even without noticable problems yet, the microcode can't stop it from getting worse.

Not only that, for 99.99% of users, one won't ever think of trying to tinker in the blind of what is really safe and would rightfully assume that it indeed is safe out of the box, and after all these drama nobody can actually tell if it is safe or not, worse still, if you don't update, once it degrades, intel could say "you didn't use the saviour bios" so deny RMA

 

[boerhae]

And still nothing for my Aorus PRO

I have an EVGA board 😬😬😬🤷

 

[YSCCC]

I have an EVGA board 😬😬😬🤷

O crap, I totally forgot it is a possibility...