Last week, Intel released an advisory note announcing that it has pinpointed the cause of a crashing problem that has been occurring on its 13th and 14th generation chips since February According to the company, a microcode update will fix the problem by mid-August

This sounds like a happy ending for customers who have been frustrated by crashes for six months, but it may not be that simple

Our sister site Tom's Hardware has heard from sources that the problem is related to the CPU demanding high voltages and the processor operating outside its safe boundaries, causing irreversible degradation

In other words, with the upcoming patch, CPUs will no longer be subjected to high voltages in the future, but the damage may already be done to expensive processors This is obviously alarming, as this degradation could be asymptomatic, so owners will not know if they are affected

The Verge has asked Intel to confirm how it intends to support affected customers going forward

The site noted that Intel did not confirm that the degradation was permanent, but a spokesperson “did not deny it when we asked” Despite this, no recall is planned and the company has not halted sales When asked if the fix will help chips that are affected but not showing symptoms, or if such CPUs are living on “borrowed time,” the spokesperson emphasized the company's confidence that it will be an “effective preventative solution,” but asked about the unseen degradation He avoided the question [However, customers experiencing instability in systems with 13th or 14th generation desktop processors should contact Intel customer support for further assistance,” the spokesperson said [However, customers experiencing instability on systems with 13th or 14th generation desktop processors should contact Intel customer support for further assistance However, “this does not mean that all processors listed are (or will be) affected by the voltage increase issue” This means that Core i5 CPUs like the Core i5-14600 may be vulnerable

Importantly, as of this writing, two questions have not been answered The first concerns whether the warranty on 13th and 14th generation parts will be extended, and the second concerns how lenient Intel will be in responding to RMA requests given the difficulty in identifying the problem The second concerns how lenient Intel will be in responding to RMA requests, given the difficulty in identifying the problem

If you are unsure whether your processor is experiencing problems, Intel suggests referring to the following video for advice on how to check, The Verge adds

The statement above suggested that the patch may “provide some instability remediation,” but if you witness instability, you are advised to contact Intel support for a replacement As for the possibility of background degradation with no symptoms, it seems we can only hope