Intel Addresses Vmin Shift Instability: BIOS Updates to Prevent Desktop Chip Aging Issues

A Intel claims to have solved the instability problems caused by the 13th and 14th generation of it chips (“Raptor Lake”) on desktop CPUs. The company said it has filed four sets of concessions related to the matter.

The cause of the crashes and instability was identified by the company as “Vmin Shift Instability”. In short: Intel chips and their associated motherboards required too much voltage, which damaged parts of those chips, aging them prematurely.

Intel believes that the latest BIOS updates – which have already started to be available – can prevent the aging of chips. But he emphasizes that they will not solve problems in processors that are already damaged.

“To be clear, BIOS and microcode updates will not fix processors that are already unstable due to Vmin migration,” wrote Intel spokesman Mark Anthony Ramirez (via The Sea).

Ramirez said: “Customers experiencing instability on 13th and 14th generation desktop processors should contact their Intel representative, system manufacturer, or place of purchase. “

Another important point: Intel promises that the Vmin Shift Instability problem will not affect its notebook chips and will not affect any future desktop chips it launches.

Out of curiosity:

• So far, Intel has not disclosed the specific batches or serial numbers of chips affected by oxidation during manufacturing (which the company says it has also solved);
• The company does not offer a diagnostic tool to detect premature aging of chips.

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AMD or Intel? Sony chooses which processor will have its PS6

AMD won the dispute against Intel to provide the processor for the PS6, Sony’s next generation of video game consoles, as revealed by Reuters in mid-September.

The PS5 and PS5 Pro processors are from AMD. But that did not mean that the company would give the chips to the next generation. There was a dispute, in 2022. And the loss could cost Intel billions of dollars.