The instability issues affecting Intel’s 13th and 14th Gen CPUs are no longer an isolated event. At least 10-20% of the Raptor Lake users are affected, and the figure is rapidly growing across the globe. We already know that most 13th and 14th Gen processors have a high probability of failing after certain operating hours. CPUs functional at the time of purchase deteriorate over time and start showing these symptoms, and gradually worsen. The Core i9-13900K, 13900KF, 13900KS, and their 14th Gen predecessors are the worst hit, but the rest of the K-series SKUs are also affected.
A report from Gamersnexus indicates that a manufacturing defect may be to blame for the instability of Raptor Lake processors. According to a tip sent to the YouTuber, Intel’s fabrication process has a flaw that leads to its anti-oxidation coating being improperly applied, leading to oxidized vias (connections) that worsen over time.
Since this is a physical “hardware-level” defect, there’s no definitive fix. Intel is allegedly working on a firmware update that reduces the boost frequency, delaying or reducing the (impending) oxidation damage. Multiple OEM/ODM partners are “purging” their inventory to counter these issues, including a recall for some business customers.
As already reported, implementing the Intel Default Power profile doesn’t fix these crashes and instabilities. Reducing the peak boost clock (P-core multiplier) by 200-300 MHz tends to alleviate or delay the issue, as does disabling the E-cores. However, CPUs prone to more frequent crashing are unlikely to see much improvement.
