They said the cause was a bug in the microcode making the CPU request unsafe voltages:
Our analysis of returned processors confirms that the elevated operating voltage is stemming from a microcode algorithm resulting in incorrect voltage requests to the processor.
If the buggy behaviour of the voltage contributed to higher boosts, then the fix will cost some performance. But if the clocks were steered separately from power, and the boost clock is still achieved without the overly high voltage, then it might be performance neutral.
I think we will know for sure soon, multiple reviewers announced they were planning to test the impact.
I have a i7-13700k that’s been sitting in the box since I got a deal on it last month. I was pondering returning it and spending the extra couple hundred to get an AMD setup.
I’ve been following all this then checked on the Asus site for my board and saw the BIOS updates…
Updated with microcode 0x125 to ensure eTVB operates within Intel specificatIons…
Actually the 0x129 microcode was released yesterday, now it depends on which motherboard you have and how quickly they release a bios that packages it. According to Anandtech Asus and MSI did already release before Intel made the announcement. I see some for Gigabyte and Asrock too.
This keeps getting slightly misrepresented.
There is no fix for CPUs that are already damaged.
There is a fix now to prevent it from happening to a good CPU.
But isn’t the fix basically under clocking those CPU?
Meaning the “solution” (not even out yet) is crippling those units before the flaw cripples them?
They said the cause was a bug in the microcode making the CPU request unsafe voltages:
If the buggy behaviour of the voltage contributed to higher boosts, then the fix will cost some performance. But if the clocks were steered separately from power, and the boost clock is still achieved without the overly high voltage, then it might be performance neutral.
I think we will know for sure soon, multiple reviewers announced they were planning to test the impact.
Thanks for the clarification
That was the first “Intel Baseline Profile” they rolled out to mobo manufacturers earlier in the year. They’ve roll out a new fix now.
As an i9-13900k owner, thanks. My chip has been great so far, better update when I get home
I have a i7-13700k that’s been sitting in the box since I got a deal on it last month. I was pondering returning it and spending the extra couple hundred to get an AMD setup.
I’ve been following all this then checked on the Asus site for my board and saw the BIOS updates…
And this week there’s a beta release…
Remember Spectre? When they recommended disabling hyperthreading?
Not out yet. But you can manually set your clocks and disable boost.
Actually the 0x129 microcode was released yesterday, now it depends on which motherboard you have and how quickly they release a bios that packages it. According to Anandtech Asus and MSI did already release before Intel made the announcement. I see some for Gigabyte and Asrock too.
https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/Microcode-0x129-Update-for-Intel-Core-13th-and-14th-Gen-Desktop/m-p/1622129/highlight/true#M76014
So, not out yet. At least not fully.
If you prefer being right, rather than just accepting the extra information, then sure let’s go with that.