Info about the stability of current Intel Core CPUs in laptops

Update
August 2, 2024

We are currently following the news about possible stability problems with current Intel Core CPUs from the 13th and 14th generation closely. Intel, as a processor manufacturer, has already explained in public articles that the problems with desktop processors do not affect laptop CPUs in the same way. The following article provides information on the current state of the discussion and provides additional information based on our own measurements. As soon as new information is available, this article will be updated accordingly.

Current status on desktops: Intel Core CPUs

Intel has announced in a public post that it has found a possible cause for stability problems with desktop processors. The cause is to be rectified with a microcode update. This update would be preventative in nature: processors that have not yet exhibited any issues should be protected from stability problems in the long term after the update has been installed. Processors that have already become unstable, on the other hand, would have to be replaced under the Intel warranty.

According to Intel, the microcode update should only have a “minimal” impact on actual CPU performance. Whether this will be confirmed in practice remains to be seen. The update was announced for mid-August and will then presumably be made available promptly by desktop mainboard manufacturers via BIOS update.

In later post, Intel announced a 2-year warranty extension for all “boxed” Intel Core desktop processors of the 13th and 14th generation. Intel’s standard warranty is 3 years. These “boxed” CPUs are commonly only used for DIY builds. We expect further guidance as to whether this warranty extension will also affect “tray” desktop processors used for OEM desktop builds.

Current status on laptops

In the same public post, Intel has announced that the cause of the problem, which can apparently lead to stability problems with desktop processors, does not affect laptop processors in the same way (“not exposed to the same issue”). Intel has not yet substantiated this assessment any further.

In the same statement, Intel attributes any isolated reports of stability problems with mobile processors to the usual variety of random hardware and software problems (“broad range of potential software and hardware issues”).

It is currently still unclear whether the microcode update planned for desktop processors will also be available for laptop processors. Theoretically, it would be compatible (due to identical CPUID codes), but Intel has not yet been able to confirm to us whether the update will also be officially supported for laptops.

Our own findings

Across the range of laptops that are shipped with Intel Core HX parts, we have not observed any measurable increase in RMA or defect rate compared to models with other CPUs, despite selling i9-13900HX for about 1.5 years.

A single suspected case reported so far from the community could not be confirmed despite intensive tests lasting several days during an RMA return. Stability issues were not reproduced, neither with standard settings nor with the end user’s undervolting settings. Our tests included those particular stress tests that are currently recommended to isolate unstable desktop processors, such as certain decompression workloads.

Should further findings emerge, we will inform you immediately via our community channels.

Requests to Intel

As a system partner of Intel, we are in an ongoing process of attempting to obtain further information directly from Intel. Our questions to Intel include the following topics:

Could mobile processors be affected by any oxidation issues? Or was the affected batch possibly not used for mobile processors at all? Leaks and rumours currently speak of a batch from March to June in Intel’s Arizona fab.
Will the upcoming microcode update for desktop CPUs also support laptop CPUs?
Is there any further information available to explain why laptop processors are reportedly not affected by the stability problems that occur with desktop CPUs?

As soon as we receive conclusive answers to these questions from Intel, we will include them in our assessment of the situation. Whether we can publish some of the answers will have to be decided on a case-by-case basis due to general partner NDAs. We have encouraged Intel to use our questions as guidance for Intel’s own public communications.

No immediate measures for laptops for the time being

Due to our current assessment of the situation with Intel Core laptop processors of the 13th and 14th generation, there is currently no reason for us to deviate from the existing standard regulations in our general warranty promise.

Support procedure for desktop PCs

Buyers of XMG, SCHENKER or bestware desktop PCs should first contact us by e-mail if they suspect instability. We will first apply our normal support and RMA processes.

The standard warranty on Intel CPUs since Intel Core 12th generation is 3 years. Whether Intel will grant an additional warranty extension for the “tray” processors used in OEM desktop PCs is still being clarified.

Notes regarding possible “false positive” reports

The general news situation regarding stability problems with Intel Core 13/14th Gen desktop processors understandably leads to all possible system phenomena or stability problems being subjected to particularly critical scrutiny. However, we would also like to point out that software crashes, performance drops and other stability problems have a wide range of possible causes that have nothing to do with the actual stability of the CPU. The following FAQ articles usually help to narrow down and resolve such causes:

For our laptops with Intel Core HX processors in particular, we would like to point out that we equip them with a number of BIOS tuning options that allow users to operate the system outside of the settings recommended and validated by Intel. For all laptops with Intel Core HX series, we offer the option of undervolting the P-cores of the CPU. In the XMG FUSION and NEO series, we also offer the option of undervolting the E-cores, Ring and Cache, and overclocking the DDR5 memory. It is also possible to tune the AC/DC Loadline. The following articles provide some information on these options:

If such settings are pushed to the limit, they can also cause problems with system stability.

Stability problems with undervolting and memory overclocking are also known for the fact that they do not always occur during the initial stress tests and benchmarks, but only become noticeable much later with sporadic and rare crashes. The usual remedy in such cases is to dial tuning settings down by a few steps or to reset them completely back to zero.

It is also not uncommon that some tuning settings remain stable in the first few years of a CPU’s operation, only to then turn out to be too aggressive later on. Apart from normal ageing of the CPU (see electromigration), this can also be caused by firmware updates or new settings after operating system upgrades. Furthermore, increased heat development can also lead to a reduction in the tolerance of system tuning. For example, higher ambient temperatures in summer are often an additional burden for RAM tuning, as the RAM is not directly covered by the cooling system. See also: How to clean the cooling system.

Due to the official support of CPU and memory tuning in our laptops with Intel Core HX series, corresponding “false positive” reports may occur online or in messages to us – i.e. cases in which stability problems are reported, which may only occur with overclocking or undervolting, but which cannot be reproduced with default settings.

Based on these circumstances, we will take special care when observing and assessing any suspected cases. The best start in isolating an issue is always to create a log file of all system sensors, as explained in this FAQ article:

Creating a HWiNFO64 sensor log (CSV file) to provide hard data for tech support

A corresponding, standardised test procedure for our support and RMA team with specific CPU stability tests (including decompression) is currently being developed.

Differences between desktop and laptop processors

It is generally known that the Intel HX series laptop processors in the 13th and 14th generation are based on the same chips (“die”, plural “dice”) as the corresponding desktop processors.

On the other hand, it is also known that the mobile processors are operated with different parameters (voltages, currents, clock rates) than their desktop counterparts. It can also be assumed that mobile processors are subject to stricter “binning” (e.g. optimised for stable operation at lower voltages), which is why they are also more expensive than desktop processors.

“Binning” in chip manufacturing refers to the process by which semiconductors such as CPUs are sorted according to their performance characteristics and quality after production. Each individual chip is tested under different conditions to assess its performance, energy efficiency and stability. Depending on the results of these tests, the CPUs are divided into different categories.

Chips that run stably even at lower voltages are more likely to be used as laptop processors, while chips that can tolerate very high energy consumption, heat dissipation and correspondingly high clock rates are more likely to be used as desktop processors.

An analysis of the voltage behaviour of laptop processors

To illustrate the differences between desktop and “HX” mobile processors, we analysed a number of previous benchmark protocols. These protocols originate from different XMG and SCHENKER laptops and were collected at different times over the last 1.5 years.

Core i9-13900HX and Core i9-14900HX voltages benchmarks

All benchmarks were performed with 2x DDR-5600, without undervolting, without AC loadline tuning, and in the maximum performance profile with normal air cooling (laptop flat on the table). The maximum CPU hotspot temperature during load varies between different benchmarks and models, but never exceeds 98°C.

Observations:

Average core voltages during benchmarks never reach above 1.5 V.
High voltages do not correlate with higher power consumption, on the contrary: those benchmarks with the highest power consumption have lower voltages on average.
A few individual core voltages may peak slightly over 1.5 V for short moments in time.

To further illustrate these observations, let’s take a look at a complete sensor protocol:

(Click here for full screen view.)

The table shows a run of 3DMark Time Spy on a system with i9-14900HX and RTX 4090 over a period of three minutes. The sensor values are recorded every 2 seconds – each row in the table is a snapshot of time as the benchmark progresses. High CPU power consumption and voltage spikes are highlighted in red.

Observations:

Voltage peaks around and just above 1.5 volts only occur at moments of relatively low CPU power consumption.
Towards the end of the protocol, during the CPU stress test of 3DMark, the total load of the CPU increases, but the voltage values decrease accordingly.

We do not seek to draw any specific conclusions from these observations. However, we hope that these sensor readings will help us to better assess the extent to which laptop and desktop processors differ from one another.

Feedback and discussion

We are grateful for any further information on the status of Intel laptop and desktop processors. Customers with stability problems should first contact us by e-mail. We provide space for public discussion in the following forum threads:

We also have a dedicated channel on our Discord server called #raptorlake-stability.

We hope that the information in this article will help you to make a differentiated appraisal of the current situation. As soon as we have new information, we will add the corresponding updates at the beginning of the article.