Intel has a Pretty Big Problem

Level1Techs
10 Jul 202424:19

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the instability issues with Intel's 13900 K and 14900 K processors, suggesting a deeper problem than just motherboard voltage and clock settings. The speaker investigates game telemetry and crash databases, revealing a significant number of decompression errors and IO issues specifically with these Intel chips. The analysis implies that the problem might not be fully resolved by a microcode update, and raises concerns about Intel's messaging to customers and system integrators regarding the CPU's reliability.

Takeaways

  • 🤔 Intel's 13900 K and 14900 K processors are experiencing instability issues, with users reporting intermittent problems that are difficult to troubleshoot.
  • 🕵️‍♂️ The speaker conducted an 'armchair diagnostic' using game telemetry data from two different game companies to investigate the nature of these crashes.
  • 📊 A significant number of crashes were attributed to decompression errors, which are unusually high for Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, suggesting a potential hardware issue.
  • 📈 The crash rate seems to increase over time for the problematic CPUs, indicating a possible degradation or cumulative error effect.
  • 💻 Data from game servers using Intel's 13900 K and 14900 K CPUs revealed similar stability issues, even on more conservative W680 chipset motherboards.
  • 💾 The speaker found that IO errors were also disproportionately high for the affected Intel CPUs, suggesting a broader range of hardware issues.
  • 🛠 BIOS updates and adjustments, including disabling ecores and reducing memory speed, were attempted as fixes but did not fully resolve the issues.
  • 💡 The possibility of a power or voltage issue within the CPUs is suggested, as the problems persist even on motherboards designed for stability.
  • 📉 Intel's messaging to customers and system integrators appears to be inconsistent, with some reports indicating a 10-25% failure rate for the CPUs.
  • 🔄 The data center provider is charging a premium for support on Intel systems due to the high number of incidents requiring intervention.
  • 🚫 The lack of clear communication from Intel and the ongoing uncertainty about the root cause of the issues are causing frustration among gamers and enthusiasts.

Q & A

  • What is the main issue discussed in the video script regarding Intel's 13900 K and 14900 K processors?

    -The main issue discussed is the instability of Intel's 13900 K and 14900 K processors, which has been ongoing for months and is suspected to be more than just a simple motherboard voltage or clock problem.

  • What does the speaker believe might be the deeper issue with Intel's chips based on their investigation?

    -The speaker suggests that there might be a deeper hardware issue with the chips themselves, as opposed to just a software or microcode issue, based on the high number of crashes and errors reported.

  • How does the speaker obtain data for their analysis?

    -The speaker obtains data by accessing crash databases from two different game developers who provided them with information on system configurations, play times, and crash rates.

  • What is the significance of the 'out of VRAM' error mentioned in the script?

    -The 'out of VRAM' error is significant because it is a common error reported with Intel CPUs that have the instability problem, even when the system is not actually out of VRAM, indicating a potential hardware issue.

  • What does the speaker find when analyzing decompression errors in game databases?

    -The speaker finds that there are 1,584 decompression errors logged in the past 90 days, with 1,431 of those being related to Intel's 13th or 14th generation CPUs, which is a disproportionately high number compared to other CPUs.

  • Why does the speaker believe that the issue might not be fully resolved even with a BIOS update or disabling ecores?

    -The speaker believes this because the error rates and instability issues persist even in more conservatively configured systems, such as those using the W680 chipset in data centers, which suggests a deeper hardware problem.

  • What is the implication of the speaker's findings for game developers and data center providers?

    -The implication is that game developers and data center providers may experience higher support costs and system instability, leading some to consider alternative CPU options like AMD's 7950 X for new server deployments.

  • What is the speaker's view on Intel's messaging to customers regarding the CPU issues?

    -The speaker criticizes Intel for not providing clear and concise messaging to customers, especially enthusiasts who are experiencing issues, and suggests that Intel should offer replacements for affected CPUs.

  • What steps did the speaker take to ensure the systems were configured correctly for testing?

    -The speaker updated the BIOS to the latest versions as of June 25th, 2024, and tested various configurations, including different DDR5 speeds and multipliers, to find the most stable settings.

  • What unusual phenomenon did the speaker observe in some systems prior to a hard crash?

    -The speaker observed that in some systems, the CPU would become unexplainably slow for up to a minute before a hard crash, with no clear correlation to thermal monitoring or power issues.

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Etiquetas Relacionadas
Intel CPUsGaming IssuesServer StabilityHardware BugsCrash AnalysisMicrocode UpdatePerformance ImpactOverclocking ConcernsData Center IssuesAMD Alternative
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