Intel chips can’t possibly be this bad… 100% crash rate?

Fireship

15 Jul 202403:45

Summary

TLDRIntel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, known as Raptor Lake, are facing significant stability issues, leading to frequent crashes and silicon degradation. Despite Intel's efforts to address the problem through BIOS updates and underclocking, the root cause remains unclear. Gamers and developers are increasingly frustrated, with some calling for a recall and refund of these chips.

Takeaways

💥 Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, known as Raptor Lake, have been reported to have significant stability issues.
🔍 The most crucial specification when choosing a CPU is often overlooked: the failure rate.
🎮 Gaming issues with DirectX12 and Handbrake initially led to frequent crashes, initially blamed on Nvidia drivers but later traced back to Intel's CPUs.
🚀 High clock rates and power usage in these CPUs were found to potentially cause silicon degradation and instability.
🛠️ A fix suggested was to underclock the CPUs at a lower voltage, leading to an estimated 9% performance loss.
📈 A leaked Intel document pointed to a potential issue with the microcode algorithm related to the ETB feature, though Intel denied it was the root cause.
🐉 Game developers, such as those from Alderon, have reported 100% failure rates with these chips, affecting end users, game servers, and developers.
📊 Analysis by Warframe showed that Raptor Lake chips are specifically causing problems, unlike other chips.
📈 Data from YouTuber Level One Text's analysis of crash telemetry data from data centers confirmed a significant stability problem with these chips.
🤔 Intel acknowledged the issues and stated they are working on solutions, though they admitted the investigation is challenging.

Q & A

What is the most important specification to consider when buying a CPU?
-The most important specification to consider when buying a CPU is not the clock speed, number of cores or threads, transistor count, or cache size, but the failure rate. This is often overlooked because modern CPUs are engineered with high precision and rarely fail due to manufacturing defects.
What is the alleged issue with Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs?
-Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, also known as Raptor Lake, have been reported to have a high failure rate in certain contexts. This issue has been building up over the last six months, and it appears that even Intel does not fully understand the cause.
What was the initial reaction to the frequent crashes experienced by PC gamers using DirectX12 and Handbreak?
-Initially, the blame for the frequent crashes was placed on Nvidia GeForce Graphics drivers. However, Nvidia later refuted this claim and blamed Intel for GPU VRAM issues, advising users to contact Intel support.
What was the suggested fix for the instability issues in Intel CPUs?
-The main fix suggested for the instability issues was to underclock the CPUs at a lower voltage. Motherboard manufacturers began rolling out BIOS updates with an Intel Baseline profile to provide these underclock settings, which resulted in an estimated 9% performance loss.
What did a leaked internal document from Intel suggest as the root cause of the instability?
-A leaked internal document from Intel suggested that the root cause of the instability was an incorrect value in the microcode algorithm associated with the ETB (Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost) feature. However, Intel denied this was the root cause but admitted it could be a contributing factor.
What did Alderon, the developer of an MMO game, allege about Intel's CPUs?
-Alderon alleged that 100% of the time, these Intel chips will fail. They fail for end users, on game servers, and for developers. They also criticized Intel for providing misleading error messages about running out of video driver memory, even when sufficient memory is available.
What did the analysis by Warframe reveal about the stability of Intel's Raptor Lake chips?
-The analysis by Warframe revealed that only the Raptor Lake chips were causing problems, indicating a significant stability issue with these specific Intel chips.
What did YouTuber Level One Text find in his analysis of crash telemetry data from data centers?
-Level One Text found that there is indeed a huge stability problem with Intel's Raptor Lake chips, based on his analysis of crash telemetry data from data centers.
What is Intel's response to these allegations and issues?
-Intel issued a statement reassuring users that they are working on the issue, although they admitted that the investigation is not easy, which could be interpreted as them not having a clear understanding of what is causing the problems.
What alternative is suggested for those considering building a new gaming rig?
-The script suggests considering an AMD processor for those building a new gaming rig, due to the reported issues with Intel's Raptor Lake chips.

Outlines

00:00

💥 Intel CPU Failure Rates: A Ticking Time Bomb?

This paragraph discusses the potential instability and high failure rates of Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs, known as Raptor Lake. The script highlights that the most crucial specification when purchasing a CPU is its failure rate, which is often overlooked. Intel's chips are facing significant issues, with reports suggesting a 100% failure rate in certain contexts. The video aims to explore these problems and determine if it's time for consumers to be concerned. Intel's history in the CPU market and the recent developments with their latest chips are also briefly mentioned.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cutting Edge Gaming Rig

A 'Cutting Edge Gaming Rig' refers to a high-performance computer system designed for gaming, typically equipped with the latest and most powerful hardware. In the video's context, it highlights the potential issue with Intel CPUs, suggesting that even the most advanced gaming setups could be compromised by the instability of certain Intel processors.

💡Intel Inside

'Intel Inside' is a marketing slogan used by Intel to indicate that a computer contains an Intel processor. The script mentions it to emphasize the potential widespread impact of the CPU issues, as Intel is a major player in the CPU market.

💡Failure Rate

The 'failure rate' of a product refers to the percentage of units that fail under normal operating conditions within a specific time frame. The video emphasizes the importance of this metric in CPU selection, suggesting that Intel's 13th and 14th generation chips might have a high failure rate, which is a critical concern for consumers and gamers.

💡Raptor Lake

Raptor Lake is a codename for Intel's 13th and 14th generation CPUs. The video discusses the issues associated with these chips, indicating that they might be prone to instability and failure, which is a significant concern for users relying on these processors for gaming and other high-performance tasks.

💡DirectX12

DirectX12 is a low-level graphics API developed by Microsoft, used in gaming and other applications to handle rendering tasks. The script mentions DirectX12 in relation to the crashes experienced by PC gamers, suggesting that the issues with Intel CPUs are exacerbated under certain gaming conditions.

💡Nvidia GeForce Graphics Drivers

Nvidia GeForce Graphics Drivers are software that allows Nvidia graphics cards to function properly with the operating system and applications. The video initially points to these drivers as a potential cause of crashes, but later shifts the blame to Intel's CPUs, illustrating the complexity of diagnosing hardware issues.

💡Silicon Degradation

Silicon degradation refers to the wear and tear of silicon-based components, such as CPUs, over time or due to excessive heat and power usage. The video suggests that high clock rates and power usage in Intel CPUs could lead to silicon degradation, causing instability and failure.

💡Underclocking

Underclocking is the practice of setting a CPU's clock speed lower than its maximum to reduce heat and power consumption, potentially increasing stability. The video mentions that underclocking Intel CPUs at a lower voltage was a temporary fix suggested to mitigate the instability issues.

💡ETB Feature

The ETB (Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost) feature is a technology in Intel CPUs that adjusts clock speeds based on thermal conditions. The video discusses a leaked document suggesting that an incorrect value in the ETB feature's microcode algorithm might contribute to instability, though Intel later denied this as the root cause.

💡Game Servers

Game servers are dedicated computers that host online multiplayer games. The script mentions that Intel CPUs fail not only in consumer settings but also on game servers, indicating the broad impact of the CPU instability on the gaming industry.

💡AMD Processor

AMD Processor refers to CPUs manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices, a major competitor to Intel. The video suggests that due to the issues with Intel CPUs, gamers and builders might consider switching to AMD processors for their new systems, highlighting the competitive landscape in the CPU market.

Highlights

Intel Inside sticker may indicate a potential failure rate issue in some gaming rigs.

The most crucial CPU specification is its failure rate, often overlooked due to modern CPUs' reliability.

Intel's 13th and 14th generation chips, known as Raptor Lake, are reported to have a 100% failure rate in certain conditions.

The chip instability issue was initially misdiagnosed as a problem with Nvidia GeForce Graphics drivers.

High clock rates and power usage in Raptor Lake chips could lead to silicon degradation and instability.

A temporary fix involved underclocking CPUs at lower voltages, resulting in a performance loss of approximately 9%.

Intel's internal document leak suggested a potential root cause related to the ETB feature's microcode algorithm.

Intel denied the leaked cause but acknowledged it could be a contributing factor to instability.

Game developers like Alderon have reported 100% failure rates with Intel chips, affecting game servers and developers.

Companies like Epic Games and RAD Game Tools have also highlighted the issues with Intel's Raptor Lake chips.

An analysis by Warframe demonstrated that only Raptor Lake chips are causing problems, as shown in a pie chart.

YouTuber Level One Text's analysis of crash telemetry data confirms a significant stability issue with Intel chips.

Intel has acknowledged the problem and reassured that they are working on a solution, despite the investigation's complexity.

The video suggests considering AMD processors for new builds due to the current issues with Intel chips.

The video concludes by emphasizing the severity of the issue and the need for a resolution from Intel.