Intel is still working on resolving Raptor Lake issues

Intel believes it has identified the root cause of the problems with its Raptor Lake processors. And while Intel’s efforts to address these issues continue, they now appear to be nearing an end.

The Raptor Lake hybrid architecture was first released in October 2022, when Intel released the first wave of its 13th generation processors. It was then reused for Intel’s iterative 14th generation CPUs, launched 12 months later. In February 2024, reports began to surface of select models from both generations experiencing consistent crashes in certain scenarios. Intel acknowledged these reports and shortly thereafter launched an extensive investigation into the cause of the instability problems.

Intel confirms root cause of CPU issues with Raptor Lake

Intel now believes it has found the root cause of Raptor Lake’s crash problems, after saying so in a late September 2024 update. Specifically, the company’s investigation confirmed that a phenomenon known as “Vmin shift instability” was responsible for the crashes, wrote Intel Communications Manager Thomas Hannaford. For reference, “Vmin” stands for “minimum operating voltage”. The issue is caused by part of an affected CPU’s internal clock system being exposed to high voltage and temperature over time. This finding is consistent with the fact that some users have previously been able to work around the instability issues by undervolting and/or underclocking their Raptor Lake desktop CPUs.

Intel’s research has now identified four specific scenarios that could lead to Vmin-related instability of Raptor Lake CPUs. Two of these have already been addressed with the microcode 0x125 and 0x129 updates, which were rolled out in June 2024 and August 2024 respectively. Another issue is caused by the power settings on the motherboard exceeding Intel’s power guidelines, which can be resolved by simply resetting the affected processor to its default settings.

Scenarios that can cause Intel Raptor Lake CPU instability

• The motherboard power settings exceed Intel power guidelines.
  • Softening: Intel default settings recommendations for Intel Core 13th and 14th generation desktop processors.
• eTVB Microcode algorithm that allowed Intel Core 13th and 14th generation i9 desktop processors to operate with higher performance even at high temperatures.
  • Softening: microcode 0x125 (June 2024) fixes an issue with the eTVB algorithm.
• Microcode SVID algorithm calls for high voltages with a frequency and duration that can cause Vmin shift.
  • Softening: microcode 0x129 (August 2024) addresses high voltages requested by the processor.
• Microcode and BIOS code require increased core voltages, which can cause a Vmin shift, especially during periods of inactivity and/or light activity.
  • Softening: Intel releases microcode 0x12B, which includes 0x125 and 0x129 microcode updates, and responds to requests for increased power from the processor during periods of inactivity and/or light activity.

The latter scenario arises from high core voltage requests made during light or inactive activity. This particular issue will be addressed with yet another microcode update, identified by version number 0x12B. The critical BIOS patch will be released soon, Intel said, noting that it is already working with its motherboard partners on its implementation. However, the semiconductor manufacturer has not committed to a more concrete time frame for the rollout.

Based on the company’s recent testing, the 0x12B update will not have a significant performance impact on a number of commonly used applications, including gaming. The mobile Raptor Lake processors used in laptops and notebooks do not suffer from Vmin-related instability issues, the chipmaker confirms. Future Intel CPUs will also not suffer from this problem.

Intel Core i9 14900KF 24-core, 32-thread CPU

$549 $574 Save $25

The Intel Core i9 14900KF 24-core, 32-thread CPU is Intel’s highest 14th generation CPU without iGPU and offers the highest boost clocks for a consumer-grade CPU from Intel to date, with a native clock speed of an impressive 6 GHz.

It trades at a slight discount to the 14900K while skipping an iGPU under the hood, requiring a discrete solution for system builders and end users to deliver a functional PC experience.

Brand

Intel

CPU model

Intel Core i9 14900KF

CPU connection

LGA 1700

Nuclei

24 (8P+16E)

Wires

32

Architecture

Refresh Raptor Lake

Process

Intel 7 (10nm)

Basic clock speed

3.2GHz

Increase the clock speed

6GHz

Cache

32 MB L2 + 36 MB L3 cache

RAM

Supports up to 192 GB DDR5 RAM

PCIe

PCI-E 5.0/4.0 support

Graphic

No

TDP

253W

Expand