Intel’s 13th/14th Gen CPU problems may lead to potential class action lawsuit

It only gets worse for Intel.

Intel was slow to respond to reports about issues with their Raptor Lake CPUs, drawing criticism from users and the media. Only after receiving this negative feedback did Intel finally provide some answers. However, the company is still investigating the issue. A microcode update, expected to arrive mid-month, might or may not fully resolve the problem.

Abington Cole + Ellery is looking into a potential class action lawsuit against Intel due to problems with their 13th and 14th Generation CPUs. The law firm has created a webpage to gather information from affected users to determine if a class action is warranted. The investigation centers on instability issues caused by elevated operating voltages due to a microcode algorithm in these processors. Based on the findings, the law firm will decide whether to take the class action to court.

Source: Abington Cole + Ellery

Intel has admitted to the instability issue and has pledged to release a patch in mid-August. Meanwhile, users who are already affected are asked to contact Intel customer support. Intel has stated that both boxed and tray processors are covered under its support policy, though users of pre-built systems are advised to contact their system vendors for assistance. Customer experiences with Intel’s RMA service have been mixed, with some users reporting smooth replacements while others have encountered delays.

The law firm’s webpage invites users to submit their details if they have experienced problems with their 13th or 14th Generation Intel CPUs.

What we know (based on official info and Intel responses to media ):

• Intel has admitted the instability problem and the investigation is ongoing
• Intel admitted that certain batch of CPUs was affected by via oxidation issue
• Intel will release a microcode update in mid-August which may or may not resolve the problem
• The microcode update will not fix already degraded CPUs
• Intel claims the microcode update will not affect performance
• Intel is not confirming whether mobile chips (including H and HX variants) are affected
• Intel will not issue a recall
• Users may should Intel Default Settings, which are now included into latest BIOS updates
• Intel asks users whose CPUs are affected to contact Intel consumer support

Intel has yet to provide a tool to help users check if their processors are affected. Not everyone is a technician, and not everyone is comfortable flashing a new BIOS. There appears to be a lack of guidelines on how everyday users can approach this issue, check if they are affected, and understand how to proceed.

Also, it appears that GamersNexus, who brought the via oxidation issue to light, will have an update on the situation shortly.

In the meantime, users who are experiencing issues may check the thread on Reddit where affected users share their experience with Intel consumer service.

Source: TechPowerUP , PC Gamer , Tom’s Hardware