Some Intel 13th/14th gen desktop CPUs (unlocked CPUs, as well as locked i7/i9), may have stability issues due to excessive voltages, on out of date BIOS/microcode. This may show up as errors, crashes, and BSODs. In some occasions, this error may blame a different part (e.g. out of video memory) despite it being caused by a defective CPU.
Common things that may fail with a defective CPU include the following, and more:
- Crashes during shader compilation
- Crashes during decompression (game loading)
- Crashes during driver installation/updates
Please go to these Intel Community threads for further information: https://community.intel.com/t5/Blogs/Tech-Innovation/Client/Intel-Core-13th-and-14th-Gen-Desktop-Instability-Root-Cause/post/1633446#M40
https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/Intel-Core-13th-and-14th-Gen-Vmin-Shift-Instabilty-Update-New/m-p/1686948
To prevent damage to your CPU and possibly restore stability, please perform a BIOS/firmware update for your motherboard (or system, if this is a name-brand pre-build system).
- At a minimum, to a version containing the 0x12B microcode or newer.
- Ideally, and if offered, have the supplementary 0x12F microcode or newer.
You can check the support pages for your motherboard/system model for any BIOS updates you may need. Below are a few common motherboard manufacturers:
ASRock
Asus
Gigabyte
MSI
If your CPU is currently exhibiting instability even after performing BIOS/firmware and microcode updates, please contact Intel or your system builder for a warranty exchange (RMA), as your CPU may be permanently damaged.
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