Intel Is Replacing Some Defective Core i9-13900K CPUs With 14900K, But There's A Catch
The CPU drama continues to unfold as buyers traverse the rough seas of issues with Intel 13th and 14th generation products. If you have a defective Intel CPU, such as Core i9-13900K, Intel will RMA it. In many reported cases, Intel has even upgraded owners of the last generation CPU to a newer Core i9-14900K free of charge.
Things have not gone so smoothly for Towel4 on Reddit, however. After initiating an RMA for the defective CPU, all seemed well with the early exchanges. Soon after, an Intel representative informed the owner that while the product was under warranty, Intel had no current stock available for a replacement. This means that both Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K replacements were unavailable.
Since Intel will provide RMA replacement of the same or higher level part only, there is typically no reason to offer a downgrade as most buyers would not be happy. The Intel representative mentions that it may take 4 to 5 weeks for stock to be replenished for the needed part.
Things have not gone so smoothly for Towel4 on Reddit, however. After initiating an RMA for the defective CPU, all seemed well with the early exchanges. Soon after, an Intel representative informed the owner that while the product was under warranty, Intel had no current stock available for a replacement. This means that both Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K replacements were unavailable.
Since Intel will provide RMA replacement of the same or higher level part only, there is typically no reason to offer a downgrade as most buyers would not be happy. The Intel representative mentions that it may take 4 to 5 weeks for stock to be replenished for the needed part.
The longer than expected wait time of several weeks is unfortunate for those with defective CPUs, but at least Intel seems to be standing behind its warranty. While AMD CPUs are not affected by issues plaguing Intel products, it also has had its share of headaches with the Ryzen 9000 launch.
After an initial delay for Ryzen 9000, AMD ran into some other issues as it hit reviews and consumers. The Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X both received a significant bump in TDP power numbers, from 65 watts to 105 watts. This will soon be made official with AGESA 1.2.0.2, which means it will fall under warranty coverage. The higher power draw will be considered as a normal operating parameter for these AMD CPUs, and be fully covered by warranty.
Both of these stories illustrate how important it is for CPU manufacturers to stand behind its products with a solid warranty and covers consumers. While the particular case of the Reddit poster has an unfortunately long wait time, Intel is still covering the CPU in good faith. The increased media exposure for issues with CPUs most likely ramped up RMA requests to the point of having the relevant CPUs be backordered. Consumers remember good faith warranty actions by manufacturers, so this is a key period for future mindshare for both Intel and AMD.
After an initial delay for Ryzen 9000, AMD ran into some other issues as it hit reviews and consumers. The Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X both received a significant bump in TDP power numbers, from 65 watts to 105 watts. This will soon be made official with AGESA 1.2.0.2, which means it will fall under warranty coverage. The higher power draw will be considered as a normal operating parameter for these AMD CPUs, and be fully covered by warranty.
Both of these stories illustrate how important it is for CPU manufacturers to stand behind its products with a solid warranty and covers consumers. While the particular case of the Reddit poster has an unfortunately long wait time, Intel is still covering the CPU in good faith. The increased media exposure for issues with CPUs most likely ramped up RMA requests to the point of having the relevant CPUs be backordered. Consumers remember good faith warranty actions by manufacturers, so this is a key period for future mindshare for both Intel and AMD.
