Intel Faces Potential Class-Action Lawsuit Over 14th/13th Gen CPU Stability Issues
It is probably just a matter of time before Intel is hit with a class-action lawsuit over unfortunate stability issues affecting a barrage of 14th Gen and 13th Gen Core processors. That likely inevitability is one step closer to becoming a reality, with law firm Abington Cole + Ellery investigating the situation and putting a call out to owners of affected CPU models who might want to participate.
The law firm published an online form that potential participants can fill out, which asks for a name, phone number, state of residence, and email address. There are also two Yes/No pull-down menu entries, one of which asks if a potential participant has purchased a 14th or 13th Gen processor (or a PC with one of those chips), and the other of which asks if they've experienced any problems.
"Recent reports have highlighted instability issues with Intel's 13th and 14th Generation Core desktop processors. The primary cause of these instabilities has been identified as elevated operating voltages. Intel's analysis revealed that a microcode algorithm was incorrectly requesting higher voltages, leading to instability in the processors. This issue apparently does not stem from the earlier resolved via oxidation problem in Intel's manufacturing process," the law firm summarizes.
It goes on to summarize the extent of the issue and how Intel is addressing the problem—via an upcoming microcode update to correct the voltage requests. Additionally, the form also links to a series of statements and guidance by Intel dating back to May 2, 2024, all from its community forums. Other than that, however, there's no further information.
While not addressed on the form, Intel recently confirmed in an interview with The Verge that it is not planning to issue a recall. Instead, it is promising to take care of affected customers for which the microcode update comes too late, even if they've already been denied an RMA request before the proverbial...spit hit the fan. Unfortunately, once the stability issues manifest, it likely means there is permanent damage to the chip.
During that same interview, Intel also revealed that some mainstream 65W processors are potentially affected by the issue as well, including non-K models.
"Intel Core 13th and 14th Generation desktop processors with 65W or higher base power—including K/KF/KS and 65W non-K variants—could be affected by the elevated voltages issue. However, this does not mean that all processors listed are (or will be) impacted by the elevated voltages issue," Intel said.
It's not clear what exactly comprises the law firm's investigation into the matter, and if it does end up as a class-action lawsuit, what the potential payout might be.
