Intel Still Working to Fix Raptor Lake Problems

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Intel has identified the root cause of the instability issues affecting select Raptor Lake CPUs.
The company has already addressed three out of four scenarios leading to Raptor Lake processor instability. The final fix will be deployed in the form of a BIOS update that’s planned to roll out shortly.
Mobile CPUs based on the Raptor Lake architecture are not affected by the issue, which is known as “Vmin shift instability.”

Intel believes it has identified the root cause of the issues affecting its Raptor Lake processors. And while Intel‘s efforts to address these problems are still ongoing, they now seem to be nearing their end.

The Raptor Lake hybrid architecture was first commercialized in October 2022, when Intel released the initial wave of its 13th Generation processors. It was then reused for Intel’s iterative 14th Generation CPUs, which were launched 12 months later. In February 2024, reports started surfacing of select models from both generations experiencing consistent crashes in certain scenarios. Intel acknowledged these reports and launched a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the instability issues shortly afterward.

Intel Confirms Root Cause of Raptor Lake CPU Issues

Intel now believes it has found the root cause of the Raptor Lake crashing issues, having said as much in a late September 2024 update. Specifically, the company’s probe 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 problem is caused by subjecting a part of an affected CPU’s internal clock system to a high voltage and temperature over time. This finding aligns with the fact that some users have previously managed to circumvent the instability issues by undervolting and/or underclocking their Raptor Lake desktop CPUs.

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

Scenarios That Can Cause Intel Raptor Lake CPU Instability

Motherboard power delivery settings exceeding Intel power guidance.
- Mitigation: Intel Default Settings recommendations for Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors.
eTVB Microcode algorithm which was allowing Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen i9 desktop processors to operate at higher performance states even at high temperatures.
- Mitigation: microcode 0x125 (June 2024) addresses eTVB algorithm issue.
Microcode SVID algorithm requesting high voltages at a frequency and duration which can cause Vmin shift.
- Mitigation: microcode 0x129 (August 2024) addresses high voltages requested by the processor.
Microcode and BIOS code requesting elevated core voltages which can cause Vmin shift especially during periods of idle and/or light activity.
- Mitigation: Intel is releasing microcode 0x12B, which encompasses 0x125 and 0x129 microcode updates, and addresses elevated voltage requests by the processor during idle and/or light activity periods.

The final scenario stems from high core voltage requests made during light or idle activity. This particular issue will be addressed with yet another microcode update, identified by version number 0x12B. The critical BIOS patch will be released shortly, Intel said, noting that it is already in the process of working with its motherboard partners on its deployment. 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 variety of common applications, including gaming. The Raptor Lake mobile processors used in laptops and notebooks are not affected by any Vmin-related instability problems, the chipmaker confirmed. Future Intel CPUs won’t be affected by the issue, either.

Intel Still Working to Fix Raptor Lake Problems

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