Intel finally takes action as pressure mounts over unstable 13th & 14th gen CPUs

The saga of Intel’s unstable CPUs rumbles on, and Intel has finally offered users some recourse in the form of an extended warranty.

Intel has announced that it is extending the warranty for Raptor Lake CPUs by two years. This brings the total warranty period up to five years. There is a catch, however: this extended warranty only applies to boxed CPUs.

Users who bought pre-built PCs will not be eligible for the extended warranty. They will instead need to contact the manufacturer or reseller directly. However, those who bought boxed CPUs will need to contact Intel customer support.

As reported by Videocardz, the statement from Intel acknowledges the instability issues that have been affecting 13th and 14th-generation Raptor Lake CPUs. Intel describes the issue as ‘difficult to diagnose’, which points to the company still working on trying to find the root cause of the problem.

Intel hasn’t issued a permanent fix

Intel’s statement does not provide any new information on the nature of the stability problems. It also doesn’t identify any potential root causes. Details on the extended warranty and further explanation are expected to be released in the next few days.

Many Intel users on Reddit welcomed the acknowledgment of the issue but still seemed disappointed that Team Blue hasn’t gone further. Reddit user RobbtheSleepy said, “Honesty is good. Sure, sure. Admitting a f**k up is good. Rare even. But it’s not enough. What is the plan to “fix” this?”

Other users were concerned about how this would affect future Intel products. User DogHousesOnTheMoon said: “Are the 15th gen chips going to be safe? Have they announced anything to do with that? Looking at buying a new PC soon, but can’t really afford to get f**ked with dodgy chips.”

Intel’s next generation of chips is still set to launch this year, but while an extended warranty period is welcome, it’s unclear exactly how many CPUs are affected by the issues.