Intel is rolling out a second patch for the voltage issue that is causing irreparable damage to its Raptor Lake desktop processors.

Intel has long been struggling with a bug that makes thirteenth and fourteenth generation Core processors, known as Raptor Lake, unstable. After a first fix at the end of August, which is now being rolled out by most PC manufacturers, a second patch is to follow. According to Intel, the cause of the problem lies in the microcode.

This would result in increased voltages, causing affected CPUs to operate outside the safety margin. This causes physical degradation that is irreparable and irreversible. However, updating the microcode does not fix existing problems: CPUs already affected will continue to be defective. The new code is designed to prevent further chips from degrading.

BIOS update

The fix must then be rolled out to end users via motherboard manufacturers with a BIOS update, so it’s difficult to predict exactly when the latest update will be available for your device.

The problem with unstable desktop processors has existed since 2022 and threatens to land Intel in court. The chipmaker promised to replace affected CPUs and offered an extended warranty.

However, there remains uncertainty as to whether the voltage error can also affect laptop chips. Despite justified claims to the contrary, Intel maintains that this is not the case. In any case, Intel only seems to have desktop processors in mind as a solution.