A Lot of People Are Reportedly Returning Their Intel CPUs

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A Lot of People Are Reportedly Returning Their Intel CPUs

Highlights

  • The 13th generation of Intel’s CPUs reportedly has up to four times higher return rate in Europe than the previous generation.
  • Intel’s 14th-gen processors are also estimated to have a higher return rate.
  • Both phenomenons are understood to be related to the ongoing CPU crashing issues that Intel is currently in the process of addressing.

As a long-time Intel fan and PC builder, I have been closely following the recent developments surrounding the company’s latest CPUs. The reports of significantly higher return rates for both the 13th and 14th generations of Intel Core processors are truly concerning.

A new report suggests that Intel’s more recent Central Processing Unit (CPU) models have a significantly higher return rate than their previous versions, allegedly due to hardware issues. Although the data supporting this claim is currently limited to Europe, it may indicate broader problems with some of Intel’s current CPUs.

The problematic lineups are said to be based on the Raptor Lake architecture, which was originally commercialized with Intel’s 13th Generation processors. The first of those hit the market in October 2022. Intel then reused the Raptor Lake architecture for its 14th Generation CPUs launched a year later.

Intel 13th Gen CPUs Reportedly Have 4 Times Higher Return Rate Than the Previous Gen

According to a recent report from French tech news site Les Numeriques, the new Intel Core CPUs from the 13th and 14th generations may have higher failure rates than previous Intel models. Specifically, the estimated return rate for the 13th generation in Europe is between 4% and 7%, which is approximately double the return rate of around 1.75% for the previous generation. Les Numeriques also reports that the 14th generation has a return rate of 5.25%. This information comes from retail sources and indicates that the Raptor Lake Refresh line is experiencing similar issues.

Based on my experience working in the tech industry for several years, I’ve come to realize that processor returns are an essential aspect of any business, especially in a highly competitive market like the CPU segment. European return rates for AMD processors have been reported to remain constant at 1% since 2020. However, it is crucial to note that these numbers don’t account for Intel-directed returns.

All Intel Processors Reportedly Affected by Higher Return Rates

  • Core i9-14900KF
  • Core i9-14900KS
  • Core i9-14900K
  • Core i7-14700KF
  • Core i7-14700K
  • Core i9-13900KF
  • Core i9-13900KS
  • Core i9-13900K

In simpler terms, there have been significant increases in return rates for certain Intel CPUs around mid-2024, which are believed to be due to various crashes caused by specific issues with these processors. Intel identified the root cause as faulty voltage demands generated by their microcode algorithm. They plan to release a software patch to resolve this issue around mid-August 2024. However, according to retail sources at Les Numeriques, this update won’t help CPUs that have already been damaged due to the incorrect voltages.

Since the beginning of the year, the U.S. chipmaker, Intel, has encountered significant problems that are not the first high-profile case. In February, a German court issued a preliminary ruling preventing Intel from selling certain older CPUs in Germany due to allegations of patent infringement related to voltage regulation technology.

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2024-07-27 15:21