There’s new hope on the horizon as Intel says in a blog post that its upcoming Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors are immune to current instability issues. The instability issues found in select 13th and 14th Gen Core processors have been an issue for the chip manufacturer over the last couple of years as user reports piled up. Eventually, those product lines were granted extended warranties after research into the matter confirmed the instability issues. However, as a precautionary measure for customers eyeing its next round of product releases, Intel says that its Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors are unaffected by these instability issues due to their architecturally different designs.
Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake update (via blog post):
- “Intel confirms that its next generation of processors, codenamed Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake, are not affected by the Vmin Shift Instability issue due to the new architectures powering both product families. Intel will ensure future product families are protected against the Vmin Shift Instability issue as well.”
Additionally, a new list of unaffected processors for its past product lines has been released. Owners of desktop PCs and mobile devices featuring the following CPUs can breathe a sigh of relief as recent reports seemed to indicate a much larger scope of processors.
Updated Unaffected Processor List (via blog post):
- 12th Gen Core desktop and mobile processors
- Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen i5 (non-K) & i3 desktop processors
- Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen mobile processors – including HX-series processors.
- Intel Xeon processors – including server and workstation processors.
- Intel Core Ultra (Series 1) processors
It is still advised that owners of 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors update their BIOS to the latest versions and can also use the Compatibility Tool for assistance if needed. Users are also recommended to use default system settings with these processors, be it for either consumer, commercial, or general workstation usage.