Your computer has a brain, of sorts, in its CPU… a tiny square that literally enables everything the device does, as it processes billions of instructions at a time. Of course, to support this on such a relatively tiny piece of hardware, most CPUs are packed with microscopic transistors—these transistors being small enough to fit hundreds on a single blood cell.

As you might imagine, this means things can go wrong pretty easily… and gone wrong, things have. Many newer computers are suffering from a bug that could cause permanent damage to the CPU… and if you don’t take steps fast, it could be too late.

High-End CPUs from Intel Come with an Unwanted Bug

Intel’s Raptor Lake CPUs can potentially disable themselves due to a bug that affects the high-end processors, particularly if the computer is overclocked. An overclocked computer is one configured to use additional electricity to enhance its performance.

Reportedly, if the CPU requests too much voltage—anything over 65 watts—the problem rears up and makes issues like errors, crashes, or total PC failure more likely.

While it was initially thought that only Raptor Lake CPUs suffered this issue, more reports suggest that more CPUs have seen similar issues. It is now thought that any 13th or 14th generation processor put out by Intel could have this problem, meaning that this issue could stretch to hardware purchased in late 2022.

Fortunately, most laptops will only use 5 to 20 watts, and office PCs in general will cap out at 65 watts unless it is specifically overclocked. It’s far more likely that higher-performance systems, such as those used for video editing, graphic design, or autoCAD, and personal gaming will be affected.

A Resolution is On the Way

As of this writing, Intel is continuing to work on a fix that will prevent processors from heating themselves out of commission. However, despite being called a patch, the fix won’t restore an already-damaged CPU. There is also no recall in place, so if you find yourself starting to experience issues, you may have to deal with the manufacturer directly.

That said, we should point out that most of our clients are unlikely to encounter these issues in their business machines. The affected machines are pretty exclusively upper-end, recent devices, and only exhibit the problem when overclocked. This is most common on gaming machines, which are sometimes overclocked by the manufacturer.

Regardless, this still serves as a valuable reminder that updates and patches are critical. Without this one, certain PCs could cook themselves from the inside out, all the while crashing and otherwise experiencing issues.

Don’t Let Security Patches Pass You By

Granted, you can still run into IT issues even if you keep up with your patches and security updates, but keeping your business’ IT maintained is important if only to keep your risk levels down. If there isn’t diligent maintenance happening on every piece of technology, you’re welcoming in potential risks.

We can help fix that. If you’d like assistance with the necessary management and maintenance of your business’ essential IT, give 415 IT a call at (415) 295-4898.