Intel has claimed the microcode update it's delivering for wonky 13th and 14th generation Raptor Lake CPUs won't compromise the chips' top end clock speeds.

At a press conference held by Intel and Asus in China, a Chipzilla rep reportedly said “The update patch will not affect the turbo frequency capability," according to a presentation slide captured by a Weibo user and run through Google Translate, which we believe is accurate.

The upcoming microcode patch, slated to arrive in mid-August, aims to stop Raptor Lake chips from frying themselves by lowering the amount of voltage the CPUs use. Excess voltage can and will cause processors to destroy themselves - and indeed plenty of Intel chip owners have complained about the issue since Raptor Lake debuted in late 2022 with the 13th Gen product.

However, there has been speculation that the update might reduce performance. After all, Raptor Lake CPUs come with record-breaking boost clock speeds, which require a decent amount of voltage. If Intel is to be believed, nothing will change after the update is released - which is good news for Raptor Lake chip owners even if they have reason to worry their processors could cook in their own juices.

There are, however, ways Intel could technically keep clock speed at current levels but still depress performance. Unlocked, K-class Raptor Lake CPUs will chug along at the same clock speed under load for an infinite amount of time by default - but Intel could change that and have those processors stop boosting, or boost to a lower value, or limit the time spent at boosted speeds, to prevent damage.

This is how Raptor Lake CPUs that can’t use Turbo Boost work: they have a higher power limit (termed PL2) which they usually run at for 28 seconds, before settling into a lower power limit (PL1).

If Intel compromises on boost frequencies in some way, it could spark even further backlash. AMD was on the receiving end of user complaints in 2019 after it launched its Ryzen 3000 series, which were found not to hit advertised speeds properly. Ever since, the chip maker clarifies that its "max boost clock" is for "bursty single-threaded workloads" and depends on a variety of factors like cooling and the motherboard used.

The Register has reached out to Intel for further comment on the performance implications of the new microcode. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/08/08/raptor_lake_microcode_fix_speed_impact/