How to check if your Intel 13/14 gen cpu is affected by instability problems

Maybe you have heard of problems with Intels Raptor Lake CPUs (13/14 Gen Intel Core i) that have degradation problems due to high voltage and therefore can crash in some situations like gaming. We show you an easy way to check if your cpu is affected by using Intels own Processor Diagnostic Tool.

CPUs that have a higher chance of beeing affected:

• Intel Core i9 14900KS/13900KS


• Intel Core i9 14900K(F)/13900K(F)


• Intel Core i7 14700K(F)/13700K(F)


• Intel Core i5 14600K(F)/13600K(F)

Step 1

Download Intels Processor Diagnostic Tool (64bit).

Step 2

Install the tool by following the installer assistant.

Step 3

Run Intel Diagnostic Tool by clicking on the desktop icon created by the installer. The test starts automatically and will take 3-5 minutes to complete.

Step 4 / Evaluation

At the end, the software displays a test result. It will show "PASS" if you cpu is running fine or "FAIL" if some of the tests failed.

A "FAIL" does not 100% mean that your system is affected by the degradation problem but it makes it much easier for you to claim a refund or get an replacement cpu. Also note that Intel has deceided to extend the warranty of boxed cpus from 3 to 5 years. Tray cpus have no direct warranty but you can contact your system manufacturer to start a claim.

You can also run a Cinebench 2024 benchmark test and compare the result with our database and check for deviations.

Addition:

It can also make sense to find out what maximum CPU core voltage your processor is running at. The maximum core voltage is best determined in single-core applications because the clock frequency is highest here.

The higher the clock frequency, the higher the CPU core voltage is usually. CPU voltages above 1.5 V are considered critical. The higher the CPU core voltage, the higher the chance of being affected by the aging problem in the future.

To determine your maximum CPU voltage in practice, a benchmark such as Cinebench R23 or Cinebench 2024 is started in the single-core test (single core) and the current CPU voltage can then be determined using an analysis tool such as HWiNFO.

• Cinebench R23 (Download) or Cinebench 2024 (Download)


• HWiNFO64 (Download)

Start one of the two benchmarks and run the "Single-Core" test. At the same time, look at the HWiNFO Sensor status to see how high your CPU core voltage is. In addition to the current voltage, the tool also shows you the maximum voltage that has been measured since starting HWiNFO.

The CPU temperature is also interesting, as this usually correlates with the CPU core voltage. Higher core temperatures usually also mean a higher CPU core voltage. Good cooling can therefore have a positive effect on the CPU core voltage (which is then lower).