How many of the Intel processors we’ve sold have been reported as faulty?

Are AMD processors getting better while Intel processors are getting worse? This is a question I’ve been asking myself for a long time. And after looking into warranty claims on faulty CPUs, I’ve finally found the answer – at least when it comes to models we sell. The answer’s yes.

Since the first quarter of 2023, we’ve been receiving significantly more warranty claims on faulty Intel processors than in the previous eight quarters. In the second quarter of 2024, the rate almost tripled compared to the first quarter of 2021. As for AMD processors, the number of warranty claims submitted is declining. In the second quarter of 2024, the claim rate was about 35% lower than in the first quarter of 2021. Two models in particular are to blame for Intel’s plight: the i9-13900K and the i9-14900K, including the KF and KS versions.

Intel’s biggest offenders

Looking at the last four CPU generations, the i9 has always had a higher defect rate than the i7 and i5 models. What’s more, the figure for the current (14th) generation has almost tripled in comparison to the 12th generation. Remember that the latest generation of Intel processors has been on the market for less than a year. With this in mind, there’s a high probability that the figure will increase. By comparison, the soon-to-be-three-year-old 12th generation processors have an excellent defect rate. For the i9 models, it’s less than two per cent, while for the i5 and i7 models, the figure even drops below one per cent.

You can see the defect rate for the i5, i7 and i9 CPUs of the last four processor generations in the chart below. It refers to the models with a K, KF and/or KS suffix. In other words, overclockable CPUs. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve labelled them all ix-1xx00K.

Lower-end processers have lower defect rates – at least at Intel

Another striking element of the graph above is that the i7’s defect rate is lower than the i9’s. At the same time, the i5’s is lower than the i7’s. The i5 models are actually the least affected by defects – even when you compare them to the Ryzen 9, 7 and 5 processors. You’ll find the Ryzen figures in the chart below. Wherever a version with 3D V-Cache is available, I’ve included its defect rate in each case without mentioning the suffix in the chart.

In contrast to Intel, AMD’s current Ryzen 7000 generation is the only one in which the defect rate goes down as the processors get smaller. The Ryzen 9 5900X has the highest failure rate of any AMD processor. However, it’s still well below the i9’s defect rate. Now, you’ve got to bear in mind that the 5900X has been on the market almost three years longer than the 14900K. Many 5900X chips are already out of warranty, so we no longer record those claims. Since Intel has extended the warranty of the affected 13th and 14th generation processors, the failure rate could increase considerably. Especially since Intel won’t sell many i9-14900Ks without fixing the issue.

Intel needs to learn its lesson

These failures are a catastrophe for Intel. Not only that, but they’ve also come at the worst possible time. Intel’s share price has collapsed, and the company’s due to lay off 15,000 employees. Still, it’s been known for some time that things aren’t going well there. Between the first quarter of 2021 and today, Digitec Galaxus has sold over 30 per cent more AMD CPUs than Intel ones. In the 2010s, it was the other way round.

Intel’s reputation could well be permanently damaged by what’s going on right now. The competition’s gain, however, might turn out to be the customer’s loss. Competition galvanises business, which ultimately benefits us all. A lack of competition resulting from Intel’s dominance in the 2010s spurred little innovation. Instead, Intel gorged itself on the market and rested on its laurels. Fortunately, AMD was able to fight back, even managing to top our current sales rankings.