Intel Posts Updated Raptor Lake Microcode For Linux: Fixes Voltage Issue & Other Bugs

Intel off their typical second Tuesday of the month patch regiment today posted new CPU microcode just for 13th Gen "Raptor Lake" and 14th Gen "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors for Linux systems. Notable with the updated Raptor Lake CPU microcode is the internal voltage handling fix for that well known problem plaguing many Raptor Lake owners plus two other fixes.

Intel this evening published their Intel CPU Microcode 20241029 release for Linux users which just contains updated Raptor Lake 13th/14th Gen CPU microcode.

The most notable of the three fixes in this new microcode is to address incorrect internal voltage requests that may lead to unpredictable system behavior... a.k.a. the Raptor Lake problems that have been well publicized going on for a number of months now. As summed up in the docs:

"The processor may request elevated voltages from the voltage regulator, resulting in an eventual increase to the minimum required operating voltage.
...
Due to this erratum, an increase to minimum operating voltage may lead to unpredictable system behavior."

As part of motherboard BIOS updates the Intel CPU microcode update has already been rolling out that way but for Linux users who don't routinely update their BIOS but allow for Linux package updates with Intel CPU microcode included, you can now have the correction this way -- assuming your CPU isn't already negatively impacted by this bug, in which case an RMA is likely necessary.

The two other fixes in this Raptor Lake CPU microcode update are fpr the PCONFIG instruction error reporting may be incorrect and an xHCI out-of-order ACK due to the Link Credit 1 (LCRD1) from a USB 3.2 hub.

The updated Intel Raptor Lake CPU microcode for Linux users to apply via the boot process or late loading can be obtained via GitHub.