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Intel Core/Core2 update from Microsoft?


GR_Ranger

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Can someone explain to me what the hell this ( http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40567 ) all about? I don't seem to be experiencing any problems with my Core 2 Duo system right now so should I/we all bother?

Well, check what Core 2 CPU you have. The article is very specific which CPUs are affected. It doesn't happen often, but this is not the first time Intel has made a BIOS patch available to fix a flaw in a CPU

Read carefully:

We learned that the affected CPUs are the Core 2 Duo E4000/E6000, Core 2 Quad Q6600, Core 2 Xtreme QX6800, QX6700 and QX6800.

In the mobile world, people with the Core 2 Duo T5000 and T7000 need to visit Microsoft's site, while the server guys will want to use motherboard BIOSes if they do not rely on Microsoft Windows operating systems.

The affected servers are Xeon 3000, 3200, 5100 and 5300s - or just about every model from the second generation of Core marchitecture.

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Can someone explain to me what the hell this ( http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40567 ) all about? I don't seem to be experiencing any problems with my Core 2 Duo system right now so should I/we all bother?

Well, check what Core 2 CPU you have. The article is very specific which CPUs are affected. It doesn't happen often, but this is not the first time Intel has made a BIOS patch available to fix a flaw in a CPU

Read carefully:

We learned that the affected CPUs are the Core 2 Duo E4000/E6000, Core 2 Quad Q6600, Core 2 Xtreme QX6800, QX6700 and QX6800.

In the mobile world, people with the Core 2 Duo T5000 and T7000 need to visit Microsoft's site, while the server guys will want to use motherboard BIOSes if they do not rely on Microsoft Windows operating systems.

The affected servers are Xeon 3000, 3200, 5100 and 5300s - or just about every model from the second generation of Core marchitecture.

I've got the e6300, but I'm not noticing any problems and besides, this article doesn't even list any symptoms.

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Thanks for the heads up.

KB936357 doesn't come up in either the Windows or Microsoft Update programs, critical, high priority, or otherwise, and the KB summary is less than helpful.

It would be nice to know exactly what issues the update is supposed to address before loading it, I've had no hiccups, my QX6700 has been pretty reliable and I'd like to keep it that way.

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http://hardware.slashdot.org/hardware/07/06/28/1124256.shtml

Saw this on Slashdot today.

Quoting from the site:

"Recently, Intel patched bugs in its Core 2 processors. Details were scarce; soothing words were spoken to the effect that a BIOS update is all that is required. OpenBSD founder Theo de Raadt has now provided more details and analysis on outstanding, fixed, and non-fixable Core 2 bugs. Some choice quotes: 'Some of these bugs... will *ASSUREDLY* be exploitable from userland code... Some of these are things that cannot be fixed in running code, and some are things that every operating system will do until about mid-2008.'"

(emphasis added)

Non-fixable...ouch.

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Here's more info.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40627

Found this funny:

To get back to the story, at first Intel posted the details about these particular errata back in late April inside a Core 2 Specification Update PDF document, explaing how this error could cause memory leaks and ultimately, lead to crashes.

This was caught in testing, and there were no reports from the open world. However, most motherboards of today are unstable enough that even if the TLB buffer errata was the cause of system crash, we seriously doubt it would be reported back to Intel.

Most computer users have a "default guilty guy", and that guy's name is William H. Gates III, or just Bill. Intel, AMD or substandard hardware these CPUs are placed on aren't to be blamed.

After the errata was posted, Intel partners were informed

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Here's more info.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40627

Found this funny:

To get back to the story, at first Intel posted the details about these particular errata back in late April inside a Core 2 Specification Update PDF document, explaing how this error could cause memory leaks and ultimately, lead to crashes.

This was caught in testing, and there were no reports from the open world. However, most motherboards of today are unstable enough that even if the TLB buffer errata was the cause of system crash, we seriously doubt it would be reported back to Intel.

Most computer users have a "default guilty guy", and that guy's name is William H. Gates III, or just Bill. Intel, AMD or substandard hardware these CPUs are placed on aren't to be blamed.

After the errata was posted, Intel partners were informed

Here's some more interesting quotes from the article stating that they symtoms are RARE-

"Intel came back to us with the following statement:

"We’ve addressed a processor issue by providing a BIOS update for our customers that in no way affects system performance. We have documented this as an errata. All processors from all companies have errata, and Intel has a well-known errata communication process to inform our customers and the public. Keep in mind the probability of encountering this issue is low. Intel documented the issue a few months ago - Specification Updates for the affected processors are available at http://developer.intel.com."

The errata inside all Core 2 processors (T series, E series, Q series, QX series and Xeon 5000 series) can appear in very rare cases, and it can result a computer refusing to accept keyboard of mouse inputs. In Windows environment, it may result with a worldly known Blue Screen of Death, while Linux'es of this world may end up with kernel panic."

So I guess we have nothing to worry about? As long as we don't see these symptoms?

Edited by GR_Ranger
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Is it just me or did those that install it notice a difference? My Graw2 game seemed even smoother on bogged down servers. I checked fraps and fps was the same... but mouse movement even seemed faster... which i didn't think was possible.

Never trust the inquirer though... they are usually more wrong then right.

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