What to know:

  • A New York resident has filed a class action lawsuit against Intel over defective 13th and 14th generation desktop processors.
  • The lawsuit claims Intel knew about processor instability issues since late 2022 but continued marketing them without disclosure.
  • Intel has promised extended warranty support and replacement chips, but plaintiffs argue this may be insufficient compensation.

A user, Mark Vanvalkenburgh, purchased an Intel Core i7-13700K processor back in January 2023, only to experience frequent system crashes, random screen blackouts, and unexpected computer restarts. Despite Intel’s marketing of these processors as providing “the best gaming, streaming, and recording experience,” the reality fell far short of these claims.

According to the lawsuit (via ArsTechnica) filed in federal court, Intel became aware of these defects through pre-release and post-release testing by late 2022 or early 2023, yet continued to sell the processors without disclosing the problems. The company observed unusually high return rates shortly after the 13th-generation CPUs were released.

Intel has recently acknowledged the issue and announced plans for a software patch while extending warranty support from three to five years. However, the lawsuit argues this response is inadequate, particularly for customers who purchased pre-assembled systems, as they have not been guaranteed any solutions by Intel.

The class action seeks to represent all U.S. purchasers of the affected processors, with estimates suggesting hundreds of thousands or potentially millions of customers may be impacted.

The complaint alleges that Intel committed fraud by omission, breached implied warranty, and violated New York General Business Law.