Intel is shipping upgraded CPU replacements to RMA customers as last-gen stocks start to dwindle. A nice move to claim users’ appreciation while clearing remaining stocks.
Ever since 13th and 14th Gen CPU problems cropped up, Intel has given affected users one of two choices. You can either opt for a full-price refund or try your hand at a replacement. As enticing as $599 sounds for a broken Core i9-13900K, previous-gen users might want to give Team Blue a second chance, as the company has started sending out an i9-14900K in its place. It’s tough to tell whether this is the norm, but one lucky user on Reddit has already received the upgrade.
Though not offering a drastic performance uplift compared to its predecessor, Core i9-14900K does provide a couple of extra frames in games. Unless the owner’s previous CPU was a golden sample with excellent memory support or overclocking capabilities, this free upgrade should still be appreciated. Moreover, these should be brand-new units undamaged by months or years of aggressive power settings.
Now as for the reason Intel would do such a thing, we don’t know. Our best guess would be related to the dwindling stocks of CPUs, caused by the high amount of RMA tickets. Understandable, since who wouldn’t like a brand-new replacement CPU in place of a potentially damaged one?
Better yet, according to @Pk_419 on X, Intel didn’t even bother requesting proof of damage or instability. A nice move that’ll cost the company quite a penny. I bet some have asked to be fully reimbursed, just to go grab an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, with enough money left for an X670E board, or in hopes of grabbing Core Ultra 200K when it finally lands.
With this in mind, if you are among the lucky ones who got an upgrade, don’t forget that all-important BIOS update so your motherboard has all the latest protections and your chip doesn’t get damaged again.
Intel seems to be on the right path to regain its customers’ trust, though the road is still long. Its next-gen chips will be put under extreme scrutiny by users and reviewers alike, so these signs of good faith are more important than ever.
