Intel Corporation is currently facing several lawsuits filed by consumers in the United States alleging that its 13th and 14th generation Core processors have performance stability issues. On November 6, tech news site The Register reported that users had taken legal action against Intel, citing flaws in its 13th-generation desktop processors released in 2022 and 14th-generation desktop processors introduced in 2023 These processors, known as the Raptor Lake series, are important parts of Intel’s desktop processor offerings. One of the lawsuits involves Mark Vanvalkenburgh, according to federal court documents in San Jose, California. Mr. Vanvalkenburgh purchased an Intel Core i7-13700K processor from Best Buy in January 2023. He subsequently experienced unstable system performance, which he believes was due to processor defects. This case is part of a larger group of lawsuits where multiple consumers are reporting similar instability issues, indicating a possible pattern of defects rather than isolated issues. Reported issues include system hangs, reduced processing efficiency, and overheating, which negatively affects the performance and reliability of desktop systems using these processors.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs refer to various media reports and social media discussions from December 2022 that highlighted problems with Intel’s 13th and 14th generation processors. These issues include frequent system freezes, unexpected shutdowns, and decreased performance during heavy use, as noted by both users and technical reviewers. According to court filings, Intel knew about these flaws as early as late 2022 or early 2023.

“After purchasing the product, the plaintiff learned that the processor was defective, unstable, and crashing at high rates,” the lawsuit states. “The processor was causing problems in his computer, including random screen blackouts and random computer restarts. These issues were not resolved even after trying to install a patch issued by Intel for the 13th generation processors. As a result, he did not get what he paid for. Had the plaintiff known the truth about the product, he would not have bought the product or paid less for it.”

Despite knowing about these issues, the company continued to market the performance of the Raptor Lake processors without informing consumers of the potential stability issues. The plaintiffs allege that Intel’s actions amount to fraudulent misrepresentation, a breach of implied warranty and violations of New York trade laws related to consumer protection. They allege that consumers were misled about the reliability and performance of the processors, resulting in financial losses and a loss of confidence in Intel products. The lawsuit seeks compensation for affected consumers and calls for more transparent disclosure practices in Intel’s marketing. The outcome of these legal actions could have a significant impact on Intel’s reputation.

Source: court hearer