Intel says flaw in Series 6 Sandy Bridge chipsets

[Hogan773]

yea newegg still, as of this writing, has 8 1155 boards listed. Not sure why but guess they are working through to remove them now.

But don;t worry, you can still buy any of the 7 1155 cpus.

As of 3:35ET, I could still add an ASRock P67 mobo to my Newegg cart. Perhaps they decided that they can still sell them, and let ASRock and/or Intel fix them later (if the user decides to)

 

[Krynj]

Man, this sucks. Literally weeks before I was going to pull the trigger on a SNB build.

Although, I'm still considering it. I can chance being in the 10%-15% of users whose SATA ports die in 3 years. I upgrade every 2 years anyway. Plus, I'm sure I can still find a P67 board somewhere, and then once April comes around, I'd happily do an advance replacement during the RMA/recall process.

I was banking on the increased horsepower for a 3D animation I'm currently working on. Sucks that I would otherwise have to wait until April (ugghhh) to go with Sandy Bridge. Having my renders finish 50%-65% quicker is so appealing to me, hence why I'm considering still buying and taking my chances, or taking part in the RMA process.

Or maybe it's time to consider the i7 980X, but then I'd be stuck with 1366.

Anybody else in the same boat?

 

[GNva]

My plans was to wait for Socket 2011, but they changed since I don´t have a computer anymore.

I need a new computer, Z68 is too far away, and I was thinking to buy a cheap replacement while Socket 2011 arrives. There is little difference on prices for older intel generations and Sandy Bridge, even for Core 2 Quad, so I was ready for buying Sandy Bridge.

I need a computer right now. there is a workaround for this problem? Maybe another motherboard with a different chipset?

Wich motherboard do you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[Engineer]

Have a Biostar board that I picked up for $78.xx after rebates and Newegg incentive (regular $139). Have not sent in for rebate yet...still unopened on bar. Have everything but new case (2500K, 16GB Ram, 1 TB drive, 128GB SSD, SATA burner, 460GTX card, 550W Antec Trupower New power supply, several aftermarket heatsinks (need controllers possibly)). Would you...

A. Send it back and wait until a new board is available (asking Newegg to pick up return shipping) and avoid working building right now only to take it apart and possibly deal with motherboard mfg. headaches later.

B. Finish buying components, build and install SSD + HD on SATA 6 ports while the burner goes on the SATA 3.0Gbps ports...only to tear it down later and swap it out (hopefully with no issues including OS potential reinstall if swap is for something different).

 

[Hogan773]

Maybe perversely I am actually HAPPY that I bought when I did......I can run my 2600K for the next 2 months while others who were almost ready to buy are going to be stuck potentially till March or April. I can hook my HDDs to the "good" ports and then in April, I can swap out my mobo. Maybe if we all B*tch hard enough, Intel will let us swap into a Z68 board for our troubles for free or minimal cost. (I'm probably smoking dope on that last point but hey, a guy can dream.....)

I'm sort of thinking that this will all go down OK for us "early adopters"......

 

[bunnyfubbles]

well damn, what's the outlook for those who were looking to grab a new system soon?

Waiting until April isn't going to be fun if an option at all.

I already have an X58 system so just about anything else will be a downgrade, and was hoping to get a Sandybridge system so I could RMA my current X58 board (one of the memory slots stopped working) and then sell it off...

 

[Anomaly1964]

maybe perversely i am actually happy that i bought when i did......i can run my 2600k for the next 2 months while others who were almost ready to buy are going to be stuck potentially till march or april. I can hook my hdds to the "good" ports and then in april, i can swap out my mobo. Maybe if we all b*tch hard enough, intel will let us swap into a z68 board for our troubles for free or minimal cost. (i'm probably smoking dope on that last point but hey, a guy can dream.....)

i'm sort of thinking that this will all go down ok for us "early adopters"......

i like it!

 

[hclarkjr]

what really sucks is i bought the dame 2600k already, damnit!!

 

[ayabe]

Wow, almost pulled the trigger last night but waited until this morning to see if any new deals popped up. Amazing.

I'm pretty bummed as I had plans to move my "old" i7 rig to Windows 2008 R2 and get some Hyper-V action going. Guess I'll have to make due until March-ish.

So bummed but thankful that I didn't push that button last night, I'd be beside myself this morning.

 

[PingSpike]

Yeah, it sucks...I'd hemmed and hawed on sandy bridge for the last few weeks. I mapped out a plan yesterday for my upgrade cycle and was going to pull the trigger tonight. My main rig is getting a fair amount of use for my class and I really don't want it down to long or crapping out on me until the class is done. But I had the upgrade bug.... One of the reservations I had was the platform was to new...but (LOL) I thought Intel is pretty solid so I doubt I'll get burned.

If I already had all the stuff I'd built the system and mentally prepare myself for the possibility of getting burned on the motherboard. The thing that pisses me off the most (and would piss me off even more if I'd bought it) is Intel motherboards are so god damn expensive I feel like damn well better work well! It's not that awful though if it really is only some of the SATA ports. Not sure if I truly believe the 5-15% figure...it sounds like one of those drug company commercials where they say side effects are "rare" but some how you always get them.

 

[Hogan773]

Have a Biostar board that I picked up for $78.xx after rebates and Newegg incentive (regular $139). Have not sent in for rebate yet...still unopened on bar. Have everything but new case (2500K, 16GB Ram, 1 TB drive, 128GB SSD, SATA burner, 460GTX card, 550W Antec Trupower New power supply, several aftermarket heatsinks (need controllers possibly)). Would you...

A. Send it back and wait until a new board is available (asking Newegg to pick up return shipping) and avoid working building right now only to take it apart and possibly deal with motherboard mfg. headaches later.

B. Finish buying components, build and install SSD + HD on SATA 6 ports while the burner goes on the SATA 3.0Gbps ports...only to tear it down later and swap it out (hopefully with no issues including OS potential reinstall if swap is for something different).

I can't imagine Microsoft won't allow you to re-authorize your Win7 if due to a well-publicized recall. They're not tyrants after all.

 

[Engineer]

I can't imagine Microsoft won't allow you to re-authorize your Win7 if due to a well-publicized recall. They're not tyrants after all.

Wasn't worried about that...just don't want to do a reinstall if the hardware was to change enough. Could just do a sysprep on it and let it install the drivers new I suppose.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Man, this sucks. Literally weeks before I was going to pull the trigger on a SNB build.

Although, I'm still considering it. I can chance being in the 10%-15% of users whose SATA ports die in 3 years. I upgrade every 2 years anyway. Plus, I'm sure I can still find a P67 board somewhere, and then once April comes around, I'd happily do an advance replacement during the RMA/recall process.

I was banking on the increased horsepower for a 3D animation I'm currently working on. Sucks that I would otherwise have to wait until April (ugghhh) to go with Sandy Bridge. Having my renders finish 50%-65% quicker is so appealing to me, hence why I'm considering still buying and taking my chances, or taking part in the RMA process.

Or maybe it's time to consider the i7 980X, but then I'd be stuck with 1366.

Anybody else in the same boat?

I look at it like this, I've waited this long, I can wait a few more months. It's still a good CPU and cheap, they just need to work the kinks out. At least they caught it, rather than wait a few years and deny there's an issue.

 

[ahurtt]

I thought the CPU isn't affected, but the chipset on the Mobo? Correct me if I'm wrong?

You are right but what are you gonna do with a nice shiny new socket 1155 CPU with no motherboard for it to call home? Does anybody know of any Socket 1155 Sandy Bridge desktop motherboards out there anywhere right now that DON'T use the affected 6 series chipsets? I don't.

 

[Krynj]

Very true. I'm just getting very eager for a 2600K. It'll cut my render times by more than half.

Since this new 'bug' is said to only affect the 3gbps ports, wouldn't this board be mostly unaffected by the bug, since it has 4 6gbps ports? 4 SATA ports is all I need.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157217

Or am I just having some sort of brain fart here?

 

[Engineer]

Read on another site that Intel is recalling 8 million chipsets. Going to take some time to recall so many and ramp up new production while playing catch up. Any bets that new boards will be available for sale long before any board OEM offers replacements to the end users who already have a defective chipset?:sneaky:

 

[joe_H]

You are right but what are you gonna do with a nice shiny new socket 1155 CPU with no motherboard for it to call home? Does anybody know of any Socket 1155 Sandy Bridge desktop motherboards out there anywhere right now that DON'T use the affected 6 series chipsets? I don't.

Well, in my case, since everything is still on a UPS truck getting delivered this week, my shiny new 2500k will stay in a box waiting for me to decide what to do. I wanted clarification that there were no problems with the chips themselves, as I won't be RMA'ing the chip.

Of course I may just build the thing anyway. I have 5 SATA devices, meaning 4 on the SATA6 ports, and my old DVD-RW on the potentially problematic SATA3 port.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[Anomaly1964]

Well, in my case, since everything is still on a UPS truck getting delivered this week, my shiny new 2500k will stay in a box waiting for me to decide what to do. I wanted clarification that there were no problems with the chips themselves, as I won't be RMA'ing the chip.

Of course I may just build the thing anyway. I have 5 SATA devices, meaning 4 on the SATA6 ports, and my old DVD-RW on the potentially problematic SATA port.

Decisions, decisions...

DO IT!

Mine is running fine...

 

[webstar]

"Intel have discovered a bug that potentially could be a problem somewhere down the line. Although Intel have identified a possibility of some CPU degradation"

I've read it somewhere... Could it be true?

 

[joe_H]

DO IT!

Mine is running fine...

LOL...peer pressure...

 

[arh2o]

"Intel have discovered a bug that potentially could be a problem somewhere down the line. Although Intel have identified a possibility of some CPU degradation"

I've read it somewhere... Could it be true?

It's from the Front Page of the Scan site: http://www.scan.co.uk/shops/intel/news

Dunno if it's true, Anand didn't mention anything regarding it on his news post.

 

[Vette73]

You are right but what are you gonna do with a nice shiny new socket 1155 CPU with no motherboard for it to call home? Does anybody know of any Socket 1155 Sandy Bridge desktop motherboards out there anywhere right now that DON'T use the affected 6 series chipsets? I don't.

Nope only 2 chipsets right now for desktop. Intel will not allow others to make them so they shot themself in the foot with that. VIA saved their butt during the whole rambus days but now they will lose about a billion on this.

 

[eddietandy]

It would be mighty nice if they could send out SATA controller cards to affected retail customers. I've got 4 1TB drives and only 2 quality ports now.

Ideally I could look in DiskCheckup for telltale signs of the problem. Should a Write Error Count raw value of 6 and 9 on two drives cause any concern?

 

[ahurtt]

We don't know for sure. Nobody does. But what we do know is that Intel narrowed down this particular problem, and found that only the SATA 3.0 ports are affected by it. Could there be a separate issue affecting other ports? Sure. But that's the risk involved with hardware... or man-made products, or life in general. Risk is inherent as nothing is perfect.

Plus you run the risk that if your system is performing otherwise fine and you can get around having to use the affected ports...but you RMA the board anyway, who's to say the next motherboard you get won't have some other totally random unrelated manufacturing defect? Any number of things can go wrong and I'm sure at this point there have been tons of RMAs on sandy bridge motherboards for reasons that have nothing to do with the SATA controllers. There's always some risk involved.

 

[ahurtt]

It would be mighty nice if they could send out SATA controller cards to affected retail customers. I've got 4 1TB drives and only 2 quality ports now.

Ideally I could look in DiskCheckup for telltale signs of the problem. Should a Write Error Count raw value of 6 and 9 on two drives cause any concern?

Well if I understand the article right, what you have to do is use those figures as a baseline and observe over time to see if they increase. Unless you have a solid baseline against which to compare, those numbers 6 and 9 don't really mean much.