Intel Recalls Quad Core Xeon CPU Because of Inadequate Stock Cooler
by Anton Shilov on November 14, 2019 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
- Intel
- Xeon
- Coffee Lake
- Xeon E
Intel this week recalled one of its boxed processors because the bundled cooling system the company supplied has been found to be insufficient for fully cooling the CPU. For any Intel partners with stock, this specific chip is being recalled, with Intel suggesting a chip-only tray/OEM version as a replacement.
The processor in question is the boxed quad-core Xeon E-2274G (Coffee Lake), which has an official TDP rating of 83 W. The boxed CPU was supplied with Intel’s DHA-A heatsink (PN: E97378-003), which apparently cannot cool the chip well enough to meet Intel's own requirements. As a result, Intel is recalling the boxed chip. Curiously, Intel has used their DHA-A cooler with chips up to 84W since at least 2013, which makes the whole recall rather bizarre.
Intel’s distributors are advised to return existing inventory of the boxed Xeon E-2274G product and get a tray version instead. It is unclear whether Intel intends to release a new boxed version of its Xeon E-2274G processor with a new cooler, but for now the company recommends to use tray version of the chip with a proper third-party cooling device.
UPDATE 11/18: A source with knowledge of the matter told us that as many as 50 Xeon E-2274G processors were shipped with a 'wrong' cooler, which made Intel recall the whole batch.
UPDATE 11/22: Intel's official statement on the matter reads as follows:
"Intel has identified that the very small quantity of Boxed Intel Xeon E-2274G Processor product shipped with an incorrect thermal solution. This solution may impact system performance due to processor throttling. This issue only applies to the Boxed Intel Xeon E-2274G Processor product. This is not an issue with the processor itself. This does not impact tray versions of the same processor number that do not include a thermal solution."
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A5 - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Have to admit I didn't even know Intel sold boxed versions of the Xeons.deil - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
yeah and that one looks like Pentium cooler. small mistake propably a typo :) in specpsychobriggsy - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Well I doubt many people bought boxed quad-core Xeons.But this does suggest that Intel might want to use more than just base clocks to decide TDP.
Marlin1975 - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
"The cooling system has been used by Intel for CPUs with an 84 W TDP since at least 2013, which makes the whole recall bizarre."No its not bizarre. Even anandtechs own reviews show Intels "TDP" ratinh is worthless now. They keep twisting what it means so much its next to worthless.
At least AMD admitted its CPUs were power hungry during its bulldozer days.
deil - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
everybody scales the CPU as far as they can so initial thing is always a bit different.bulldozer were bad so they cranked the power to at least have some performance.
right now AMD have more power headroom so they are less on edge, while all intel did for 3-4 gens was adding more juice to cpu. If they would increase TDP each time, marketing would cry.
Death666Angel - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
TDP is the value that the cooler needs to be able to cool in order to guarantee that the CPU can run at its advertised base clocks. If this is a 84W TDP cooler running a 83W TDP CPU and it cannot do that, there is something bizarre going on. When has Intel "twisted" it to the point of worthlessness? Maybe you never understood it in the first place and thought it was supposed to mean "the power consumption of the chip when running my favorite game".Smartcom5 - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
In light of the recent flaws we heard just a couple of hours ago (and how Intel knowingly shipped Cascade Lake with a flaws they were fully aware of, despite saying said SKUs being unaffected), people should THINK about some bits here, how it may end up being just another piece of the puzzle and eventually paint yourself the bigger picture already.I'm not saying Intel made them EOL and tries to pulls those to be replaced by newer CPUs with different steppings which may be unaffected to prevent another law-suit, but this TDP-thing here looks like a flimsy excuse for the fact that Intel a) sets its boxed SKU as EOL and b) even asks given SKUs for being RETURNED for being replaced by tray-variants afterwards.
Whole thing tastes a bit sour, though it may be just me digging some Salt™ again …
PeachNCream - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Regardless of the reasoning, customers expect OEM boxed coolers to properly cool the CPU they are shipped with and if said coolers are insufficient then something needs to be done to address the problem. I do agree with Marlin though because Intel's rated TDP is not reflective of the CPU in a variety of workloads and that can present the company as dishonestly representing their wares.lipscomb88 - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
I'm not sure this is the definition of tdp, for either Intel or amd. Definitely not for amd according to a really good gamers nexus video done in the past month. I think maybe this is Intel's definition of tdp, but I don't exactly remember.Even if it is Intel's definition, the multi core enhancement of recent chips that violate their rules of time limits of power could potentially break these wimpy coolers and throttle the cpus. Maybe xeons are more tightly controlled than desktop parts however.
Ian Cutress - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
>Really good GN videoor
The extensive AnandTech articles on TDP and Turbo