The instability of Intel’s 13th and 14th Generation K-series processors has become a prevalent issue, especially in gaming scenarios. Over the past few months, we have encountered difficulties with three Core i9-13900KF processors (with one RMA still pending) and a Core i7-14700KF. The initial RMA replacement failed, followed by the replacement of the replacement, both exhibiting the same problematic behavior, which led to Intel issuing a refund. Despite utilizing the standard “Intel Default” power settings and implementing the eTVB (Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost) solution, our latest unit replacement has displayed intermittent stability until it crashes once more.

A common scenario where these crashes occur is within The First Descendant game, which is constructed on Unreal Engine 5. The game is notoriously known for crashing frequently during loading, shader compilation, gameplay, and even cutscenes. Despite only spending 34 minutes in-game, The First Descendant crashed a total of seven times, encompassing five system crashes (BSODs) and two instances of crash to desktop (CTDs).

Upon examining the Windows event viewer, a plethora of crash logs referring to “NVIDIA LocalSystem Container” surfaced. This issue is widely recognized to be related to Intel CPUs, as the processors tend to become unstable without a clear cause. The current unit, being the second replacement via RMA, has operated under the standard “Intel Default” power configuration along with the eTVB firmware patch.

Coincidentally, the application log consistently records Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) warnings just before each BSOD occurrence. These warnings indicate attempts by the Intel Management Engine (Intel ME Prov) to access the LocalSystem account, potentially leading to security breaches if not properly authorized.

Furthermore, the Windows event viewer reveals warnings related to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), arising before each BSOD crash. These warnings highlight the Intel Management Engine (Intel ME Prov) attempting to access the LocalSystem account without proper authorization, potentially posing security risks.