Author: LucidWaker
Subject: Intel's Atom C2000 chips are bricking products
Posted: 18 Feb 2017 at 10:11pm
Subject: Intel's Atom C2000 chips are bricking products
Posted: 18 Feb 2017 at 10:11pm
 wardog wrote:Have you seen note, in plain simple wording, of just how heavy a workload over what period of time Intel is talking of when they refer to this "degradation' and subsequent failure? |
In the updated product specification, the bug we're dealing with is stated as follows:
AVR54: System May Experience Inability to Boot or May Cease Operation
Problem: The SoC LPC_CLKOUT0 and/or LPC_CLKOUT1 signals (Low Pin Count bus clockoutputs) may stop functioning.
Implication: If the LPC clock(s) stop functioning the system will no longer be able to boot.
Workaround: A platform level change has been identified and may be implemented as a workaroundfor this erratum.
I have no real knowledge on the workings of CPU's on this level so I don't know if this is some basic functionality where other functionalities revolve around (this seems plausible as it apparently plays a role in booting the system) or that this is related to load driven operations.
As far as I understand it, it's supposed to be related to degradation of the actual semiconductor structure in the chip. Degradation rates of semiconductor materials will increase with heavier loads, but server boards are usually powered on for longer periods, so it will keep degrading over time regardless of load. So, I think load will play a part in how fast fatal degradation sets in, but it will happen over time regardless.
I read in one of the related articles that a fix could possibly be to reduce voltages in the related chip structures to decrease degradation rates but I don't know if ASRock themselves are able to achieve this on existing motherboards.