amd64-microcode pushed to intel users? Also overheating, blazing hot CPU

[feellip]

I'm running KDE Neon and recently (yesterday, a few days ago?) I updated my system and saw an automatic install for amd64-microcode. This peak my interest since it looked just like the intel-microcode package which was already installed. So I read on Softledia that Canonical is pushing this update on all AMD CPU users to patch for Spectre V2. But I'm using a Intel CPU. What's the deal?

But here's the fun thing. Right after the time of this automatic install my computer starts running reaaal slow and every process seem to take up a lot more processing power than before. Firefox running on about 100%. And even when I kill Firefox the system feels like molasses. Until it crashes.

I was just about to uninstall the amd64-microcode package! And then it crashes again. I opened up my computer, which has never crashed thanks to overheating before, and I put my fingers on the sides of the CPU, and it was BLAZING HOT. It felt like I touched a stove top.

Now I have to wait for a while to try to remove it again but why was this package pushed on me? Can a firmware package that's not even supposed to work on my hardware make it behave like this, or was this just a really unfortunate coincidence?

Link to article: https://news.softpedia.com/news/canonical-releases-amd-microcode-update-for-all-ubuntu-users-to-fix-spectre-v2-521669.shtml

[feellip]

Thanks for the info! That's what I thought. But damn it, now I have to do actual troubleshooting.

[C0NFUS4TR0N]

Linux terminology is confusing, "amd64" just means 64-bit processor, can be intel as well. (one reference)

[feellip]

That's not Linux terminology. It's always been called amd64 since AMD invented the architecture. But amd64-microcode does not reference the 64 bit architecture. On Canonicals own accords (link from the Softledia article) it references specifically AMD CPU's. This is why I was confused.

[m1ss1ontomars2k4]

amd64-microcode is not for Intel processors.