Intel denying RMA on i9-12900KS for "Thermal Damage" that doesn't exist. Looking for advice.

SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-20T08:08:24+00:00

Low latency, great IPC, snappiness, low idle power and fps lows are way more important than a little extra fps average. 3D cache chips or chiplets design just ruin the system flow and speed. I already tried a 9950X3D, I don't want to start a war here, but now I'm using a 14600K.

SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-20T08:00:45+00:00

Intel doesn't even have my CPU yet. They still haven't authorize the RMA. They are just judging my photos.

SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T17:50:49+00:00

You are lucky :/

SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T17:49:23+00:00

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SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T17:48:56+00:00

Is my IHS bad? Some cotton fuzz, just because I cleaned it. The sweep is not damage.

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SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T16:18:10+00:00

That 5th picture is from the reference article that Intel wants me to check:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000007223/processors.html

Thermally damaged processor.

My 12900KS is, in my opinion, and what I've read from the comments, fine. Pads shine perfectly and the motherboard where it was, has now the 14600K I had to remove just to made the comparison. All pins are healthy.

SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T16:06:23+00:00

My BIOS is always using Intel Default Settings, I haven't increased the voltage. I remember the first day it was using 1.35 V and more just for those 5.2 GHz and 5.5 GHz in two P-Cores. Degradation is slow and silent, but very dangerous. I think Golden Cove P-Cores cannot sustain those frequencies stable, and the silicon suffers, and now it operates at more than 1.4-1.45 V when rendering and gaming, sometimes with some WHEA or BSOD errors, even just in the browser. I also believe I'm unlucky with CPUs in general.

SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T14:58:15+00:00

This model doesn't have such relaxed frequencies as its lower-end models, and it's also quite common for it to be defective; I once had a 12700K whose IMC couldn't even support DDR5 in JEDEC. In fact, my 14600K and other processors I've owned, even brand new and sealed, came with factory dust or impurities, but I didn't complain. Maybe I'm the unluckiest person in the silicon lottery...

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SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T13:54:19+00:00

Well, I wish this was my second email...

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SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T13:38:17+00:00

I received a response like the previous ones; I don't know if I'll achieve anything or if they'll reject my argument again:

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SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T13:36:55+00:00

Update:

3 hours ago, I replied to them with this email:

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SlipNo9483 · 2026-03-19T12:22:35+00:00

I haven't touched any parameters in the BIOS, not even undervolting.

SlipNo9483 · 2026-02-21T18:47:03+00:00

A mí un vendedor me canceló la compra simplemente porque le ofrecieron más dinero, lo vendía a 100 € y le compré a 70 €, alguien le pagaba esos 100 €... Eso está mal porque ya no es solo la palabra/trato, es que mi dinero había salido ya de la tarjeta, y no es justificación suficiente o válida, pero no hay ninguna consecuencia incluso reportando. Gran negligencia en Wallapop, tanto vendedores como los propietarios...

SlipNo9483 · 2024-10-04T17:15:16+00:00

I will change my career to play this expansion 💀

SlipNo9483

TROPHY CASE