What are the specific RMA policies and extended‑warranty programs Intel offered to owners of affected 13th/14th‑Gen desktop CPUs?

1. What Intel announced: the two‑year warranty extension and intent to replace

Intel’s headline move was a two‑year extension to its boxed‑processor warranty for specified 13th/14th‑Gen desktop SKUs—announced as additional support for owners who have experienced instability symptoms—and the company has said it will replace affected processors and publish more details on the program ^{[2] [4] [1]}.

2. Which CPUs are in scope and how Intel described coverage

Intel has published a list of covered SKUs—the extended warranty is targeted at higher‑TDP Raptor Lake B0‑die parts and spans many Core i5, i7 and i9 boxed models from mid‑range to flagship (examples run from i5‑13600K up to i9‑13900KS and their 14th‑Gen equivalents), and Intel framed the program as applying to new and previously purchased boxed processors on that list ^{[5] [3] [2]}.

3. Who is eligible and the split between boxed retail, tray and OEM/system‑integrator purchases

The extension and direct RMA routes apply to boxed (retail) processors—owners of boxed CPUs can contact Intel Customer Support for an RMA—whereas tray processors or CPUs bought inside prebuilt systems must be handled through the retailer or the system manufacturer, meaning Intel directed OEM/system‑integrator buyers to contact their sellers for service ^{[6] [4] [5]}.

4. How RMA and replacement mechanics were described by Intel

Intel’s general warranty/RMA framework includes Standard Warranty Replacement, Rapid/Advanced Replacement options, and the company provides RMA numbers and packaging instructions upon approval; for the 13th/14th‑Gen effort Intel said it would “support customers in the exchange process” and replace affected CPUs with fresh units when validated ^{[7] [2] [3]}.

5. Time limits, caps and administrative details Intel set or implied

Intel’s public posts and community updates stated the two‑year extension is counted from date of purchase and increases the cumulative warranty up to a maximum of five years for qualifying boxed processors, and Intel later published ongoing updates and clarifications on eligibility as investigations continued ^{[8] [2] [4]}.

6. How OEMs and system vendors responded and interact with Intel’s program

Major integrators and OEMs signalled they would honor Intel’s two‑year extension for affected processors in systems they sold and urged impacted customers to contact manufacturer support, which means owners of prebuilt systems should expect warranty service to run through the system vendor rather than through Intel directly ^{[9] [4]}.

7. Reported friction, denials and pitfalls in practice

Several outlets and community reports documented real friction: some customers described slow or confusing RMA interactions, Intel staff in at least one reported case telling a claimant chips might be counterfeit and units being retained when they “fail the validation process” with no replacement or refund provided, prompting Intel to urge customers denied earlier to reach back out for “further assistance and remediation” ^{[10] [6] [5] [3]}. Intel’s public messaging acknowledges prior RMA issues and asks affected customers who were unsuccessful in earlier RMAs to contact Intel Customer Support ^{[6] [2]}.

8. Bottom line: what owners can expect right now

Owners of boxed, covered 13th/14th‑Gen desktop CPUs may be eligible for an additional two years of warranty (typically bringing covered SKUs to five years total), can request RMAs from Intel for retail boxed chips and should expect replacement if the unit validates as defective, while those with tray/OEM systems must go through their vendor; however, real‑world RMA experiences have varied, and Intel has warned some failed validations result in units being retained without replacement—so persistence with Intel Support or the system vendor is necessary where previous RMAs were denied ^{[1] [7] [10] [6]}.