Intel Says Some CPU Models Will Never Receive Microcode Updates (bleepingcomputer.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Intel released an update to the Meltdown and Spectre mitigation guide, revealing that it stopped working on mitigations for some processor series. The Meltdown and Spectre mitigation guide is a PDF document that Intel published in February. The file contains information on the status of microcode updates for each of Intel's CPU models released in the past years. Intel has constantly updated the document in the past weeks with new information about processor series and the microcode firmware version number that includes patches for the Meltdown and Spectre flaws.

An update published on Monday includes for the first time a "Stopped" production status. Intel says that processors with a "Stopped" status will not receive microcode updates. The reasons basically vary from "redesigning the CPU micro-architecture is impossible or not worth the effort" to "it's an old CPU" and "customers said they don't need it." The following Intel processor products received a "Stopped" status marker: Bloomfield, Bloomfield Xeon, Clarksfield, Gulftown, Harpertown Xeon C0, Harpertown Xeon E0, Jasper Forest, Penryn/QC, SoFIA 3GR, Wolfdale C0, Wolfdale M0, Wolfdale E0, Wolfdale R0, Wolfdale Xeon C0, Wolfdale Xeon E0, Yorkfield, and Yorkfield Xeon.

Comments

Re:This is BS.

[Aaden42]

Realistically most enterprise customers use hardware for 3 to a MAXIMUM of 5 years, then it's out the door. Even high-end Xeon CPU's. It's entirely plausible that the bulk of actual enterprise customers(*) don't care.

(*) Note: actual enterprise customers, not nerds who buy surplus servers off eBay to run in their basements.

Disclaimer: I am one such nerd.

This is not entirely fair.

[emil]

AMD isn't pushing a Spectre fix for older CPUs. Nor is Qualcomm for Snapdragon. Nor is Samsung for Exynos. We could go on for quite a long time with such a list.

If you need the fix for your i7 which Intel has abandoned (just like all the vendors above), run a modern Linux kernel where you see the file /sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/spectre_v2. If this file contains the word "Full" then your kernel is protected, and you don't need microcode.

The microcode is only required on Skylake and newer for full remediation.

Re:RL Support Timelines

[mckwant]

I hear you, but there are valid reasons for driving a '55 Chevy. I'm a 2000 Civic guy myself, but old cars are pretty, and if mechanic-ing is your thing, Godspeed.

Less confident that's the case here, though. I haven't tracked Intel names for a while now, but got bored/curious, data Wikipedia except for one:

Bloomfield / Bloomfield Xeon: 4c/8t, running 2.4-3.3GHz, produced '08-'11.
Clarksfield: Mobile Quad i7, 1.6-2.0GHz base, 3.2 turbo. 45W TDP, produced '08-11.
Gulftown: 6 cores running 3.2-3.4GHz, production started in '11
Harpertown: Quad core, 2-3.4GHz, produced '07-present
Jasper Forest: Quad core, 1.7-2.4GHz, produced '10-present
Penryn: Mobile C2D, 2-4 cores, 1.2-3GHz, produced '07-'11
SoFIA 3GR: (Intel page) 2W TDP, 1.1GHz Atoms, and that's enough about that
Wolfdale: 2 cores, 2.5-3.5GHz, produced '07-'11
Yorkfield: Quad core, 2.3-3.2GHz, produced '07-'11

What in there is worth the time to refurbish? Bloomfield/Gulftown, we'll talk, maybe, but it would literally have to drop into my lap, come in a fully functioning box, and I'd have to invent a task for it. Even then, finding memory/cards/etc. would be problematic, and you're definitely stuck on USB 2.0. At best. No, I'm not doing the research.

I can see why folks are getting their shorts in a bind, but let's pump the brakes a little bit, anyway. I dunno. Probably just another "Yeah, you're officially old now" moment.