Yikes -- not good -- this is just in from several web sources and now Intel confirmed it. It seems that Intel is applying a "silicon fix" in their chipset segment. The bad news is that it is the new Intel 6 Series chipset, Cougar Point (H67/P67) which has been found to have a flaw which has something to do with the SATA controller.
Intel is indicating that the ports can "degrade over time," leading to poor i/o performance down the road. All shipments have been stopped and a fix has been implemented for new deliveries, but it sounds like recalls will be starting soon for those with this ticking time bomb silicon within. It isn't a problem right now, though, so if you own a Sandy Bridge Core i5 or Core i7 system keep computing with confidence while looking for a recall notice.
What's going on ?
Here's the thing we can confirm, the problem is to be found solely in the SATA 300 controller, the SATA 600 controllers are unaffected as well as any other added controllers on your motherboard.
On the up-to four SATA2 (SATA 300) ports in a timeframe measured over years, your performance failure rate 5% to 15% based on standard usage. The controller simply will produce more errors and as that result the controller performance thus will go down as it tries to correct it. Worst case scenario is that the overhead would get so big that your HDD/SSD would not be recognized in Windows any longer. These predictions are all based on statistical numbers though.
This is not something that can be fixed with a BIOS update, a new revision fix of the silicon is the only alternative.
Who is effected
But yeah, this likely means the replacement of all Sandy-Bridge-based motherboards, laptops, and pre-built PCs currently on store shelves or already in running in your home.
The costs
Intel said a design error in one of its chips will reduce sales and profit margins as it spends $700 million to repair and replace affected products. Currently 8 million chipsets have been distributed. Next to that Intel expects to miss $300 million in sales due to this. So that's a Billion dollar right writeoff there.
Intel on the matter
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2011 - As part of ongoing quality assurance, Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel
