The AMDs are the main ones getting hit with BSOD issues after installing the latest Windows security update. And whether you have Intel/AMD chips, the AV software has to implement an ok/ready update first so it won't prevent the MS update from installing. So make sure your AV software is prepped for the update if you plan on installing it. The bios/uefi will also need a flash fix soon.

 

Last edited: Jan 7, 2018

Well, i 'll just have to re-assemble some of my oldies and run the Intel test exe. I got a E4300 Core2 Duo (2006), a Core2 Quad QX 6700 Extreme (late '06-early 2007). We'll see if they pass the test hehehe...
PS: I do remember someone (perhaps a comp.science professor ?) around the Pentium 4 era had posted some disturbing info of how intel's architecture was unsafe but i cannot recall if it was related in anyway. I have to look into it more thoroughly.

 

Last edited: Jan 7, 2018

What is that?

 

For me the real impact is the vulnerability at the CPU level, not so much the CPU hit if it's really low like the firsts tests seem to prove. It's completely different from an OS vulnerability like we are used to.

For sysadmins must be a nightmare in every sense, but for we domestic users it's still a big problem even if the CPU hit is low. I mean, it's a sad thing to buy a "crippled" CPU (I'm overstating), even if the real impact is low.

 

@Blorg
It's the Intel-SA-00086 Detection Tool
Here:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000025619/software.html

 

Wrong tool.

All CPUs since the mid-90s are affected, so would be pretty pointless releasing a tool.

 

@Blorg Yep my bad Meltdown is CVE-2017-5754 ,where as this tool tests for CVE-2017-5711 and CVE-2017-5712
I stand corrected

 

From Woody Leonhard
--------------------------------


Microsoft yanks all of this month’s Windows patches for “devices with impacted AMD processors”
Posted on January 9th, 2018 at 05:49 woody Comment on the AskWoody Lounge
Let’s hear it for beta testing.

Early this morning, Microsoft officially announced that it was pulling all of this month’s Meltdown/Spectre patches for folks with AMD processors.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.


Widespread reports of blue screens (0X000000C4 and 0x800f0845) with Meltdown/Spectre patches for Win7 (KB 4056894) and Win10 1709 (KB 4056892)
Posted on January 8th, 2018 at 06:14 woody Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

Several AMD processor series – Athlon, Sempron, Opteron and Turion — seem most at risk, but others are reporting problems.

Thx to @abbodi86 for the info about the difference between version 1 and version 2 of KB 4056894 — only the metadata changed, not the patches themselves.

 

The funny thing is how he turns the whole meltdown/spectre subject as a "triumphant" point of how the industry got together to fight this hahaha. Just apply the soft patches and you 'll be fine. Pat on the back, attaboy. Unbelievable. No signs of remorse whatsoever
Bravo Intel.

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2018

So true lol
At least the Wolkswagen "We fucked up" guy was more sincere. Well, he knew he was going to get kicked in the ass anyway so...

 

fixed in macOS 10.13.2 (17C88)

 

Wow, these are some old ones. Let's hope for the best!

That's true. Of course that's important. It's not really comforting me that you're basically using a chip that's very unsafe and also hard to fix. And for sure many people will try to abuse it. I won't be surprised if I start seeing a lot of attacks soon. It's very vulnerable indeed. And likely there will be even more patches into it. So maybe the impact could be still bigger, right?

 

That much I don't know. There always be even more dangerous bugs in the software level. But you can almost always fix a software (Windows, Linux, etc) precisely because it's software.

You can't properly fix hardware like a CPU, so it's supposed to not have this kind of vulnerabilities. I can't help but sense a much bigger perception of the failure on a CPU.

 

I have an ancient Quad Extreme as my main computer...

Wasn't it still the Athlon supremacy era? It's just a wild guess, but I wonder how much of the evolution under heavy competence was (is) at the expense of the security.

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2018

After the windows fix for this issue, i had a very slow computer.
Had to update firewall ( this was really due ) good improvement.
Has to update bios (to make sure) and that really improved everything !!

the logic behind these 2 actions is :
- Firewall : since the windows fix won't appear unless your AV is totally up to date, i finally decided to update my firewall too.
I should have done that as soon has it was released - i know ...
- Bios : since the bug is in the heart of the computer itself (the processor), i tough it became necessary to do that. And it really paid off.

 

@Xupito hey mate You are very right about the p4, it was still the AMD dominance era. I had a p4 3.8 ghz and except some occasions, it sucked when compared to my athlon64 2.4ghz of those days. Then intel practically mimicked amd's architecture and it was the start of a long "burial" for AMD, sadly.
That extreme i mentioned was the first intel quad cpu, 2.66 ghz. I guess it was what put the final nail in AMD's coffin for the next 10 yrs. I had it oc'd at 3.2 ghz for almost 7 yrs, at one point it was running macosx 10.8 for 2 yrs. Needless to say oc'd at full load it consumed about 180 watts. I put it to rest a couple of yrs ago, even at default it's a 135w cpu. It didn't do much the last yrs anyway, just internet jobbies and some soft tests but still an i5 seemed better (and much more quiet) for the job.
So u still work on an old quad extreme ? If you can live with the ram limitation i don't see why not.
I dunno about upgrades, until the whole meltdown thing is settled the future seems bleak to me, threadripper seems the wisest workstation choice atm. Intel fkd up bigtime. And they had already fkd up with x299 which is a total mess, and with x370 which is the same socket as x170 and x270 but -WTF- incompatible.

 

Last edited: Jan 11, 2018

Good days. I remember buying a Duron, the cheap Cache Level 2 reduced version of the Athlon. Worked like a charm.

In fact I can't complain. Indeed the worst limitation is the 8GB RAM, but I have the 3Ghz one. Easy air OC to 3.8 Ghz except summer, decent single core performance. My last step before buying a new one would be water cooling. For like 50 euros I can reach safely 4.5Ghz.

I'm not in a hurry because HDD and SSD aside I'll need to buy a new "everything else". Mobo, RAM, CPU, and so on.

I'm totally outdated in last gen CPUs and GPUs but yesterday I run into a reddit thread about thie topic and even without understanding everything I was horrified with the things I read about Intel moves.
I mean, things like replacing solded parts with thermal paste.. WTF?

Edited: And about the absurd number of different sockets... no comments. Didn't have a bus-like socket the Pentium II? One of the weirdest things I've seen in my life when a friend of mine asked for help and I opened his computer.

 

Last edited: Jan 11, 2018

Could it be

?
That's how almost everything is glued together now.

 

Except that there is no soldering process in the case I read.
Neither solder paste, only thermal paste.

I'll elaborate:

And perhaps the most accurate description would be:

 

Last edited: Jan 11, 2018

Could you link me to the reddit post?