Hardware Home: Intel Core 2 CPU error discovered and patched
By: Oscar Meade - Published June 28, 2007 at 4:22 PM EDT - Writer Archive
Error in TLB cache in Intel Core 2 CPUs that is used to improve the speed of virtual address translations fixed.
Via The Inq: "At first Intel posted the details about these particular errata back in late April inside a Core 2 Specification Update PDF document, explaing how this error could cause memory leaks and ultimately, lead to crashes.

"We've addressed a processor issue by providing a BIOS update for our customers that in no way affects system performance. We have documented this as an errata. All processors from all companies have errata, and Intel has a well-known errata communication process to inform our customers and the public. Keep in mind the probability of encountering this issue is low. Intel documented the issue a few months ago - Specification Updates for the affected processors are available at http://developer.intel.com."

The errata inside all Core 2 processors (T series, E series, Q series, QX series and Xeon 5000 series) can appear in very rare cases, and it can result a computer refusing to accept keyboard of mouse inputs. In Windows environment, it may result with a worldly known Blue Screen of Death, while Linux'es of this world may end up with kernel panic.

In conclusion, this problem has been fixed, with BIOS updates for motherboards containing fixes after the erratum was posted on developer.intel.com. Microsoft came up with a patch that will stop errata from possibly appearing, Apple already updated Mac OS X while the Linux status is unknown at time of writing*. It remains to be seen whether the companies will rather choose to go full disclosure of every error that happens in the future"