Intel Admits USB Problem With Haswell Processors, Confirms Fix

Intel on Friday admitted that a flaw exists in the USB 3.0 connection por on its Haswell processors. The bug is related to the silicon that was used is creating the USB ports. The bug has caused USB 3.0 ports to vanish after entering a low power state.

The USB device is immediately recognized again after a user disconnects and reconnects the USB device. The Haswell chips operate with as little as 10-watts of power. The chipset was demonstrated on-stage during the Linktext 2012 Consumer Electronics Show demo. The demo allowed an Ultrabook to run for 13-hours on a single charge with a detachable-keyboard.

In a statement regarding the bug, Intel said it was planning to move forward with the Haswell processors launch after issuing a quick fix. According to the company:

“4th gen Core is on track for a midyear launch. Intel issued a PCN (Product Change Notification) documenting a chipset USB errata and stating that chipsets with the errata will be in production during the initial ramp. But Intel has confirmed that there is no chance of data loss or corruption. This issue has only been observed with a small subset of USB SuperSpeed thumb drives and does not affect other USB peripherals. We take all customer issues seriously and should any customer have a question or concern they can always contact Intel customer support.”

Intel will send a revised version of the chip to manufacturers starting April 19. The final version of the Intel Haswell chip will become available on July 15.

Because PC manufacturers have had the Haswell chipset on-hand for the last two months, it is likely that some devices may feature the flaw upon release.

Not only is the Haswell chipset a lower power consumer; it also doubles graphical processing performance.

PC manufacturers and Mac OS X desktops are expected to incorporate the Intel Haswell processor with its USB 3.0 capabilities by the second half of 2013.