Intel Updates Microcode Binaries For Ice Lake On Linux

Intel on Friday quietly released new Intel CPU microcode files for Linux.

Normally the "Intel Linux Processor Microcode Data Files" are updated in-step for all supported generations, but this new binary drop is limited to Ice Lake U/Y processors. Unfortunately, no change-log at hand for what has been shifted with this new CPU microcode drop for Linux users.

It's worth noting that this is the first Intel CPU microcode drop for Linux systems since the November release back when addressing the JCC Erratum bug. Since then they haven't released any new CPU microcode updates via their Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-Files portal.

Though in this time there have been new CPU vulnerability disclosures needing microcode updates. Some motherboard vendors have shipped more recent microcode updates as part of updated system firmware / BIOS, but there hasn't been any new microcode file releases separate from that for Linux users in addressing this year's vulnerabilities needing microcode updates for mitigation.

I'll do some poking at this new Ice Lake microcode release and see if there are any performance ramifications. Those wanting the new release can grab it from Intel-Linux-Processor-Microcode-Data-Files.

UPDATE: Benchmarks of seemingly the newest Intel CPU performance hit.