i5-6600k random freeze, how do i replace it? (Brazil)

[TAmor]

My computer has been freezing randomly since i got it, and since them ive tested every single piece, switched every single component except the cpu since them. Updated every avaiable firmware these months along with newer drivers for everything i could find. Finally ive pinned down the issue to being the CPU.

Have been looking into several hardware foruns and ive found a lot of people with the same issue using skylakes, and they either solved by turning off the cpu c-states in bios, or by getting another CPU through warranty. Well the bios options did nothing for me, ive tested everything possible with no luck, and my last shot is trying the CPU warranty.

To be clear, i am using the motherboard GA-Z170N-WIFI with its latest (and have tried prior) bios, F7.

Here is the catch though, the boxed cpu (i dont have the box anymore) was bought in the US through Amazon Prime, and i'm in Brazil, i went to the support in the website for Brazil, in portuguese, it checked the CPU FPO and said i have warranty till 2019, i filled all the details and was faced with this:

System Unavailable

Intel Customer Support Service Request Management is unavailable. We are actively working to resolve the system issue.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience.

• Intel Customer Support Team

And upon checking online and in foruns apparently its been like this for a long time.

So to sum it up, my CPU is faulty with random freezes (around 1-4 freezes a day) and i cant reach support in Brazil to make use of its warranty.

Can i get some help with how to proceed? Will i be able to get a replacement?

[idata]

Hello Thadd:

Let me apologize for any inconvenience in trying to replace the processor. I sent you a private message, please verify your inbox. Any questions, please let me know. Alberto

[TAmor]

Hello again,

Thanks for the reply, i've been contacted by the support through email and have been approved for RMA and i fully appreciate the help, but the process requires me to send some information and in order to not make any mistakes i need to clear up a couple of things i came across. I sent these questions to the support but they replied that the RMA team would reply, they havent, and theres no address to reply to directly to that team in the RMA email, so ill try to ask them here, in order to be sure i'll get everything right.

1- Most important one: One of the requirements is to fill a personal responsability form, and one information in particular is the issue, the CPU was bough in the US, so i have the Invoice order from Amazon, but this form, since i'm in Brazil, requests me to fill it with the brazilian version of an Invoice, which would be an electronic nota fiscal, or "nf-e" number, and it doesnt exist due to the CPU being purchased in the US and brought legally through customs. So, do i leave it blank, or do i give the Invoice form number along with it printed inside the package? What would be the best approach?

2- Support said for me to package the cooler along with it (nothing about it on the RMA email though), but this boxed i5-6600k didnt come with one, i don't think any of them do.

3- Since this is my main desktop, i intend to send it soon, but in a timely manner that wouldnt affect me too much, so to be clear, once the RMA process is approved, how long do i have to send the CPU? I saw that the address is for a logistics center in Brazil, is the RMA handled here or is the CPU sent to the US before i get a replacement? Meaning, how long can the process to receive another replacement take?

4- Is this the correct address?

UPS SCS Logistica (Brasil) Ltda.

Av. Dr. Antônio João Abdalla, 260,

Galpão 400, Parte "C",

Aberturas de 1 a 8, Empresarial Colina,

Cajamar - SP

07750-020

Brazil

I'll send it anyway, but i dont want to make a mistake regarding the invoice as stated on "1", and would be nice to be aware of the maximum span of time for the process.

I hope you can clear this details up so no possible inconvenient issues arise and i can go ahead with no worries.

Thanks in advance!

[idata]

Hello Thadd:

Let me apologize for any inconvenience in trying to get the details about how to properly send the processor to be replaced. An agent from the warranty support department from Brazil will get in contact with you within the next 24 hours to provide all the information you are requesting. Any questions, please let me know. Alberto

[TAmor]

Hello,

Ive sent the CPU and Intel received it in 10/05/2016, the RMA email intel sent me stated: 3 days for verification and another 5-7 for delivery. Its been 12 days total now.

Since the ticket hasnt been updated i figured that it wasnt even sent, so i have inquired through email if there was something wrong, and i just received an email from Intel support which said that Intel is scheduled to send it to me only after 11/07/16.

Thats more than a month, despite the cpu showing issues i wouldnt have sent it to Intel if i knew Intel is not reliable to follow its own promised schedule. What stops Intel from a month from now again not delivering it and saying it will need another month? How can i even trust this new schedule? I cannot afford to be without a desktop computer for more than a month because Intel didnt follow through with its own schedule.

I an deeply disappointed with this lack of efficiency and i really don't know what to do, because i need a working computer.

[idata]

Hello Thadd:

First of all, let me apologize for any inconvenience and for all the time is taking for you to get the new processor. Right now you are reaching the technical support department for USA, so, I will escalate the case to the warranty department for Brazil, and agent will get in contact with you to let you know the reason why is taking so long, and to confirm if that is actually the date when you are going to receive it. Once again, let me apologize for all the inconvenience this might have caused you. Any questions, please let me know. Alberto

[TAmor]

Hello again,

I dont think the support that has been talking to me through email is actually from Brazil, because they barely speak portuguese. But i appreciate any help.

Before sending the cpu to Intel i asked over and over for Intel support to confirm the maximum date for the warranty exchange, and they replied to me with 10 days, another reply this last friday even said 7 working days. Now they say its another month because they dont have the cpu in stock, which completely screwed me over, because that means i wont have a PC until then, which will force me to buy another CPU. if Intel had given me real information about how long it could take, i might have not gone through with this to begin with.

I am deeply disappointed with all of this, even though i do appreciate how friendly and informative the support have been, the whole point was to get through an efficient warranty, and that failed.

Thaddeus.

[idata]

Hello Thadd:

Once again let me apologize for any inconvenience. The best thing that I can do, that and I already did, was to transfer the case to the warranty support department for Brazil, so they can get in contact with you in regard to this problem. I am sure an agent from that department will get in contact with you to provide all the details about this situation. Maybe there is a delay on the replacement process, maybe they have a lot of orders and they have not got the chance to get in contact with you. But that is just me guessing, I am not sure if that is the case, but I am pretty sure they will get in contact with you. Any questions, please let me know. Alberto

[TAmor]

Hello again,

So, the second date given to me after intel failed the first one, 11/07/2016, was yesterday and ive yet to receive my cpu replacement. Intel received my faulty cpu and acknowledged it over a month ago now, 10/05/2016, and i seriously feel abandoned by Intel. My RMA number is 7502037948.

What now?

PS.: The Intel website support link for the community in Brazil leads me here, if there were one for Brazil, i wouldve posted there.

[idata]

Hello Thadd:

No problem at all, we are here to help you, and we also wanted to apologize once again for any inconvenience with the replacement process of the processor. On the link below you will find the phone numbers to get in contact with the Intel department that provides support for Brazil, at this point that will be the best way to contact them to be able to verify the status of the RMA: http://www.intel.com.br/content/www/br/pt/support/contact-support/lar-contact.html?_ga=1.186502185.1484536697.1477333301 http://www.intel.com.br/content/www/br/pt/support/contact-support/lar-contact.html?_ga=1.186502185.1484536697.1477333301 You can also use the options on the link below to contact them, the option for chat is also a fast way to do that: http://www.intel.com.br/content/www/br/pt/support/contact-support.html# @12 http://www.intel.com.br/content/www/br/pt/support/contact-support.html# @12 Any questions, please let me know. Alberto

[TAmor]

Hello again,

I've finally received the replacement CPU and it seems to be working fine, thanks for all the help.

[idata]

Hello Thadd:

Perfect, excellent, those are really great news. We are glad to hear that with the replacement processor the PC is working fine now. Regards Alberto