Hardware When do you think we will see Meltdown and Spectre fixed CPUs?

[Deleted User]

To start yes, I know I'm asking for some crystal ball gazing here. Just provide your opinion along with why you believe that to be the case.

There are already software patches to deal with Meltdown and Spectre but I'd feel more comfortable buying new technology if the bugs were fixed at a hardware level. If I'm to buy a new PS4, phone or computer I'd prefer to delay my purchase unless absolutely necessary. I might have to buy a new phone soon because earlier today my current phone was having problems reading the SIM card. Its safe to assume the iPhone 9 CPU will have both of these bugs fixed but will an iPhone 8 bought next month need software patches to prevent these bugs from being exploited?

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Depends on system manufacturers for some of it. A lot of motherboard manufacturers have already pushed BIOS updates for Spectre Phase 2

 

[Originality]

It’s possible that the next wave of CPUs will have fixed architecture. Or maybe they’ll shift their stepping to fix it like they did in a previous vulnerability a few years back. But there’s little point in speculating when the current OS/chipset patched situation will become the norm by then so anything will be an improvement.

Give it a few months and everybody will forget this was ever a thing.

 

[Xzi]

It’s possible that the next wave of CPUs will have fixed architecture. Or maybe they’ll shift their stepping to fix it like they did in a previous vulnerability a few years back. But there’s little point in speculating when the current OS/chipset patched situation will become the norm by then so anything will be an improvement.

Give it a few months and everybody will forget this was ever a thing.

I've already mostly forgotten about it, all you can do is update and it seems like older processors are hit harder than newer ones with the fix.

 

[sarkwalvein]

Never completely.
As far as I've read, removing all the vulnerabilities that could be exploited in some way due to speculative execution would lead to a massive drop in CPU performance, and no company is willing to take that hit.

 

[Futurdreamz]

Never completely.
As far as I've read, removing all the vulnerabilities that could be exploited in some way due to speculative execution would lead to a massive drop in CPU performance, and no company is willing to take that hit.

a top of the line i7 with SE completely removed is still much more powerful than an older chip.

That being said, I'm not sure what to do about it. I just have a 4 core Ryzen 5 chip so I guess I have an excuse to upgrade to a 8 core ryzen 7 when it comes out.