I heard that after a while the graphite can wear off. Not sure if it's true or not, or how long something like that would take.

The issue with LLC really bugs me. Perhaps we should try and round up a bunch of people with a Rampage Formula and a 45nm CPU that all have this issue, and submit the problem to Asus? It's more likely they will do something about it if many people complain, as opposed to one or two. I have sent a support ticket to them about the issue and as of yet, not gotten any response.