If you’ve been keeping an eye on the latest gaming PC hardware news, you’ve probably heard that AMD’s latest X3D chips kick all kinds of ass but are also failing at a fast rate, especially in certain motherboards. AMD’s first official statement blames it on memory compatibility issues. That may or may not be true, but it’ll be cold comfort to some.
I’m hesitant to sound the alarm on issues with new hardware. In any large hardware launch, some small percentage of the devices that reach buyers’ hands will always be defective… and when it comes to things like CPUs designed specifically for gaming PCs, we’re going to hear loud and possibly overstated voices on social media like Reddit. But observers have reportedly collected over 100 examples of failing 9800X3D chips and other members of the AM5 family, apparently mostly in ASRock motherboards. It looks like there’s something going on here.
In a statement provided to PCGamer, one AMD representative laid the blame on memory timings. “Following a joint investigation, AMD and ASRock identified a memory compatibility issue present in earlier BIOS versions, which has been rectified in the latest BIOS,” it says, echoing earlier statements from ASRock.
The language is predictably corporate, imploring all users who encounter problems to contact customer support, where presumably they’ll be given the usual troubleshooting gauntlet before being presented with RMA options. As PCGamer notes, many users who experienced failures have observed electrical or burn damage that would go way beyond memory timing issues, and these are often in CPUs that passed the POST protection system and operated for days or weeks without problems.
I’m no electrical engineer, but like many of the commenters on the situation, I’m skeptical. You’d expect a memory timing issue to create a system that would fail POST (Power On Self-Test) and simply refuse to boot, not cause electrical or burn damage.
The good news is that anyone who currently has their hands on a 9800X3D, 9900X3D, or 9950X3D processor is well within the warranty period and can plead their case for a replacement with relative confidence. That might not be the case for a slightly older AM5 motherboard purchased for the Ryzen 7000 series, though.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.