AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Crashes: DOA reports spur ASRock BIOS update amid memory concerns

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs have reportedly been experiencing widespread crashing and failure incidents, with numerous Redditors noting that the problem is particularly prevalent on ASRock motherboards, though it is not exclusive to them.

A megathread on the ASRock subreddit reveals that a significant number of these processors appear either dead on arrival (DOA) or fail after only a few hours, days, or weeks of use. Furthermore, moderators have confirmed that over 40 Ryzen 7 9800X3D units have reportedly been affected, with a few non-X3D processors also falling victim. This raises the possibility that similar issues may extend to other Zen 5 CPUs like the upcoming 9950X3D, although this has yet to be verified.

The reliability issues are particularly troubling for gamers, who have eagerly awaited AMD’s X3D series amidst already tight supply. The emergence of these problems only adds to the frustration, as the performance potential of these CPUs is being overshadowed by inconsistent reliability.

In response to the mounting reports, ASRock has released a new BIOS update (version 3.20 Beta) for its AM5 series motherboards. This update is designed to address unexpected boot issues and error codes reported by users of AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. Notably, the update’s accompanying blog post does not explicitly mention CPU failures, suggesting that the focus is on boot-related issues rather than the DOA incidents reported with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

In addition, a statement from ASRock Japan has hinted that the CPU failures might be linked to memory compatibility issues like those related to memory training perhaps, rather than a fundamental flaw in the processor architecture. However, Team Red has not yet provided an official comment on these reports, leaving the root cause somewhat uncertain.

Here's what ASRock Japan has said (Google-translated to English):

We will release an official release with more details later, but since there is a lot of misinformation being spread, here is a quick note! The bottom line is that it is not broken. It is just that some CPUs do not start due to memory compatibility issues. There are many reports of Ryzen 7 9800X3D suddenly breaking. At least 40 cases. Occurring mainly in ASRock motherboard environments

For the time being, users experiencing these issues are advised to update their motherboard BIOS as per the guidelines provided by their manufacturers. AMD has acknowledged the problem and is currently accepting RMA requests for affected units. As the situation develops, current and prospective buyers should continue to monitor updates from AMD and their motherboard vendors.

Stay tuned for further updates as more information becomes available.

Via: Wccftech