UPDATED 4/27: AMD Issues Statement On Ryzen 7000 CPU Burn Reports And Warranty Status
AMD has issued a statement addressing the alarming reports of dead Ryzen 7000X3D processors in relation to burned motherboard sockets and bulging CPU pin pads. The statement confirms AMD is actively investigating the problem and urges anyone who has been impacted by it to contact AMD customer support.
AMD's statement, as reported by AnandTech, reads: "We are aware of a limited number of reports online claiming that excess voltage while overclocking may have damaged the motherboard socket and pin pads. We are actively investigating the situation and are working with our ODM partners to ensure voltages applied to Ryzen 7000X3D CPUs via motherboard BIOS settings are within product specifications. Anyone whose CPU may have been impacted by this issue should contact AMD customer support."
The issue first cropped up a few days ago on Reddit, when one user reported serious damage on his dead Ryzen 7 7800X3D chip, relating to a section of pads on the chip that was bulging out from the CPU’s PCB. In conjunction with the bulging pads, the user also reported damage inside the CPU socket, where some of the CPU pins were melted in the same area. More user reports have emerged with the same problem since then.
AMD has not officially confirmed the source of the issue. However, AMD’s motherboard partners have indicated that unsafe SoC voltages are causing Ryzen 7000 CPUs to melt. This can occur either by manual SoC voltage input, or through automated SoC voltage adjustments made by the motherboard when an EXPO memory profile is activated. MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS, and Biostar have already released new UEFI firmware updates that limit Ryzen 7000’s SoC voltage to a safer level.
Based on AMD’s report, it seems like affected victims will be compensated in some regard and could possibly get a new CPU replacement. This would be great since AMD EXPO (and Intel XMP) do void the CPU warranty when utilized, since it is considered a memory overclock when enabled. However, we can’t confirm this for certain, so be sure to contact AMD support for yourself if you are suffering from the same issue.
Update 4/27/2023 12:53pm
AMD has issued a second statement to AnandTech, reproduced as follows:We have root caused the issue and have already distributed a new AGESA that puts measures in place on certain power rails on AM5 motherboards to prevent the CPU from operating beyond its specification limits, including a cap on SOC voltage at 1.3V. None of these changes affect the ability of our Ryzen 7000 Series processors to overclock memory using EXPO or XMP kits or boost performance using PBO technology.Some motherboard manufacturers have already begun rolling out releases. Here are links to each of the major manufacturers' support pages below so you can find your particular model and check its status:
We expect all of our ODM partners to release new BIOS for their AM5 boards over the next few days. We recommend all users to check their motherboard manufacturers website and update their BIOS to ensure their system has the most up to date software for their processor.
Anyone whose CPU may have been impacted by this issue should contact AMD customer support. Our customer service team is aware of the situation and prioritizing these cases.
