AMD Addresses Ryzen 7000 overclocking burnout issues

AMD has been facing some issues recently on the new AM5 socket compatible Ryzen 7000X3D processors with the mammoth 3D V-Cache.

This came in the form of reports that the users with AMD Ryzen 7000X3D processors have experienced damage to the chip and motherboard.

AMD confirmed this in their response to Anandtech. They confirmed that they were aware of the limited number of online claims that excess voltage while overclocking may have damaged the motherboard socket and pin pads.

The fiasco with some AM5 boards burning out some Zen4 CPUs perfectly illustrates why Intel and AMD view XMP/EXPO as overclocking and it isn't covered by warranty.

If you set a higher memory speed, many board vendors pushes unsafe voltages to get stability.
— Charlie (@ghost_motley) April 24, 2023

They promised that they are actively investigating the situation. They are working with their ODM partners to ensure that voltages applied to Ryzen 700X3D CPUs via motherboard BIOS are within the specifications.

They requested all affected people to contact AMD customer support. MSI went a step further and launched a new firmware. ASUS also released new firmware for their users.

AMD Addresses Ryzen 7000 burnout issues caused by Overclocking — The AM5 socket by AMD

These targeted users using the 7000X3D CPUs such as the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. The new firmware specifically limits the SoC voltages applied so that they don’t cross the critical limits when users enable AMD EXPO memory profiles on supported DRAM.

While the cause of the issue has not been confirmed by AMD yet, they are actively looking to resolve the issue. One theory doing rounds on Reddit is that the issue is triggered by enabling AMD EXPO memory profiles.

READ: AMD brings out mid-range Embedded 5000 Series based on Vermeer Cores

This is a form of overclocking, similar to Intel’s XMP, that voids product warranty. The new firmware targets SoC voltages and restricts them; all things point towards voltages and overclocking the processors.

AMD is working with their motherboard vendors, such as MSI, ASUS, Gigabyte, and ASRock, to roll out new firmware as soon as possible.

About Advanced Micro Devices

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is an American multinational semiconductor company headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

AMD develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. AMD’s main products include microprocessors, motherboard chipsets, embedded processors and graphics processors for servers, workstations, personal computers and embedded system applications.