It is of course the subject of the moment which, without any bad pun, “sets the web on fire”. Several people have reported the premature death of their AMD Ryzen 7000X3D processor, even if the 7800X3D seems to be the most affected in the range of CPUs with “3D V-Cache” technology. Some users have also had the unpleasant surprise of seeing the socket of their motherboard irreversibly damaged.
As can be seen in the various photos, there is a growth on the back of the PCB as well as in some cases burnt pins in the socket. At first, the motherboards were all Asus models but similar cases from Gigabyte also appeared. So we will try to take stock after a few days and see what AMD and its partners have put in place.
Are all AMD Ryzen 7000 affected?
No, as far as we know and according to what we read on the web, the problem only affects the Ryzen 7000X3D with the “3D V-Cache”. Even if the Ryzen 7800X3D are the most numerous cases, we also find problems with the Ryzen 7950X3D. The Ryzen 7000 series does not seem to be affected by this problem. We have two AMD Ryzen 7000 platforms in the lab with the EXPO profile enabled, even overclocked to 6400 CL30 and we have not encountered any problems so far.
The damaged area is always in the same place and corresponds to the location of the “3D V-Cache”. If you have a Ryzen 7000X or 7000 non-X, you should not have any problems, although the following tips should be taken into account.
UPDATE: It seems that der8auer has just encountered a similar case with a Ryzen 7000:
We’ll check this video to see what’s going on.
What to do if you have an AMD Ryzen 7000X3D?
As we keep telling you through our tests, a stable and performing configuration requires a regular update of your OS, your drivers as well as the BIOS especially when a new series of processors arrives. We therefore invite you to go to the manufacturer’s page of your motherboard in order to get the latest BIOS and to proceed to the update. Most of the manufacturers, MSI, ASRock, Gigabyte and Asus already offer a new BIOS. These BIOS limit the SOC voltage to 1.30 volts since, according to AMD, it is a too high voltage that would be responsible for the degradation suffered by some processors.
Here is the latest BIOS compatible with our ROG Crosshair X670 Gene that we use for our tests. The mention ” SOC voltage for Ryzen 7000X3D series limited to a maximum of 1.30V to protect the CPU and motherboard ” is clearly visible.
We also strongly advise you to use a proper cooling system. Our tests of the Ryzen 7000X and 7000X3D have shown that these processors give off a lot of heat and that an AIO 240 or higher cooling system is necessary.
What if your Ryzen 7000X3D has a problem?
If you are affected by this problem and your processor becomes unusable, we advise you to contact AMD customer support directly. AMD is well aware of the situation and will process your request as soon as possible. We will quickly provide you with a tutorial to update the BIOS of your AM5 motherboard to make it compatible with Ryzen 7000X3D.
