AMD has released a second statement in response to “escalating” reports of Ryzen 7000X3D Series processors potentially burning out and resulting in permanent damage to both the CPU and socket on AM5 motherboards. In the statement received by AnandTech, AMD confirmed that it had identified the root cause of the issue, and while the company didn’t provide too much in the way of technical details, it did explain that the new AGESA update, which is being rolled out by the usual manufacturers, includes a cap on SoC voltages and how the changes shouldn’t affect the ability of the CPUs to overclock memory using EXPO/XMP kits or boost performance using PBO technology. ASRock appears to be the latest manufacturer to release an updated BIOS in response to the situation, having shared a press release today that can confirm version 1.21 is now available for X670E Taichi, B650E PG Riptide WiFi, and other AM5 motherboards.
“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,” AMD’s statement reads.
“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.”
From an AnandTech report:
One interesting point about AMD’s statement is that it eludes to whether or not the issue is just on its Ryzen 7000X3D processors or whether it affects all of its Ryzen 7000 processors entirely. Regardless of the Zen 4 chip that users may have, AMD is ambiguous in its language, and it seems to be that AMD is recommended that ALL users with a Ryzen 7000 series processor should update to the latest firmware.
From an ASRock press release:
The recent escalating AMD Ryzen 7000X3D Series CPU issue has come to our attention, ASRock treats this type of incident seriously and would like to offer the most updated BIOS across our entire range of AM5 motherboards.
ASRock has released new BIOS as well as A-Tuning utility for following AM5 chipset motherboards which limit CPU voltage on certain power rails. We encourage users to update to the new BIOS with the appropriate voltage settings urgently to ensure system stability and durability.
Apart from bringing rock-solid hardware products to PC users, ASRock is also keen on working with AMD and integrating the most up to date technologies into its products. If you’re unsure about the risk of using old BIOS version, please seek professional support from ASRock customer service.
| Models | BIOS Version |
| X670E Taichi | 1.21 |
| X670E Taichi Carrara | 1.21 |
| X670E Steel Legend | 1.21 |
| X670E Pro RS | 1.21 |
| X670E PG Lightning | 1.21 |
| B650E Taichi | 1.21 |
| B650E Steel Legend WiFi | 1.21 |
| B650E PG Riptide WiFi | 1.21 |
| B650E PG-ITX WiFi | 1.21 |
| B650 LiveMixer | 1.21 |
| B650 Pro RS | 1.21 |
| B650 PG Lightning | 1.21 |
| B650M PG Riptide WiFi | 1.21 |
| B650M PG Riptide | 1.21 |
| B650M-HDV/M.2 | 1.21 |
| A620M Pro RS WiFi | 1.21 |
| A620M Pro RS | 1.21 |
| A620M-HDV/M.2+ | 1.21 |
| A620M-HDV/M.2 | 1.21 |
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →This from the article:
"From an AnandTech report:
One interesting point about AMD’s statement is that it eludes to whether or not the issue is just on its Ryzen 7000X3D processors or whether it affects all of its Ryzen 7000 processors entirely. Regardless of the Zen 4 chip that users may have, AMD is ambiguous in its language, and it seems to be that AMD is recommended that ALL users with a Ryzen 7000 series processor should update to the latest firmware."
Well, that would align with Der8auer's discovery of his non-X3D 7000 series CPU having been damaged in the same fashion on a GIGABYTE X670 board. His was still working but when he removed it he could see the bulge was happening (I know, so many easy puns to be had with this).
Soooo... how do you update the bios WITHOUT a zen 4 chip? I mean why would I want to risk a CPU to update the BIOS?
get a mobo that does not need a chip to flash the bios.
How are you using an AM5 motherboard without a Zen 4 chip?
I'm saying a recall and update might be in order rather than consumers risking CPU's. Especially the uninformed.
Have you even been reading the story as it progresses? The issue only comes from using the built-in overclocking tools. When you buy a new motherboard and install a new CPU, those things are disabled. Zero chance it will fail during a BIOS update*.
You can't have an AM5 motherboard without NEEDING a Zen 4 CPU to use it. AM5 only works with Zen 4 at the moment.
*Zero chance it will be damaged in this way due to an BIOS update. Other factors are always present when updating the BIOS regardless of what CPU/MB you are using.
Ah ok people were making such a stink o figured ot couldn't be when overclockong. That's like complaining your engine was dasged when you tuned the car beyond manufacturer spec.
Sigh... I got sucked in by fosse drama. Apologies.
Well it is a big deal. The auto tuning abilities of motherboards are supposed to automate the process so you can't damage the CPU or other components by doing it manually.
It's like buying a car with a "sport mode" and when you use it, it breaks the car.
I remember being nervous back in the day using MSI OC Genie on my 2600K to OC it to 4.3 GHz. It all worked out though and that thing ran like a tank for 10 years and even then, I only retired because it was simply out of date for gaming. I had heard it could be tuned better manually but I never had any issues. It was a turnkey system and I loved it. I will say that both my 3700X and 5800X3D rigs are essentially turnkey systems except that occasionally newer MSI motherboards have an occasional habit of forgetting their BT drivers but other than that they simply work.
Technically the issue was happening when you enable EXPO, which is technically "overclocking" the memory. But it had nothing to do with overclocking the CPU, and everything to do with EXPO pushing some RAM to require higher SOC voltages to remain stable, and now AMD has put a cap on what that SOC voltage can be, whereas before it was up to the motherboard manufacturers. With the cap at 1.3v, it should eliminate any problems enabling EXPO. Though, I wonder if some RAM modules will now be unstable with EXPO enabled, or at least a little finicky, where before they were not.
Yes, you're right. It's the memory not the CPU. I was just saying CPU since the memory controller is technically built into the CPU.
Sounds to me like AMD needs to make its memory controller more robust next-gen. Intel is way ahead of the game with its IMC.
Well, most people wouldn't, unless they're lucky enough to have a motherboard with the built-in capability to do so — the sort that @Denpepe was referring to. I have no idea how common such motherboards are, but maybe it ought to be a standard feature if the prices I've been seeing for AM5 boards are actually real, and not just my imagination.
Otherwise, you'd probably use an external SPI flash programmer. The ~$5 Chinese "CH341A" device is the undisputed king of cheapness, and it's supported by Flashrom. It seemed fairly popular back when I was looking at coreboot, and might prove useful as a search term; it is emphatically not a recommendation.
Do any motherboards enable AMD EXPO by default? Either way, I wouldn't worry about damaging the CPU during the tiny window between powering on the system and updating the firmware. Remember, these CPUs have been available for months, and it's only recently that we've seen a handful of failures.
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That board is fire.