**AMD 7000X3D Series line-up compromised.**
The AMD Ryzen 7000 Series, especially the X3D variants, received terrific reviews for their outstanding gaming performance. However, the first warning signs emerged on the 20th of April when Reddit user @speedrookie reported that his 7800X3D CPU had burned with his expensive ASUS motherboard. Soon after, more and more people said the same worrying trend. Even Steve from Gamers Nexus stepped in, offering to buy one of the faulty CPUs to investigate the issue.
The problem mainly appears on ASUS motherboards but also affects other vendors.
Most user-reported cases include ASUS motherboards, but there were some confirmed cases with MSI and Gigabyte motherboards. However, in those cases, only the CPU was damaged. Motherboard vendors are actively removing and replacing old BIOS versions with BETA versions to rectify the problem. ASUS is trying to cover itself from liability with the following statement under its recent BETA BIOS.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/7800X3DBurning2.png
**Cause of the problem.**
Various investigation reports from Igor's Lab and Gamers Nexus suggest the root cause is a voltage motherboard manufacturers put into the SoC when using EXPO (a RAM OC option similar to XMP), especially on the ASUS motherboards. This value is very high at 1.5V, while AMD recommends a 1.3V maximum. Gamers Nexus also reports that OCP (Over Current Protection) baked into ASUS motherboards is set too high, ultimately resulting in a domino effect. The CPU gets too high voltage, and the motherboard protection fails to kick in on time resulting in both components burning up. This is a significantly simplified version of a complex issue that third parties are continuously investigating. If you wish for a deeper insight, both Igor's Lab and Gamers Nexus have full explanations on their respective websites and YouTube channels.
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/7800X3DBurning1.png
**ASUS and AMD releases a statement**
The first statement by AMD:
"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 working with our ODM partners to ensure that the voltage applied to Ryzen 7000X3D CPUs via motherboard BIOS settings is within product specifications. Anyone whose CPU may have been impacted by this issue should contact AMD customer support."
AMD has released the follow-up statement as the core issue lies on AMD and motherboard manufacturers' sides:
"We have root caused the issue and have already distributed a new AGESA that puts measures in place on specific 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 affects the ability of our Ryzen 7000 Series processors to overclock memory using EXPO or XMP kits or boost performance using PBO technology.
We expect our ODM partners to release new BIOS for their AM5 boards over the next few days. We recommend that all users check their motherboard manufacturers' websites 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."
It is good that AMD responded reasonably quickly and offered refunds/replacements regardless of whether you fine-tuned the BIOS.
And here is a statement from **Juan Jose Guerrero** – Senior technical marketing manager at ASUS:
"Several AMD Ryzen 7000X3D owners have reported CPU and motherboard failures. We acknowledge the incidents/issues and have been communicating with AMD to analyze the possible causes. We have also contacted affected users to provide support and collect additional information.
Ryzen 7000X3D processors do not allow CPU ratio or CPU core voltage tuning (CPU overclocking) but do allow performance tuning and DRAM overclocking via PBO2 and EXPO memory. SoC voltage must be sufficiently increased to ensure compatibility and stability to support EXPO and memory overclocking at DDR5-6000 and beyond. The amount of voltage required varies between CPU samples. Some processors are more sensitive to overvoltage than others. Some can run higher memory frequencies without needing as much voltage.
As confirmed with AMD, any intentional manipulation of these settings can damage the processor, socket, and motherboard. To mitigate this, we have been working with AMD to define new rules for EXPO memory and SoC voltage. To help protect the CPU and motherboard, we are issuing new EFI updates to limit the maximum available SoC voltage to 1.3V.
We recommend updating your motherboard UEFI BIOS to the latest release. Please also ensure the CPU is cooled adequately. We recommend using at least a 240mm AIO liquid cooler or high-performance air cooler.
If you have been affected, please do not hesitate to contact ASUS support for your region."
https://stock-checker.com/uploads/7800X3DBurning3.png
**The outcome so far.**
At the moment of writing, all manufacturers removed any old BIOS versions and updated their websites with new ones that limit SoC voltage values to 1.3 maximum, so most users should be safe using their 7800X3D CPUs as far as they update the BIOS. Gamer Nexus pointed out in his recent video that there is more than one root cause and will continue his investigation. He also seems to think simply reducing SoC voltage values is a "blanket fix" and will not guarantee the longevity of the CPU.
This is a significant problem both for motherboard vendors and AMD. It could inevitably dent their brand image if not resolved entirely and adequately. Luckily, ASUS and AMD have acted appropriately so far and are accepting RMA requests from everyone affected.
**Disclaimers**
[Jakub Dominik](https://twitter.com/Hexagon90x) is a gaming and technology journalist for Stock Checker.
Images used in this article belong to GamersNexus.