AMD says the problem with Ryzen 7 9800X3D chips failing to boot is down to memory compatibility issues and not actually dead CPUs

Day 97 (or something like that), the saga of the imploding AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs continues. Yesterday, we reported on a tally of well over 100 reports of dead Ryzen 7 9800 X3Ds on Reddit, most of them in ASRock motherboards. Now we have an official statement in response from AMD, essentially mirroring ASRock’s stance regarding BIOS updates.

In short, AMD doesn’t think CPUs are actually dying.

In a statement given to PC Gamer this morning, AMD said: “We are aware of a limited number of user reports involving ASRock AM5 motherboards failing to complete POST. Following a joint investigation, AMD and ASRock identified a memory compatibility issue present in earlier BIOS versions, which has been rectified in the latest BIOS. ASRock has already issued guidance on this behavior and addressed a singular report of a damaged CPU.

“It’s worth noting that a failure to POST can be caused by a range of factors and does not necessarily indicate a non-functional CPU. We recommend users start by updating their BIOS to the latest version available for their specific motherboard model.

“If the issue persists, we encourage users to contact our customer support team for further assistance and diagnostics.”

That statement very much mirrors what ASRock posted on their own blog last week:

“A retrieved motherboard was in a system where the CPU showed burn damage. When inspecting this motherboard, we found that the motherboard does not have obvious damage nor burn marks around the VRM area. Measurements of the motherboard are also within spec. After cleaning and removing debris from the CPU socket, without further repair, the motherboard can boot up successfully with original onboard BIOS. It also passed long-term stress tests.”

The problem with all that can be summed up with the following excerpt from Reddit:

“So far there are 108 stories from people of 9800X3D which passed POST, and was working for a short amount of time before suddenly dying with no signs of failure.”

In other words, all of the dead 9800X3Ds allegedly did pass POST. Only after that did they stop working, which doesn’t exactly scream BIOS or memory incompatibility issues. Anywho, we’ve contacted AMD for clarification on the matter. But for now it seems the company doesn’t think these 9800X3D CPUs are actually dying.

Watch this space.