Recent weeks have seen increased discussion in PC hardware circles, notably on the ASRock subreddit, regarding reports of failing 9800X3D CPUs. A significant number of users are reporting problems. ASRock motherboards are frequently mentioned, though issues are not exclusive to them. The moderators at r/ASRock have created a megathread to organize information and provide a central point of knowledge.
Key Highlights from the Megathread:
- Issue Accepted: Users are reporting failures, and ASRock and AMD are likely investigating.
- Causality Unknown: The direct cause of CPU failures is not yet confirmed to be solely ASRock motherboards or AMD CPUs. Other factors may be involved.
- Inconsistent Failures: Some CPUs are DOA-OP, while others fail within hours, days, or weeks after installation. Failures occur during active use or during boot attempts, suggesting potential software conflicts.
- Hope for Revive?: One user reported a "revived" 9800X3D CPU after a BIOS flashback, indicating some issues may not be hardware related.
- Community Data-gathering: A Google Form is collecting data on failures, including CPU batch numbers, to help identify patterns and causes. Community participation is encouraged.
- Media Takeover: Tech news channels are reporting on the issue, indicating wider industry awareness.
Suggestions on Troubleshooting and Alternatives
If you are experiencing issues with your 9800X3D CPU, especially after a BIOS update, the megathread suggests the following:
- BIOS Flashback: For boot problems after a BIOS update, revert to the previous BIOS version.
- Older BIOS Version (3.10): If your system stops POSTing, flash back to an older BIOS version such as 3.10 for troubleshooting. A boot issue does not always mean a dead CPU.
- Contact Support: If problems persist, contact both AMD and ASRock support for assistance and potential RMA.
- Help with Data Collection: If you had a failure, please fill out the Google Form linked in the megathread to support the community investigation.
Latest Update (Feb 24)
ASRock has released BIOS 3.20. This BIOS is recommended for users experiencing boot problems after updating to BIOS 3.10. It is intended to resolve boot issues, but may not revive CPUs that are already non-functional.
Disclaimer: This summary is community-generated and not an official statement from ASRock or AMD. For official information, please contact ASRock or AMD directly.
