ASUS Issues Statement on Ryzen 7000X3D Processor Issues, Possible Voltage Issues with AMD EXPO
Yesterday, MSI announced a series of firmware updates designed to address and mitigate potential issues for AM5 users using AMD’s Ryzen 7000X3D processors with 3D V-Cache. . One of the major changes in MSI’s latest UEFI firmware for AM5 includes voltage limitations when using the Ryzen 7000X3D series CPUs, as the V-Cache package is somewhat sensitive to additional power, so these I made sure the chip doesn’t get overvoltage.
In addition to MSI’s announcement, ASUS also asked seasoned engineer and extreme overclocker Roman ‘Der8auer’ Hartung about the potential of using AMD’s EXPO memory profile with its Ryzen 7000X3D series chips. issued a statement addressing the issue. One of the key factors surrounding the issue is his use of AMD’s EXPO memory overclocking profile.
Rajinder Gill, director of global product and technical marketing at ASUS, said in a statement to Der8auer:The EFI update posted on Friday includes a dedicated thermal monitoring mechanism that we have implemented to protect our board and CPU. For that reason, and manual Vcore controls were available in previous builds, I removed the old BIOS.“Rajinder also said”We are also working with AMD to define new rules for AMD Expo and SoC voltages. We will issue a new update for that as soon as possible. Please forgive me.“
ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero AM5 Motherboard for AMD Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs
A look at the explanation in a statement provided to Der8uaer by Rajinder confirms that ASUS has indeed removed the older iterations of the AM5 motherboard’s firmware. Looking at the EMEA side, at the time of writing, The latest firmware update date on the ASUS product page is April 21, 2023.indicates that ASUS has recently updated their firmware, but that update is not the latest in question.
Roman ‘Der8auer’ Hartung’s Ryzen 9 7900X also has a bulge.
One thing these issues have in common is AMD’s EXPO memory profile being applied. This is especially interesting as it’s not his X3D series of chips with 3D V-Cache, but at the moment he has no other reports of his Ryzen 7000 chips other than X3D being affected.
Enabling the EXPO memory profile on a Ryzen 7000 processor does some work to the processor and exceeds the technical specifications of the chip. The most important of these is raising the SoC voltage and other key voltages such as VDDIO used to power the IODs. As with any ASIC, there are limits to how high voltages can be safely pushed, and this is one of his theories behind the recent corrupted Ryzen reports. It’s unclear at this time how this might be related to the issue revolving around the Ryzen X3D chips (where the voltage sensitive V-Cache is on the CCD and its separate voltage plane).
In any case, this highlights why AMD’s EXPO memory overclocking profile voids the warranty on these chips: EXPO does more than just raise memory frequencies and apply more voltage to the DRAM itself.
In addition to Rajinder’s statement given to ASUS Senior Technical Marketing Manager Der8auer: Juan Jose Guerrero posted the following statement on Twitter Tuesday afternoon:
“Multiple AMD Ryzen 7000X3D owners are reporting CPU and motherboard failures. We are aware of the incident/issue and are in contact with AMD to analyze the possible cause. We are contacting affected users to provide support and collect additional information.
The Ryzen 7000X3D processor does not allow CPU ratio or CPU core voltage tuning (CPU overclocking), but does allow performance tuning and DRAM overclocking via PBO2 and EXPO memory. Supporting EXPO and memory overclocking at DDR5-6000 and above requires a high enough SoC voltage to ensure compatibility and stability. The amount of voltage required depends on the CPU sample. Some processors are more sensitive to overvoltage than others, and some can run higher memory frequencies without requiring as much voltage.
As confirmed by AMD, intentional manipulation of these settings can damage your processor, socket, and motherboard. To mitigate this, we are working with AMD to define new rules for EXPO memory and SoC voltages. To protect your CPU and motherboard, we are issuing a new EFI update that limits the maximum available SoC voltage to 1.3V.
We recommend updating your motherboard’s UEFI BIOS to the latest release. Also, make sure your CPU is properly cooled. We recommend using at least a 240mm AIO liquid cooler or high performance air cooler. If you are affected, please feel free to contact your local ASUS support.
As we mentioned in yesterday’s article about MSI dealing with CPU voltages on their AM5 motherboards, the vendor is burning out its Ryzen 7000X3D processors, killing the motherboard in the process. An ASUS statement and a firmware overview on the official product page indicate that ASUS is concerned about the SoC’s voltage, which is why the new firmware locks it down to 1.30 V. ASUS states is to protect the CPU and motherboard.
ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme BIOS/Support page screenshot Official product page (China).
On the ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme Chinese product page, the firmware has been updated from today (at the time of writing) to April 25, 2023, and it appears that the firmware version in question (1302) is compatible with the SoC voltage.
In addition to ASUS and MSI’s statements, AMD has officially released its own statement.
it reads, “We are aware of a limited number of online reports claiming that excessive voltages during overclocking may have damaged motherboard sockets and pin pads. We are working with our partners to ensure that voltage is applied to the Ryzen 7000X3D CPU through the motherboard.The BIOS settings are within product specifications.For anyone whose CPU may have been affected by this issue, Please contact AMD Customer Support.”
Of course, the problem of burning out Ryzen 7000X3D series processors isn’t limited to MSI and ASUS motherboards. Since the initial report, users have reported additional issues with various models and brands across Reddit threads. Potential damage is one of the main reasons AMD has locked down his X3D series processors to prevent users from manually overclocking them. The first iteration, his Ryzen 7 5800X3D, was also locked down.
AMD and its motherboard partners are now officially investigating the issue, and users with affected Ryzen 7000 CPUs are advised to contact AMD customer support directly.
