AMD identifies the cause of burning Ryzen 7000 CPUs

AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs have been heating up in the news this week, and not in a good way. Users have found burn marks on their CPUs, and AMD has finally identified the problem, which causes the CPUs to operate beyond their safe voltages.

We previously reported that AMD Ryzen 7000X3D chips were burning, since then, there have been multiple user reports that other, non-3D CPUs have also been encountering issues. With motherboard manufacturers scurrying to update their BIOS versions, AMD has finally released a formal statement regarding the problem. (via Anandtech)

“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.

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.”

High voltages and AMD EXPO memory are to blame

The core of the issue appears to be that after installing XMP or AMD EXPO memory profiles, that when AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive features are enabled, the CPU could potentially run beyond its intended voltages, with a single voltage rail to blame.

This will allow the processor to burn up, and cause damage to your system. All Ryzen 7000 users are advised to update their firmware and BIOS versions on their motherboards.

Interestingly, AMD has not stated specific affected CPUs, meaning that all CPUs on the AM5 platform could potentially be affected.

AMD’s swift action hopefully means the end of these issues for users, but we’ll keep a keen eye out to see if there are any further developments.