One more case of a dead Zen 5 Ryzen 9000 CPU emerged; this time, it's a non-X3D CPU on an ASRock motherboard.
Tech Yes City Reports Dead Ryzen 9 9950X CPU on ASRock X870 Steel Legend Motherboard: Some CPU Pins Were Greyed Out, Indicating Burn Marks
ASRock motherboards have become the graveyard of Ryzen 9000 CPUs. While motherboards from other vendors also killed some, there is no competition to ASRock boards, which have now killed nearly 200 CPUs, if we go by the reported cases. Such incidents are likely to be much higher if we could consider non-reported cases as well.
9950x dead 💀 pic.twitter.com/0renoLImTt
— Tech YES (@TechYESCity) May 7, 2025
Even though the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been the most vulnerable CPU in the Ryzen 9000 lineup, other X3D and non-X3D CPUs have also met the same fate. One of the latest incidents comes from the well-known tech YouTuber, Tech Yes City. Bryan reported that his AMD Ryzen 9 9950X died unexpectedly, and while he couldn't figure out the reason yet, his video shows that his setup consisted of an ASRock X870 Steel Legend motherboard.
It's not surprising anymore to see an ASRock AM5 motherboard killing a Ryzen CPU, and Bryan's Ryzen 9 9950X shows some visible signs of damage. He shows greyed-out pins in the middle at the top, which appear to be burn marks and could have been a result of high voltage. Another user reported a similar incident where the Ryzen 7800X3D had some burn marks, but after cleaning, the CPU still works.
We have seen similar stories in multiple Ryzen 9800X3D death reports, but in some cases, the CPU worked, and in others, it didn't. So, it's clearly something that hasn't been investigated properly, and if we go by ASRock's investigation, such deaths could be caused due to debris inside the socket. Still, it's unlikely that there are so many user errors, which hasn't been the case ever before.
Hey @TechYESCity
My 9800x3d with x670e as rock steel legend. Since latest bios updates my board has been treating my CPU like a 170w 9950x3d. Temps and power draw through the roof, even with pbo disabled 170w draw in battlefield titles.Backonfirst 9800x3d bios,fixed. Related?
— FR33THY (@fr33thytweaks) May 7, 2025
One user did notice incredibly high power consumption on his setup, consisting of Ryzen 7 9800X3D on an ASRock X670E Steel Legend. He says that his motherboard has been feeding 170W to the Ryzen 9800X3D since the latest BIOS update, which raises some questions regarding ASRock BIOS updates. For most users, it was too late to figure this out, and we now have a total of 157 dead Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs, the majority of which were killed by ASRock motherboards.
Similarly, there are roughly 8 total cases of Ryzen 9950X3D deaths, out of which 7 occurred on ASRock motherboards. 16 such cases have been reported related to Ryzen 9000 non-X3D CPUs, 15 of them occurring on ASRock motherboards. We don't think it's a coincidence, and ASRock motherboards are likely a part of the problem.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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