Despite a cool environment, the Ryzen 9 9950X died in both instances, leaving a discolored patch on the pin side of the Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.
GMP Project Reports Burnt Ryzen 9 9950X CPUs in Two Different Instances; No Overclocking or Overvolting, And Extra Fans Were Deployed
Sometimes it appears that the motherboards aren't the only reason that could cause the CPU failure. While in the case of ASRock boards and Ryzen 9000 combination, this thing looks like a dual-edged sword, the reports of sudden frying of Ryzen 9000 CPUs on the ASUS motherboards are much rare. However, this time, we have not one but two similar incidents, which caused the frying of the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.
GMP Project reports that they tested the CPU with their tool suite, and the CPU fried, despite implementing proper measures. The first test was conducted in February this year, and the second happened a few days ago. Both instances had the same results, with the pin side of the CPU getting fried, leaving a noticeably large yellow patch. In both cases, ASUS B650 chipset motherboards were used. The first setup used the ASUS Prime B650M-K with the BIOS 3057, and the second one was the ASUS Prime B650M-A WiFi with BIOS 3278.
Both are budget motherboards, but sufficient for handling high-end processors unless you are going to extremes in overclocking. There isn't much change in both setups except for some changes in PSU, and RAM, but the CPU cooler remained the same. In both cases, Noctua NH-U9S was used, which is a solid single-tower, but might not be the best for processors like Ryzen 9 9950X at full load, which is rated at 170W. Still, this shouldn't be a big concern here since sufficient measures were implemented for adequate cooling.
The ambient temperature in the first case was below 20°C and in the second case, it was just over 20°C. With some extra fans and proper ventilation, the setup shouldn't generate that much heat, considering the CPUs weren't even overclocked or overvolted. Still, the CPUs fried, which appears bizarre as its predecessor, i.e., the Ryzen 9 7950X, didn't show such behavior despite running hotter and running for a longer time.
It appears that the Ryzen 9950X was pulling more power when running GMP than it should, but this is just speculation. One possible reason cited by GMP is that it could have been due to offset mounting on the second setup, as suggested by Noctua to cool down the hotter side of the CPU. However, the way the thermal paste was squeezed created some void between the CPU and the heatsink, which could have caused the frying. Still, in the first case, they mounted the heatsink centered, and still faced the same fate.
News Source: GMP Lib
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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