Ryzen 9800X3D burns itself and motherboard while user was watching TV show
WTF?! A second Ryzen 7 9800X3D failure has surfaced, with the motherboard sustaining severe thermal damage after about two weeks of use. Oddly, the user didn’t overclock the chip or encounter any installation issues – just a sudden, random failure while watching videos.
The victim, a Redditor named “t0pli,” is a PC builder with two decades of experience. In his post, he explained that he built a brand-new system about 20 days ago using the 9800X3D CPU and an ASRock X870 motherboard. It ran smoothly without overclocking or high temperatures. Then, the system shut down out of nowhere while t0pli was watching shows. Upon inspection, the 9800X3D chip and ASRock motherboard showed severe thermal damage (masthead).
The crazy part is that t0pli says he didn’t use any overclocking tricks or push the hardware excessively. Besides enabling AMD’s EXPO memory profiles, the rig was idling with stock settings. HWMonitor confirmed that temperatures appeared normal before the failure, too.
This incident isn’t the first time a user has reported a failed 9800X3D. In November, another user had their $479 chip unexpectedly burn up, taking the motherboard with it. That instance was attributed to user error, as the builder admitted to likely installing the CPU improperly, causing a short.
However, in t0pli’s case, the cause is unclear. Before running the system, he updated it to the latest available BIOS, so it appears to be just rotten luck. Worse still, t0pli bought the motherboard and CPU from different retailers, which could complicate warranty coverage.
So far, AMD hasn’t officially commented on these chip failures. However, while a spontaneous processor burn is concerning, the issues remain isolated, considering the thousands of chips AMD has sold. As highlighted in our recent review, the 9800X3D remains the most powerful gaming CPU, offering unmatched performance for high-end rigs.
Of course, AMD isn’t the only chipmaker facing flagship processor issues. Last year, Intel experienced similar problems with its Raptor Lake CPUs, which were susceptible to permanent damage. Numerous reports revealed that the processors were receiving excessive voltage.
