Ryzen 9000-series processors from AMD reportedly experience critical voltage surges, leaving doubt about the safety of all CPUs.
Let's Shake Things Up, Folks! The Raptor Lake chipset chaos never ends, as people wonder whether AMD's latest Ryzen 9000-series CPUs, like the 9800X3D, face a similar predicament with skyrocketing voltages causing CPU instability, and, in extreme cases, frying the chip? That's what's being claimed by YouTube channel Tech YES City.
In their video titled, "Why in the world are Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs kicking the bucket?," they delve into the whole ordeal of expired AMD CPUs on ASRock motherboards. They assert that spiking CPU voltages might be the culprit behind the Ryzen 9000 CPUs' untimely demise.
With intriguing tests in tow, Tech YES City discovered that ASRock motherboards tend to use less power and run lower voltages than boards from MSI and ASUS, both under load and at idle. For instance, an ASRock B850 board running a Ryzen 9 9950X consumed a peak of 39W and an average of 33W when playing a video file, while an MSI X870E ate up 58W and 40W by the same metrics.
However, lower power and voltage aren't always the silver bullet we'd hope for. The research shows that lower voltages can be stable most of the time, but the frequent micro-spikes could be the root cause of the problem.
Tech YES City noticed that the SOC voltage on all boards was dynamic on ASRock boards, whereas other boards ran static or nearly static. The reasoning behind having dynamic voltage is to save energy by lowering the average voltage, but Tech YES City speculates that this strategy might introduce the possibility of voltage spikes.
Could it be that the Ryzen 9000 series has a request that's causing these minute voltage spikes, which could cook the CPU? If that's indeed the case, what's the solution? That's where the SOC OC mode (also known as "uncore OC mode") in the motherboard BIOS comes in. When enabled, the SOC voltage remains static, preventing any spikes.
However, why would a setting aimed at pushing things harder actually cap them to prevent spikes? It's a confusing conundrum, but it seems this setting merely sets a higher static voltage, keeping spikes at bay.
Unfortunately, there's no definitive proof that this issue impacts ASRock boards more than other brands. A statement from AMD would be appreciated to shed more light on the situation. Stay tuned for updates!
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Written by Jeremy LairdJeremy has been dissecting technology and PCs since the Netburst era (yes, look it up!) and has a penchant for geeking out on the nitty-gritty of monitor input lag, advanced lithography, and machines that beep. He also has an affinity for tennis and cars.
- Despite the ongoing controversies surrounding the AMD Ryzen 9000-series CPUs, one can still engage in exciting gaming sessions by choosing the best CPU, gaming motherboard, graphics card, and SSD for their rig.
- In the realm of technological gadgets, the SOC OC mode (also known as "uncore OC mode") in certain motherboard BIOS settings, intended to push performance harder, paradoxically caps voltages to prevent spikes, offering a potential solution to the Ryzen 9000 series' issue.
- As the tech world awaits further clarification from AMD on the matter, one might find solace in exploring the intricacies of game cards, diving deep into the season's latest gaming trends, and employing technology to optimize their gaming rig.
