I'm putting together my new PC and have been looking at different components. I've come across some concerning stories about ASRock motherboards potentially damaging Ryzen 9000 series CPUs. Specifically, I'm eyeing the Ryzen 9 9900X, and ASRock boards seem to be more budget-friendly with the features I need. Is this issue still prevalent, or has it been resolved with BIOS updates? Should I consider avoiding ASRock motherboards altogether?
5 Answers
From what I'm seeing, the problem is ongoing but pretty rare for the 9900X. As a mod over at the ASRock community, I can say it's not like everyone is having issues. There are definitely some isolated cases, though.
I've heard that ASUS boards have had their own issues with the 9800X3D as well, so it looks like it's not just ASRock that has some risks.
Yeah, the issue is still there, though it's not super common. The risk is higher with ASRock compared to other brands. Personally, I think it's better to steer clear of them just to be safe.
I didn't realize there was a risk either when I bought my ASRock board. I undervolted my 7800X3D and updated the BIOS, and so far, no issues. My PC shop assured me that I'm covered under warranty, which is a relief.
Most problems seem to pop up with the 9800X3D chip rather than the 9900X. The failure rate is around 10% on some boards but rarer for others. I'd be cautious, but it might not affect your choice too much since you're going for the 9900X.
But how reliable is that 10% failure rate really? I heard from one owner who had a lot of failures, but how common is that in the real world?