Another case of an X3D processor burning out has appeared on Reddit, but this time the Ryzen 7 7800X3D had only been in use for three months. The processor, running at default settings, suddenly swelled and burned out, damaging the motherboard socket as well.
On the r/PCMR community on Reddit, a user shared their friend's experience where the metal plate on a Ryzen 7 7800X3D swelled and loosened, exposing the CPU.
According to reports, the user was using an MSI PRO X870-P WIFI motherboard paired with 16GB of DDR5 memory, with XMP enabled. All other settings were left at default.
X870 motherboards have previously experienced issues with excessive voltage output, leading to some X3D processors burning out. However, this issue occurred in 2023, and AMD subsequently resolved it via a BIOS update. The new X870 motherboards released in 2024 also utilize the fixed BIOS version.
Therefore, it is currently difficult to determine the exact cause of this incident.
The user's power supply was an MSI A750GL PCIE5, a reliable mid-range unit, so power supply issues can largely be ruled out. This leaves either a motherboard fault or, as some Reddit users suggest, an extremely rare case of getting the "worst roll in the silicon lottery," meaning the processor chip itself had defects.
Despite this, the Reddit user has been advised to submit an RMA request (return merchandise authorization); however, replacement seems unlikely now, especially considering the CPU has been delidded, which voids the warranty. However, if the CPU swelling caused it to delid itself rather than through user intervention, the chances of obtaining a replacement would be higher.
