15 AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs reportedly die in internet cafe PCs using Asus motherboards

RTX 5090 GPUs aren’t the only premium components that make headlines when they fail. While often considered the best gaming CPU available, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has suffered its share of misfortune. BIOS updates have mitigated most of the issues, but some processors still die prematurely. An internet cafe owner reports an unusually high failure rate with 15 out of 150 CPUs perishing since March 2025.

Many horror stories with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D involve ASRock motherboards, but they aren’t a factor in this case. RealisticLoad3327 on Reddit explains that the PCs all employed the B650M-AYW WiFi. Designed for the AM5 platform, the MicroATX Asus motherboards were using a BIOS released in September.

Since problems with its CPU surfaced after its November 2024 release date, AMD has stressed the importance of keeping PCs updated. The company explained that most issues were due to dangerously high voltage settings. Precision Boost Overdrive options on ASRock motherboards were particularly troublesome.

Overclocking doesn’t appear to have played a role in the demise of the internet cafe systems. Its owner claims PBO wasn’t enabled and that DDR5 memory was set to conservative speeds.

Are 9800X3D CPUs a risky purchase?

With a larger sample size than most gamers could provide, it’s easy to point the finger at the 9800X3D. However, an unreliable power supply may also be at fault. RealisticLoad3327 revealed that the PCs at the internet cafe ran on Huntkey 850-watt PSUs. As posters in the Reddit thread note, they are prone to voltage spikes and not an ideal match for high-end processors.

Some skeptics want proof that the entire story isn’t fabricated. Other readers have decided that the Asus motherboard, PSU, or unstable power at the establishment explains the difficulties. Nevertheless, Redditor cCBearTime, who operates a repair shop, confirmed seeing an inordinate number of failing AMD CPUs. On the other hand, the trend could be a sign of how much market share the company has stolen from Intel.