AMD pins Ryzen 9000 'failures' on compatibility issues — BIOS update recommended to avoid boot problems

In February 2025, ASRock began receiving reports of users unable to boot their systems due to incompatibility issues between their motherboards and AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs. ASRock addressed this by releasing a beta BIOS update, which, after a few weeks of investigation, AMD and ASRock pinpointed the source of the problem as a memory compatibility issue. The problem has been resolved with the release of the most recent BIOS release.

"We are aware of a limited number of user reports involving ASRock AM5 motherboards failing to complete POST. Following a joint investigation, AMD and ASRock identified a memory capability issue present in earlier BIOS versions, which has been rectified in the latest BIOS," AMD told Tom's Hardware. "ASRock has already issued guidance on this behavior and addressed a singular report of a damaged CPU."

Even though more than a hundred motherboards failing to post with a 9800X3D chip have been documented, that is still a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands, if not millions, of motherboards and CPUs out there in countless variations. "It's worth noting that a failure to POST can be caused by a range of factors and does not necessarily indicate a non-functional CPU," added AMD.," added AMD. "We recommend that users start by updating their BIOS to the latest version available for their specific motherboard model."

There was a problem with some motherboards not completing POST. AMD and ASRock both investigated and found that the problem was with compatibility between the memory and earlier BIOS versions. After updating to the latest BIOS, there are no further problems.

As for the February report of a burnt-out 9800X3D, AMD said that the motherboard did not have burn marks and that it was just debris that needed some cleaning. Sure enough, the motherboard successfully booted after this procedure and even passed some long-term testing.

I'm following up with AMD for more details on the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs you can buy today, so both AMD and its motherboard partners are likely vigilant on any problems that might appear on these components. Thankfully, it seems that the issues that do occur are minor and can be easily resolved. Stay tuned for more information.