Did you secure a win in the BAD silicon lottery? (CPU)
Did you secure a win in the BAD silicon lottery? (CPU)
I recently completed a major system refresh, replacing the CPU, GPU, and power supply. However, as soon as I attempted to run a tough game, the machine would simply power down. Upon installing the new Ryzen 5 5600X, everything functioned normally, but shortly after Windows loaded, it would shut off again. Initially, I suspected the motherboard might be faulty, especially after the BIOS update increased RAM speeds to 3000MHz while the motherboard only supported 3200MHz. I adjusted the clock speeds to 2933MHz and everything worked perfectly. The new RX 6800 XT also performed well. Drivers installation caused the same shutdown behavior as before. I lowered RAM speeds to 2800MHz without success, then reset to the default 2133MHz, which resolved the issue. I was able to stress-test both components for over 20 minutes using various tools, but even then, demanding games like Alyx or Warzone would crash immediately upon heavy loading. I tried swapping the GPU to an older model, but it still crashed. I checked RAM, CPU pins, and even performed a full reset, yet the problem persisted. Eventually, I swapped back to the original CPU and managed to get full RAM speed performance, successfully completing Sandra benchmarks. Before writing this, I was able to play Alyx at full settings without any stuttering. The challenge remains: which component is responsible? I initially suspected the motherboard due to its perceived low quality, but after replacing the CPU, my doubts shifted. I’ve received mixed advice and am seeking a second opinion to find a solution. I’m considering returning the new CPU for a return policy before spending at least 100 euros on a replacement motherboard. Thank you for reading the complete specifications: Current CPU - Ryzen 5 2600 New CPU - Ryzen 5 5600X Current GPU - RX 6800 XT Old GPU - Zotac GTX 1650 Super RAM - 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX CL15 3000MHz Motherboard - ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 (BIOS Version 4.90) PSU - Corsair RM1000e
It seems the B450M might struggle with the 5600X’s power needs. Check out a forum member who faced a similar issue and seems to have resolved it. https://community.amd.com/t5/processors/...099#M42670
The system was experiencing BSODs under heavy load, but with minimal overall usage it would simply shut down without a crash. It seems the new RX 6800 XT might be the culprit, though I’ve had good results with it. Both CPUs are similar in power draw based on testing, and I’ve run extensive stress tests without issues except during heavy RAM access. Consider starting with an RMA for the CPU before replacing the motherboard.
I’ll check the latest info to see if others with that specific motherboard are facing similar problems. There are recent BIOS updates for this model, and ASRock mentions certain versions may not work well on different hardware setups. It could just be a matter of a BIOS flash fixing the issue. The VRM components are okay but should support 5600X, possibly up to 5900X and beyond.