Question ASRock B650I wifi upgrading to 3.30 + 9800X3D fiasco. Should you set voltage manually or leave at 'auto' ?

[93QSD5]

I'm installing in the process of upgrading the UEFI with flashback, since that won't require installing a CPU or having to go into UEFI in the first place.
The board is an SFF ASRock B650I Lightning WIFI, according to a green sticker, with UEFI "3.2" preinstalled.

Ever since the 3.25 and 3.30 updates, the amount of (new) reports has declined, yet judging by continuing incoming reports, the issues still seem to persist. Some even never having touched the earlier troubling UEFI versions before as well as leaving PBO off/default.

So my question is, what's the best course of action in regards to UEFI settings?
Should I lower the voltage (some say 1.2) or leave everything at 'auto'. If you have RMA / manual voltage experience before, will this affect the warranty or RMA outcome in the future?
Unfortunate situation but I'll have to deal with this system now and will make use of RMA/years of warranty if issues arise.

 

[Lutfij]

I wouldn't have gone with an ASRock motherboard to begin with but since you're here, I'd suggest going with the latest BIOS version.

If you have RMA / manual voltage experience before, will this affect the warranty or RMA outcome in the future?
No it shouldn't affect your warranty., Only physical damage inflicted by the end user/tampering with the board is what voids the warranty.

Unfortunate situation but I'll have to deal with this system now and will make use of RMA/years of warranty if issues arise.
I'd see if you can sell the board for a little less and source another board. The MSI B650I Edge WiFi is fully featured for it's size/price.

 

[93QSD5]

I wouldn't have gone with an ASRock motherboard to begin with but since you're here, I'd suggest going with the latest BIOS version.

Thank you, I'll continue with flashing 3.30 then.

If you have RMA / manual voltage experience before, will this affect the warranty or RMA outcome in the future?
No it shouldn't affect your warranty., Only physical damage inflicted by the end user/tampering with the board is what voids the warranty.

If we go to the other side of the argument, wouldn't setting the voltage to, I don't know, 1.5V, 2V, 3V basically any amount that's clearly too high and will certainly kill the CPU, be immediately considered user-error and void any warranty?

Unfortunate situation but I'll have to deal with this system now and will make use of RMA/years of warranty if issues arise.
I'd see if you can sell the board for a little less and source another board. The MSI B650I Edge WiFi is fully featured for it's size/price.

That board sadly costs almost twice the asrock one for me + plus loss from selling the asrock one. I'd also pay quite a sum for a mid-tier? higher budget board, I personally can't justify that The used market to me is also dead, I can't find any cheaper non-asrock itx one locally (or they are priced as expensive as new..I don't get it, it didn't use to be this bad...)

 

[Lutfij]

Why would you want to do that to begin with? They have ways to find out you tampered with the voltage to that level...

That board sadly costs almost twice the asrock one for me + plus loss from selling the asrock one.
If I was in your shoes, you protect your investments and the 9800X3D processor which I'm assuming you own, as it's mentioned in the thread's title, costs a lot more than the board itself.

I don't get it, it didn't use to be this bad...)
Everything that has an up has a down. MSI had it, Gigabyte had it, Asus have it. It's a trend.

 

[93QSD5]

Why would you want to do that to begin with? They have ways to find out you tampered with the voltage to that level...

I've been trying to find a pattern online, some use PBO, some don't, some used EXPO, some didn't. There really doesn't seem be a pattern of what causes it. Though I repeatedly noticed a trend of people locking their voltage and reporting no issues so far while. So far, among my scrappy research, I noticed only once person who had a dead CPU with locked voltage.

It makes sense though, especially when you consider that ASRock, as well as other manufacturers, push the limit to get on top of the (meaningless) benchmarks.

> That board sadly costs almost twice the asrock one for me + plus loss from selling the asrock one.
If I was in your shoes, you protect your investments and the 9800X3D processor which I'm assuming you own, as it's mentioned in the thread's title, costs a lot more than the board itself.

I personally don't believe them, I think both of them are at fault and neither knows truly what's causing the deaths.
Sadly, I would be paying for a mistake on AMD/ASRocks side, while also not getting anything in return (for spending more money on yet another b650 itx board). Why would I?
ASRock and AMD sold their respective products and updates with the full notice of having fixed the issue.

Since they sell their product with confidence, if the CPU dies, it's going straight to RMA. AMD seems to be expediting RMA request in this matter which is great but also admittedly indicative of their share with this issue.

I don't get it, it didn't use to be this bad...)
Everything that has an up has a down. MSI had it, Gigabyte had it, Asus have it. It's a trend.

Everything that has an up/goes up, does not have a down/doesn't have to come down, ask Voyager1 ( :
Jokes aside, it's sadly true but not really an issue if the party involved, takes accountability (which ASRock doesn't) and can definitively show what caused the issue (which ASRock cannot) and what will be done to avoid such consequences in the future, which arguably, in the eyes of the consumers, might even be more valuable/reassuring.
Never let a crisis go to waste. - R. Emanuel / C. Doyle