Does the risk of burning a CPU on X299 (MSI?) boards exist anymore?

[DHurs2]

Intel seems to know more about this than MSI and customer service is not so available from MSI at least at the moment or for me.

So should I watch out for this problem on my X299 MSI Gaming Pro Carbon board with i9-10920X CPU? Updated latest bios.

References with no mentions of it being fixed from either part. MSI or Intel:

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/2-x-i7-7800x-x299-died-in-a-similar-way.18803771/

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=296394.0

Thank you!

[AdrianM_Intel]

Hello DMuel7,

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.  

Regarding this matter, this is not an issue with our processors normally, this kind of damages can be caused due to mishandling with the processor when this happens is because the processor has been extremely overclocked (High voltages) and the processor did not have the proper cooling solution to cover the needs of overclocking, also it's important to mention that thermal paste needs to be properly applied and the cooling solution must be compatible with the processor socket and TDP (Thermal Design Power represents the average power, in watts, the processor dissipates when operating at Base Frequency with all cores active under an Intel-defined, high-complexity workload).

The T-junction of this processor is 94°C (The maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.) if the processor works below that there should not be overheating issues.

Processors do not carry power, the power comes from the power supply and other components.

We do not support overclocking so you might check with the system manufacturer of your system, they might be able to advise you with the best BIOS set up for your configuration also, it's worth mentioning that Altering clock frequency or voltage may damage or reduce the useful life of the processor and other system components, and may reduce system stability and performance. Product warranties may not apply if the processor is operated beyond its specifications.

If you would like to overclock your processor you might use the Intel Performance Tuning Protection Plan (The Performance Tuning Protection Plan (PTPP) is an additional plan to cover processor failures caused by operating the eligible processor outside of Intel’s published specifications.)

You can also check Intel® Performance Maximizer.

Regards,

Adrian M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DHurs2]

Thank you for the reply!

Im not sure if the reply was intended for me, but its good info anyway. Unfortunately Im not granted any customer service from MSI and their public forum registration has an odd requirement of giving them right to access my email. However, I see that Intel was aware of this problem and Im desperately seeking for the current status of it.

To clarify few things and the questions:

1. On X299 platform X series STOCK processors were dying one after another per person. As many as four per person were replaced by Intel.
2. Someone spoke with Intel engineer on the phone and had received some info tips.
3. The problem seems to be the MSI bios bug that MSI AFAIK is not admitting/addressing.
4. A voltage spike to the CPU memory controller seemed to be the reason. Happened mostly when waking the PC from sleep. But also while playing a game.
5. I will have to decide today/tomorrow or very soon if I will buy the Intel CPU or sell my MSI board and forget the whole risky project.

The questions:

1. Is it now safe to buy an Intel i9-10920X CPU if I will use it with an MSI X299 "Gaming Pro Carbon AC" motherboard with the latest bios?
2. Does the problem still exist?

The info above is derived from and based on the two links I provided.

Thank you!

[AdrianM_Intel]

Hello DMuel7,

Thank you for your response.

We understand your concern regarding this matter, however from our site the processor should not experience that kind of behavior working within specifications. If a bug has been found on the BIOS from MSI* that seems to be causing this voltage spike to the CPU memory controller this should be reported and fixed by the system manufacturer of the motherboard.

Based on the date of those forums links, those issues were reported back in 2017 and 2018 so it happened 3/2 years ago, this could be already fixed but our recommendation is to ask to MSI* to confirm this.

Regards,

Adrian M.

Intel Customer Support Technician