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AMD Shipping Free APUs to Customers to Address Firmware Update Issue

Earlier this week, we covered a familiar problem when pairing new processors with older motherboards. Older boards often need firmware updates to properly support new processors, but not every board on the market has been flashed to support new APUs. This means it’s possible for a customer to purchase a new APU like the 2400G, but end up with a board whose UEFI is too old to boot the CPU properly. This isn’t a new issue — Intel CPUs have also had this problem in the past — but AMD’s solution is frankly exemplary.

AMD’s support page walks through various options available to customers and recommends that customers check with their motherboard vendors for a free replacement or use a previously purchased Ryzen CPU to install the BIOS. That’s pretty standard stuff.

Here’s what’s not standard. If you can’t use UEFI flashback to install an updated BIOS or receive no support from your motherboard manufacturer, AMD will ship you an APU guaranteed to work on all systems. Here’s the exact text:

AMD will provide affected and qualified users a boot kit to perform the BIOS update on their motherboard. This solution is offered through AMD warranty services and is available only for affected and qualified users of this specific boot up issue. This boot kit is free of charge.

To obtain the boot kit, please carefully follow these instructions:

Go to the AMD online warranty claims page:

Fill in your full contact and product details

In the Problem Description field enter “Boot kit Required” (without quotes)

NOTE: The product must be a valid AMD processor with authentic OPN and serial number

Once the claim is received and approved, confirmation details and boot kit instructions will be provided in a follow up email.

A forum member at Ars Technica identified the APUs AMD is shipping out as the A6-9500, a dual-core Bristol Ridge APU with a modest integrated GPU and a boost clock of 3.8GHz. It won’t hold a candle to Ryzen as far as performance is concerned, but that doesn’t matter. We’ve never heard of a company shipping out free CPUs to people with a problem like this, and it’s a heck of a thing for AMD to offer.

One other thing worth noting: The reason this problem hits AMD is because AMD is sticking to the same chipsets it launched last year. Intel, in contrast, historically spins new chipsets for major launches. While backwards compatibility is maintained in some cases across Intel product lines, AMD has pledged to support its Ryzen chipsets (X370, B350, A320) through 2020. The inevitable result of that promise is that some boards may need flash updates from time to time. But it’s not an issue unique to AMD and to the extent that it may affect AMD more often, it’s a consequence of AMD supporting its motherboards and chipsets through multiple product generations, as opposed to some kind of failure in quality control. Given that AMD is literally sending people free processors to fix this problem, I’d much rather deal with the minor hassle of a UEFI flash as opposed to buying an entirely new motherboard every few years.

AMD Shipping Free APUs to Customers to Address Firmware Update Issue - ExtremeTech

1 Solution

It's also a great way for AMD to dispose of otherwise useless processors.

View solution in original post

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18 Replies

It's also a great way for AMD to dispose of otherwise useless processors.

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good one

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Remember they did face a lawsuit over Llano APUs which cost them $30 million.

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neo110
Adept I

A worthy solution, but don't get ahead of yourself. At least Intel's introduction of new chipsets each gen leaves no questions. With AMD, I seems to me that not a single board was released alongside the 2200G and 2400G to signal that there is some sort of difference in compatibility, even if those boards would hypothetically be the same socket and chipsets. It was made to seem completely compatible, and the fact is, it's not. Not by AMD, mind you - this mistake is being made by motherboard manufacturers. Calling the new processors "supported" with no fine print.

You see this happening with laptops...where a OEM buys up APU's with soon-to-be-legacy graphics at a rock bottom price and pairs it with a cut-down version (M) of a popular high performance series card. The integrated APU graphics are 'Legacy' and are not support by the latest drivers..which the popular high performance clone does. No switchable graphics. No bueno.

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The 400 series chipset boards will be released shortly with Zen+, but they should be nothing more than a rebadge to guarantee compatibility. Also, remember AMD designed a sticker for the board partners to place on their boxes and webpages to certify the boards have already been updated to compatible BIOS files.

See the source image

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Every single motherboard manufacturer supplies one of these with there motherboards.

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If you see the motherboard you are purchasing requires a later BIOS for your supported CPU, always ask the vendor which BIOS is installed on the board you are buying.  If it is a lower revision, ask if they will update it for you.  If they won't, then you are left with the choice of submitting for the boot kit, or burning extra dough to get a second processor for updating, or buying a different motherboard.

Sadly it seems they're not simply GIVING them away, they're lending them to customers which they then send back...but without the heatsink? Doesn't make much sense to me..

AMD sending out free processors to solve firmware flashing Catch-22 | Ars Technica

Once you've got everything up and running on the new chip, you're then meant to send AMD back the temporary chip, though oddly, without its required heatsink. The heatsink isn't compatible with the Ryzen chips, so it's not particularly worth keeping, but apparently AMD has no use for it either.

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I had this issue with r3 2200g, on feb.16th i entered my warranty info for the kit,i received an email same day saying "new request received" with ticket #, then i received another email that said "global customer care account created" and to expect a follow up email. Has anyone gotten past this part yet? Like do they usually get back to you quick or?

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I put my request in on the same day and got those automatic emails. Don't know about their usual turnaround, but I wasn't expecting a response by today at the soonest because of the long weekend.

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I'm in a similar position. Placed my request on the 17th, received the same emails (new request received and ticket #), but have not yet heard a response. I imagine there's a lot of people requesting boot kits for new builds who don't have an old CPU lying around? Hopefully we hear back soon!

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AMD's page: Unable to Boot New Desktop System Configured with AMD 2nd Generation Ryzen™ Desktop Processor, and A...

Remember that these boot kits are intended to be a "last resort", and that customers are first required to contact the board manufacturer for an RMA

4

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From a diagnostic perspective, removing the motherboard is a last resort, not swapping the CPU. I don't mean to bicker, but after disconnecting all components and dismounting the board, I'd rather return it to the seller saying it was DOA than have it shipped, updated, then shipped back (and Gigabyte's service center is in California across the country from me). I requested a boot kit not just for my own convenience - in the world of PC building, other things could still have gone wrong. I need try a compatible CPU first before anything else.

I'm obviously frustrated but don't take this as an argument against anything you've said. Everyone on the forum has been helpful, just wanna lay down some discussion points. The sticker program would be helpful as well, but it's not easy to see if a sticker is on the package when you're buying something online (which I did). It could conceivably be an updated board, but the seller neglects to make a change to the product description to say that.

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Zarragossa
Journeyman III

Have a RX 580 Saphire card and like to use it on my MAC Pro. Is there an updated Firmware to make it MAC compatible? Than you if you know

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Zarragossa
Journeyman III

I like to update that video firmware to accommodate to run a MAC Pro System properly. Right now I can't see the boot screen but the card otherwise works OK. I also can't install any drivers.

I hope you see the issue, many manufacturers put their stamp on the box when you purchase that video card call Saffire Radeon 580. Other manufacturers updated their firmware.

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This is an almost 5 year old thread dealing the processor (cpu/apu) upgrading.

And if by firmware you mean the graphics card Vbios, that would come from SapphireTech in your case.

Suggest you start a new discussion for possible help with driver issues.

Ryzen 5 5600x, B550 aorus pro ac, Hyper 212 black, 2 x 16gb F4-3600c16dgtzn kit, Aorus gen4 1tb, Nitro+RX6900XT, RM850, Win.10 Pro., LC27G55T..
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Hurtig
Adept I

Can AMD also fix this with the 6600m that does not exist according to the internet? Send over some firmware atleast..6600.jpg

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