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PC Processors

maxli86
Journeyman III

Strongly urge AMD to consider processor diagnostic tools to detect faulty CPU at BIOS Level

Dear AMD, 

I myself am a IT technician and I have encounter few cases of faulty AMD CPU processor. 
That the issue itself was very complicated to identify in particular Windows could not load. 
Usually when Windows could not load it means the Windows is corrupted. 

However on several cases it wasn't that when I try to start Windows USB installer or even Linux USB bootable. 
Either bootable OS could not boot and the cases that I encounter the error message on Windows was: 

-  System thread exception not handled
-  0xc000021a stop code  

Only after changing the CPU than the PC works fine especially booting into Windows USB installer. 
Most motherboard diagnostic tool are not able to detect faulty CPU that even if CPU is faulty. 
The PC can still boot so there is no way to tell whether the CPU is faulty. 

I strongly urge AMD to consider a proper diagnostic tool to detect faulty CPU. 
Most motherboard design are based on Intel and Intel CPU does fail too. 
However for faulty Intel CPU it won't totally boot so why faulty AMD CPU can still boot it is puzzling 
unless the motherboard could not properly detect or recognize a faulty AMD CPU. 

Neither it is not one manufacturer but different brands will also have this issue. 

Thank you for reading my post.  



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It is difficult to determine if a processor is defective or some other hardware or software issue.

Found these 2 Professional diagnostics programs that is used by Technicians to troubleshoot PC:

https://uxd.com/solution/repair   This one involves running it from a Flash drive and is OS Free.

https://www.pc-doctor.com/     This one is expensive (from $330 - $770) but made for IT professionals, Repair Technicians, etc.

 

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Thanks for sharing, however when processor is faulty. 
You be surprised that tools whether Diagnostic tool etc. will not load through USB. 
It will either black screen or just halt there. 

I seriously have no idea how to identify or check a faulty AMD Ryzen CPU especially 
during POST. Which should have been done either at BIOS level or motherboard implementation level. 
If the PC can boot into desktop, diagnostic can be easy using 3Dmark etc. but at POST is really difficult. 



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Ah the good ole days of diagnostics software that runs on a DOS platform.  I still have a diag software program that runs on DOS but due to the limitations it is unable to test multi core processors, it can't handle large amounts of memory and forget testing hard drives because it can't see a full 4TB drive let alone the larger ones.  

POST tests booting up is still a good catch all and if the MB goes past ability to make changes, then I agree.  This is somewhere between the MB POST and operating system and like other posts on this thread they are right in that is a tough thing to accomplish.  There should be something and AMD likely (As all other manufacturers) don't find it worth the effort due to Mean time between failure rates of new processors being so high.  Some could slip past their testing process but that would be a very few and not really worth the effort when it is easy to replace a processor and try it again.  

If you are like me, I can't afford a new CPU to leave just laying around to test with, so it is a pickle and likely not easy to resolve in that between stage of BIOS and OS.  Manufacture warranty makes it easy when a CPU is bad out of the box but when it has run for a while it should be easy to diag based on POST codes from the MB.   I agree with you and hope they make something. 

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