Returning my Ryzen 1700x to AMD for an Express RMA. Segment Fault and my positive experience.

Here’s my success story of returning my Ryzen processor to AMD for RMA (Return merchandise authorization)

Normally I wouldn’t ever try to clock my CPU because I was getting an unexpected amount of power from it. More than a satisfying performance. Rendering a 10-minute video on premiere pro and after effects in 1080p? No problem. It took around twice the time of the video ~ approx 20 mins.

Anyways I did a test overclock out of curiosity but nothing crazy really just a 2-3% power increase. I found out that my machine was not stable at all after the clock and had to reboot a few times. Hmm very strange I thought it could be some kind of fault because normally the 1700x crystal is very well known to be even better for clocking that the original 1700.

I was trying different clocks and read online about what could be. Found out the CPU was one of the first units of production and turns out it had a specific Segment Fault bug typical only for some of the first units made.

Segfault tests for Ryzen 1700x can be found on Github

So I quickly went to Github and downloaded the segment fault test built for Linux which was going to help me determine if I am having a faulty unit by simulating a similar situation. It’s a tool for Linux that is trying to reproduce the segment faults.

Luckily I run multiple operating systems on my PC and that’s why I was able to use that great piece of code written by Oxalin. The first time I run the test for about 20 minutes there were only errors (more than enough to say the CPU was defective) but it’s strange that after a restart and 20 more minutes of testing it spit out quite a few more.

This is very strange because having a segfault is a bug that won’t show itself easily running the CPU on Windows OS but in my case, it seemed to be causing trouble. Normally it results in poor program compilation or other Linux-related developer problems but really nothing major. At least running it under Linux everything is stable and there are no crashes.

So what to do and how to get your CPU changed for a brand new unit for free?

All you have to do is visit AMD’s official website and go to the “support section” where you’ll find a warranty information page asking you to complete a form or you could just use this link. After you fill the fields make sure you have an invoice or any type of document that confirms your order.

I personally bought my processor from webuy.co.uk which is known for selling unwanted and second-hand items but AMD accepted the invoice without a problem. If you’ve tried different clocks I would spare that when speaking to their support but anyways they have ways to check that information once they receive the faulty unit. If you are in a hurry just like I was write down that you need an “Express RMA” in your first e-mails.

My personal experience with their support was great!

You’ll find tons of people out there sharing their personal experiences on Reddit and other sites. To be honest my only struggle was with the company I sent the processor.

You can read more about why Speedy (a Bulgarian company) is not a loyal merchant in my other post on the blog. They lost the package and then almost returned it back to me but after a series of serious conversations, we eventually came to an agreement.