Anyone experienced a faulty Ryzen?

[nzoomed]

Built this machine about 6 weeks ago, all stock standard no overclocking etc.
It's a ryzen 5600GT running on a gigabyte board with a B550M series chipset, memory is 3200mhz which is the maximum speed for these.

About 2 or 3 times in the last month it's just spontaneously rebooted for no apparent reason, with no warnings in event viewer other than unexpected shutdown.
Then last weekend it would simply not start and would boot into a loop where it would take you into windows recovery environment, etc.
I performed a system restore after the usual startup repair failed.
Then it booted into a BSOD with a CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED error.
I decided to perform a fresh install of windows 11 on a new SSD and upon its first startup, I get another BSOD this time with the error DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG.
Memory tests all fine, have reset CMOS and updated the BIOS with no effect.
Now I was able to get windows 11 to run again after swapping a drive out that I installed previously on another computer, so it is still possible to get windows to run on it, same goes for my hirens winPE disc.

I have read a bunch online with people having similar faults with their mobo and/or CPU but appear more sporadic and random, but a BSOD upon a windows install points to some sort of hardware issue, I feel it can only be CPU or motherboard, but will need to find another CPU to swap out and test it with.

I rarely ever come across faulty CPU's but it can't be ruled out, am more interested to know if anyone else has come across something similar in recent?

[Wainuitech]

Had the Odd case, mainly with DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG.  This means ( from MS) This indicates that a driver has failed to complete a PnP operation within a specific time.

What I would normally do is look deeper at the logs, Event Viewer really doesn't tell you a lot ( most of the time)

In Search, type in Reli  Open Reliability History -- There are often more details pointing to a problem. 

Failing that, you need to read the dump files - If you are not too sure or do not have the actual Software to read them fully, download "Who Crashed"   Download Here

The instructions on using Windows bebugger.  Described here  and  HERE , These really get into the nitty-gritty - Details.

But Who Crashed will also give you a good idea and point to what actually crashed, it gives you someplace to start.  They will tell you exactly what drivers crashed so something to look at.

[nzoomed]

Had the Odd case, mainly with DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG.  This means ( from MS) This indicates that a driver has failed to complete a PnP operation within a specific time.

What I would normally do is look deeper at the logs, Event Viewer really doesn't tell you a lot ( most of the time)

In Search, type in Reli  Open Reliability History -- There are often more details pointing to a problem. 

Failing that, you need to read the dump files - If you are not too sure or do not have the actual Software to read them fully, download "Who Crashed"   Download Here

The instructions on using Windows bebugger.  Described here  and  HERE , These really get into the nitty-gritty - Details.

But Who Crashed will also give you a good idea and point to what actually crashed, it gives you someplace to start.  They will tell you exactly what drivers crashed so something to look at.

Yeah event viewer is not overly helpful I find.
Given that this time its a fresh install of windows that failed to load, I will have to export the dump files for analysis on another computer since that this machine no longer can boot up.
Actually thinking about it, it might be easier to run who crashed off a windows PE boot disc, its very unusual for a BSOD to appear during a windows install nonetheless, it happens during the first bootup, right at the last percentage of configuring hardware while it spins around.
I tried installing with an older build as I was wondering if a windows update may have had something to do with it and still does the same thing.
Given that i used the same build to install windows with at the beginning with zero issues, it tells me something has happened with the hardware over this time.
Will be interesting what i find in the memory dumps anyway.

[Wainuitech]

Assuming it's Running from Onboard Graphics and not a Card of some description?

The DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG can also be related to Plug and Play devices. Edited: in fact its in the Name PNP ( error message)

Have you tried a different USB Drive, (assuming you are installing from one) I have a Drive here, that if I try to install Windows from, "Some" ( but not all) computers simply refuse to even boot, or if they do all sorts of crazy things happen, there's something about the drive they simply don't agree to, plug in a different USB drive, and installs fine.

Apart from a USB drive to install any other USB devices plugged in ??

[king1]

I had a R9 5950X faulty out of the box, try as I might, i couldn't even get the sucker to load windows without crashing - swapped out memory, PSU etc nothing worked
Was a while back so couldn't tell you the error codes, but PB replaced it fairly quickly so I guess it does happen...

Second using Who Crashed, use that a bt for troubleshooting these kind of issues...

[nzoomed]

Assuming it's Running from Onboard Graphics and not a Card of some description?

The DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG  can also be related to Plug and Play devices. Edited: in fact its in the Name PNP ( error message)   

Have you tried a different USB Drive, (assuming you are installing from one)  I have a Drive here, that if I try to install Windows from, "Some" ( but not all) computers simply refuse to even boot, or if they do all sorts of crazy things happen, there's something about the drive they simply don't agree to, plug in a different USB drive, and installs fine.

Apart from a USB drive  to install any other USB devices plugged in  ??

Yes its running off the onboard graphics. Ive had the same issues installing off a USB drive and the windows DVD itself too, so that rules out any of those drives as a fault, no other USB devices connected other than the keyboard and mouse.
It seems to have progressively got worse since yesterday too, my hirens DVD no longer loads and hangs for a bit while loading, it gets to the point where its got the windows desktop up, but yet to start windows explorer and then it shuts down completley.
I have also swapped out CPU's with an earlier generation Ryzen and still got the same symptoms, but yet to test another reinstall of windows.
Seems to be pointing to the motherboard at this stage, but for piece of mind im going to try out some different RAM and may even try another PSU to be on the safe side.

[Wainuitech]

Sometimes it's a process of Elimination, ( unless it's obvious like someone let the Smoke out) OK if you have the spares to test.

[nzoomed]

Well I can confirm it was the motherboard.
I literally had to swap out every other component to verify it was nothing else.
The fella at PB tech said to me that they have seen higher rates of motherboard failures in recent.
I don't have much in the way of AMD processors spare on hand but managed to find something to test it with.

Got the thing burn in testing at the moment with furmark and prime95, so far so good.
Not sure if any of these boards are known to have issues, some models are known to be lemons.

[nzoomed]

Blow me down and the second motherboard has failed too one week later.
PB tech was able to confirm the fault, but makes me wonder of it's a faulty batch, I'm going to swap it out for an ASUS board this time.

[Wainuitech]

Blow me down and the second motherboard has failed too one week later.
PB tech was able to confirm the fault, but makes me wonder of it's a faulty batch, I'm going to swap it out for an ASUS board this time.

It happens ( bad batch) Years ago when I was working at Quay Computers we had a really bad batch of MSI Boards, 50% failure rate. If the new computers started after being built, they were OK, otherwise they were completely dead from the start.

[nzoomed]

Blow me down and the second motherboard has failed too one week later.
PB tech was able to confirm the fault, but makes me wonder of it's a faulty batch, I'm going to swap it out for an ASUS board this time.

It happens ( bad batch) Years ago when I was working at Quay Computers we had a really bad batch of MSI Boards, 50% failure rate. If the new computers started after being built, they were OK, otherwise they were completely dead from the start.

Im hearing a bit about quality control dropping off post-covid, not too sure about these claims but im not surprised if its true.
Ive never touched MSI boards because they typically have been very low quality, yet the brand seems to have survived rather well over the last couple of decades.
Im usually an ASUS fan but went with Gigabyte in this instance due to availability at the time.

Only other possibility is if the PSU has a fault and is damaging the board, but I would expect this is unlikely.

[Wainuitech]

There is one other thing - You didn't say whether the 2nd failure was at your place or clients?

But have seen where bad power can affect and damage computers. I had one person several years ago, whose computer when here worked perfectly, after damaging new power supplies I put in a UPS - the Damn thing went nuts with faulty power within a few minutes.

Its possible that faulty power from mains - damages PSU's then the board. You got to remember the PSU is a transformer - Computers only run on 3.3,5 & 12 V so any sort of PSU failure wouldn't go too well.

Just 2 cents worth.

[nzoomed]

There is one other thing - You didn't say whether the 2nd failure was at your place or clients?

But have seen where bad power can affect and damage computers.  I had one person several years ago, whose computer when here worked perfectly, after damaging new power supplies I put in a UPS - the Damn thing went nuts with faulty power within a few minutes.

Its possible that faulty power from mains - damages PSU's then the board.  You got to remember the PSU is a transformer - Computers only run on 3.3,5 & 12 V  so any sort of PSU failure wouldn't go too well.

Just 2 cents worth.

Yeah the 2nd failure happened at my place but still running on the same power supply.
The place where I had installed it has had new wiring installed in the whole building and there is a surge protector present, no issues have been present with any other computers there, so dont think that the electricity supply is to blame.
All I know is that switched mode power supplies are very temperamental, they are not actually a transformer, but a bunch of complex electronics that discharges energy into a series of inductors with a bunch of filtering caps, etc, they are sensitive to damage, but pretty much all modern PSU's have metal oxide varistors installed inside which essentially provides built in surge protection regardless of what its connected to.

I would like to see if there is a decent power supply tester out there that can alert any voltage spikes and do a proper load test, most ive seen just give a voltage readout on the screen and say tests OK.
Perhaps I should connect it to my oscilloscope and see if anything shows up on that. I had the thing running for a good 24 hours on prime 95 and furmark with zero issues, but simply rebooted on its own accord a few days later doing no real work just sitting idle. This is what the last board was doing at a rate on average about once per week before eventually failing to start and BSOD.

Ive seen random reboots with bad PSU's before, but typically it will fail pretty fast, once or twice a week is a pretty low rate while leaving this system running 24/7

[king1]

i've got a current issue with an acer sff I installed recently, constantly disconnects and reconnects hardware (from the audible notification) and reboots randomly - from the event logs it was pointing to intel video driver - swapped it from HDMI to VGA connection and seems to have sorted it, touch wood...

[nzoomed]

i've got a current issue with an acer sff I installed recently,  constantly disconnects and reconnects hardware (from the audible notification) and reboots randomly - from the event logs it was pointing to intel video driver - swapped it from HDMI to VGA connection and seems to have sorted it, touch wood...

Ive seen something similar happen with the intel drivers too, was it running windows 11 by any chance?

[king1]

i've got a current issue with an acer sff I installed recently,  constantly disconnects and reconnects hardware (from the audible notification) and reboots randomly - from the event logs it was pointing to intel video driver - swapped it from HDMI to VGA connection and seems to have sorted it, touch wood...

Ive seen something similar happen with the intel drivers too, was it running windows 11 by any chance?

yep brand new machine I supplied a week or so ago - client was getting rather annoyed by the constant disconnect /reconnect sounds...

[nzoomed]

Ive seen something similar happen with the intel drivers too, was it running windows 11 by any chance?

yep brand new machine I supplied a week or so ago - client was getting rather annoyed by the constant disconnect /reconnect sounds...

Thats crazy what goes on, in my case I downgraded the driver and it sorted it.

[Agent_24]

I had stability issues with a Gigabyte board and Ryzen 5700X, even using memory on the QVL.
Errors in P95 after some time but usually within the hour. Dropping RAM clock only delayed the problem.

The latest BIOS (which also has an AGESA update) appears to have solved the issues with no system crashes, or errors in P95 since.