Motherboard shipped with BIOS that could damage CPUs; retailer won’t refund.

ComfortablyD

I purchased an ASRock AM5 motherboard from Scan.co.uk in March 2025 and built the system in April. In January 2026 the PC developed severe boot issues. A BIOS update in February improved things slightly, but the system still only boots successfully from a cold start about 20% of the time.

I contacted ASRock support and they advised that the CPU is faulty.

While investigating, I discovered widespread reports of issues between ASRock AM5 motherboards and AMD 9000-series CPUs. ASRock have publicly acknowledged that earlier BIOS versions (including the one my board shipped with) had the potential to damage CPUs. The only users I’ve found with symptoms identical to mine are also using ASRock boards, and all of my troubleshooting points to the motherboard having damaged the CPU.

Because of this, I contacted Scan.co.uk requesting a refund or store credit for the motherboard, as it appears to have caused the damage.

Scan’s response has been to offer testing under the motherboard’s warranty, with repair or replacement if a fault is found. However, the nature of the problem means that the board would pass any tests they can reasonably perform. A non-damaged CPU will almost certainly boot with no problem and Scan has no way of testing for any long-term damage the board might cause in the future as it took nearly 10 months for the problem to develop in the first place.

From other users’ reports, once a board has damaged a CPU it may be more likely to do so again, and some users are still reporting problems even on supposedly fixed BIOS versions. Scan say their hands are tied because neither ASRock nor AMD have issued a recall. However, I am aware that at least one other UK retailer has already been issuing refunds where motherboards have damaged CPUs.

Since I’m now beyond the 6-month period where the burden of proof shifts under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, I’m trying to understand my position.

Does ASRock’s public admission that earlier BIOS versions could damage CPUs count as evidence that the motherboard was inherently defective at the time of sale? And how should I push back against Scan’s insistence on a testing process that the board is very unlikely to fail?

Any advice on next steps would be appreciated.

Last email from Scan:

I understand the nature of the issue with Asrock motherboards however we've not been directly informed by Asrock or AMD to issue a recall for these items therefore we can only proceed under normal warranty processes as my colleague mentioned previously this would be a repair/replacement.


Further to the details on the issue with the AMD & Asrock motherboard, although we've seen reports of this there is also some reports for other motherboard manufacturers with the same issues, currently we're still not sure if the issue is with the CPU (9000 series AMD CPU's) or the motherboards and AMD are yet to release an official statement.

TroubledTarts

Have you also contacted ASRock directly?

I wonder if you might get a better response and understanding from the manufacturing company

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6663373/motherboard-shipped-with-bios-that-could-damage-cpus-retailer-won-t-refund

It is complicated because the board was not faulty as such, the issue is the PBO settings were too high as they were based on the 7000 series CPUs, the new updated BIOS was designed with the 9000 chips in mind (and recognises the difference). The original boards were shipped before the 9000 chips were released with the caveat that the BIOS should be updated before installing the CPU/on first boot. GN, who love a bit of outrage have attempted to trigger the issue, old bios versions, overclocking, overvolting etc. and have not managed to, total reports were a few hundred out of several hundred thousand boards (now over a million) so the likelihood was pretty low and potentially within the range of normal failures.

Have you pulled the CPU and checked it? Most of the ones with issues ended up having scorch marks on the interface side of the chip and some had deformation. Is the CPU throttling under load or maintaining a consistent boost and temperature? When your boot fails does it consistently get stuck on the same code, a handful of different codes? Have you updated the BIOS? The reason I ask is because at the moment you are just speculating that the board caused an issue with the CPU based on something you read on the internet, as you have had the board for more than six months you would need to demonstrate that the fault was present at purchase and you would need an independent third party to verify that and they are going to struggle to do that.

Ergates

ASRock have publicly acknowledged that earlier BIOS versions (including the one my board shipped with) had the potential to damage CPUs…. and all of my troubleshooting points to the motherboard having damaged the CPU.

From other users’ reports, once a board has damaged a CPU it may be more likely to do so again, and some users are still reporting problems even on supposedly fixed BIOS versions

I've highlighted some bits from your post to illustrate the main issue you're going to have.

You have a motherboard that, might have damaged your CPU. Or might not. Once the BIOS has been updated it might damage another CPU, or it might not.

Unless you can conclusively (on balance of probabilities) demonstrate that your CPU was damaged by your motherboard, then you're going to struggle to get traction with Scan. What people on the internet have said (which suffers massively from reverse survivorship bias) and your own troubleshooting doesn't really cut it in terms of demonstrating this.

ComfortablyD

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81956251#Comment_81956251

Your timeline’s a bit off for the BIOS releases. My motherboard (B850m Riptide) was released after the processor (9700x), so it would have shipped with a BIOS that was compatible. The first time that ASRock admitted any problems was with the release of the 3.25 BIOS, which cameout 2-3 months after I built my PC. Their advice was for any board with an earlier BIOS to update, although reports of problems haven’t stopped.

I have been in contact with ASRock to troubleshoot, and they concluded that the CPU is damaged. I have exhausted all troubleshooting methods short of buying new components.

You are right that proving the damage was caused by the motherboard is difficult. I’m just frustrated that a component that should last for years has only lasted for 10 months, and that the public statement from ASRock saying that pre-3.25BIOS versions could cause damage is not enough for Scan to conclude that maybe the motherboard was sold with an inherent fault. Other retailers are refunding boards that have caused CPU damage, and I’m looking for the best way to reach the same conclusion with Scan.

ComfortablyD

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81956305#Comment_81956305

I completely agree with you. I’m willing to look at the circumstances and conclude that there was a problem with the board when it was sold. Some other retailers are offering refunds for boards that have damaged CPUs so they must be happy to come to the same conclusion, it’s frustrating that Scan aren’t.

I’ve never had a CPU fail in this way before and without access to actual sales numbers and return rates I am only able to look at the public statements that ASRock have made when trying to find answers.

A_Geordie

Quite often in disputes, the evidence is not quite there for you to conclude with a good degree of certainty, that the fault was inherent. This is where the balance of probabilities comes into play and you don't need Scan or ASRock to capitulate or otherwise accept there was a fault with the motherboard.

You only need to convince the court to find that your evidence/arguments on the day is 51% better than Scan's evidence/arguments, hence the balance of probabilities.

In an ideal situation, a third party independent report that confirms your situation would strengthen your claim but it's not absolutely necessary, especially if the third party is merely going to do the same troubleshooting as yourself. Claims have and do succeed without third party independent reports. It's a choice (and risk) you have to make.

Here's my take on things:

Because of this, I contacted Scan.co.uk requesting a refund or store credit for the motherboard, as it appears to have caused the damage.

Faults after 6 months entitle you to seek a repair or replacement by Scan and unless Scan can show one is disproportionate to the other, then Scan should comply with that request. You are not entitled to an immediate refund without jumping through this step first.

I understand the nature of the issue with Asrock motherboards however we've not been directly informed by Asrock or AMD to issue a recall for these items therefore we can only proceed under normal warranty processes as my colleague mentioned previously this would be a repair/replacement.

A faulty motherboard is not contingent on a manufacturer issuing a recall. Product recalls relate to regulatory obligations which pose a safety risk. The faults/damage caused by the motherboard may not reach the safety risk threshold and therefore a recall may never come about. Nevertheless, a one off faulty motherboard is sufficient to trigger liability under the CRA and does not depend on widespread faults of the same goods or the manufacturer accepting there's a fault.

The other point to add is that warranties are in addition to your rights under the CRA so Scan cannot rely on that as an excuse not to issue a repair or replacement. If you go through the manufacturer warranty and the fault continues thereafter, you won't be able to exercise your final right to reject the goods under the CRA because Scan did repair or replace the goods, it was under the manufacturer's warranty.

Overall, I think there's enough evidence to warrant a reasonable prospect of success if you were to issue legal proceedings against Scan, though it's certainly not a clear cut case. The public statement, the troubleshooting performed under the direction of ASRock (if you can document what troubleshooting was performed) with the conclusion that the CPU is likely at fault is all evidence to support the claim. It then falls to Scan to disprove and/or provide stronger evidence to the contrary.

Another angle, is that if you request a repair or replacement from Scan and they outright refuse or continue to point you towards claiming under the manufacturer's warranty, I think you have grounds to exercise your final right to reject the CPU and seek a refund ,so long as you communicate that to them.

born_again

 Some other retailers are offering refunds for boards that have damaged CPUs so they must be happy to come to the same conclusion, it’s frustrating that Scan aren’t.

Are they also refunding for the CPU?