After Backlash, Asus Says Motherboard Warranty Will Cover Beta BIOS

Consumer backlash is causing Asus to clarify that its motherboard warranty will still cover the product when running a beta BIOS or if memory overclocking has been activated. 

The company issued the statement after the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus released a scathing video(Opens in a new window), pointing out a hole in the company’s warranty policy for its AMD-designed motherboards. A statement attached to the beta BIOS for the product implied that installing the software could void the motherboard’s warranty.  

Last month, some consumers reported that AMD’s Ryzen 7000X3D chips can overheat and damage the motherboards. AMD later blamed the problem on the SoC voltage on the processors reaching unsafe levels, with Asus also pointing fingers at the memory overclocking through the motherboard’s EXPO technology.

“The amount of voltage required varies between CPU samples. Some processors are more sensitive to overvoltage than others, and some are capable at running higher memory frequencies without needing as much voltage,” Asus said at the time. 

To fix the problem, the company and other motherboard vendors rolled out a BIOS update, which can essentially cap the SoC voltage to 1.3 volts. However, Gamers Nexus found that the update failed to restrict the SoC voltage. In addition, the fine print on the beta BIOS from the company noted: “Asus does not give any warranties, whether express or limited, as to the suitability, compatibility, or usability of the UEFI, its firmware or any of its content.”

The beta BIOS update from Asus.
(Credit: Asus)

On top of all this, a few(Opens in a new window) consumers(Opens in a new window) affected by the Ryzen 7000X3D problems say Asus told them the company’s policies wouldn’t cover their motherboard warranty because it had been run with a beta BIOS or EXPO memory overclocking.

On Monday, Asus clarified its policy. “We would like to reassure our customers that both beta and fully validated BIOS updates for Asus AM5 motherboards are covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty,” the company said in a statement(Opens in a new window). 

Asus added the warranty “also covers all AMD EXPO, Intel XMP, and DOCP memory configurations,” along with all recent BIOS updates following AMD’s latest voltage guidelines for the Ryzen 7000 processors. 

“Furthermore, we would like to reiterate our commitment to supporting the AMD AM5 platform and our customers. For any further inquiries about your Asus AM5 motherboard, please contact our customer service for support,” the statement added. On Tuesday, the company also released(Opens in a new window) a new BIOS update for affected AMD motherboards that isn’t a beta and drops the disclaimer implying the voided warranty.