You might find it hard to believe, but AMD’s Ryzen 9000 processors are delayed due to a typo. Yes, you read that right. The CPUs, which were already shipped, are now being recalled from retailers and PC makers due to a mistake on the chips themselves.
This isn’t a simple packaging error but a mislabelling on the processors. Instead of the Ryzen 7 9700X, a leaked picture shows AMD mistakenly labelling the CPU as the Ryzen 9 9700X. This revelation came from a post on social media platform X shared by leaker HXL.
Tom’s Hardware also reported on this issue, referencing an early review from Bilibili in China. They pointed out that Ryzen 5 9600X chips have been similarly mislabeled as Ryzen 9 models. The Ryzen 9 label is meant for the high-end chips in the Zen 5 family, like the Ryzen 9 9950X and 9900X.
More than just a typo?
Other sources have also attributed the recall to this large-scale typo. Ian Cutress, formerly of Anandtech, mentioned this on X, backing up HXL’s post.
Initially, AMD planned to release the Ryzen 9000 processors on July 31. However, this has now been postponed to a staggered launch next month. The Ryzen 5 and 7 models will be released on August 8, and then the Ryzen 9 models on August 15.
Analysis: Strange but true
This situation is quite unusual. AMD hasn’t provided an official reason for the recall, only stating that the chips “did not meet our full quality expectations.” Misnaming the processors could indeed fall under this explanation.
AMD might be embarrassed to admit such a mistake. It’s hard to believe such an error wasn’t caught on the production line. A “Ryzen 9 9700X” label on what should be a Ryzen 7 9700X would stand out to anyone familiar with AMD’s products. However, it seems this oversight went unnoticed.
Despite the typo, the Zen 5 processors could have other underlying issues. That would be good news if the recall were solely due to mislabelling. This would mean that there would be no deep-seated technical issues with the Ryzen 9000 CPUs. However, AMD’s statement hints at more than just a labelling error. They mentioned the recall was initiated “out of an abundance of caution and to maintain the highest quality experiences for every Ryzen user.” This suggests there might be additional concerns.
You might see AMD release a further statement to clarify the situation. For now, you are left wondering if this was just a simple mistake or if there are more serious issues at play.
