He's got an ASUS Prime B550M-A now.
Support page: https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-b550m-a/helpdesk_knowledge/?model2Name=PRIME-B550M-A
Error was:
A fatal hardware error has occurred.
Reported by component: Processor Core
Error Source: Machine Check Exception
Error Type: Cache Hierarchy Error
Processor APIC ID: 10
https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/prime/prime-b550m-a/helpdesk_bios/?model2Name=PRIME-B550M-A lists the most recent firmware versions as
| Version | Date | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2806 | 2022/12/12 | Improve system compatibility | https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/PRIME-B550M-A-ASUS-2806.zip?model=PRIME%20B550M-A |
| 2803 | 2022/04/29 | 1. Update AMD AM4 AGESA V2 PI 1.2.0.7., 2. Fix AMD fTPM issue causes random stuttering. | https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/PRIME-B550M-A-ASUS-2803.zip?model=PRIME%20B550M-A |
| 2604 | 2022/03/07 | 1. Update AMD AM4 AGESA V2 PI 1.2.0.6b, 2. Improve system performance and stability, 3. Improve system performance for AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D | https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/PRIME-B550M-A-ASUS-2604.ZIP?model=PRIME%20B550M-A |
With the last comment at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/806371/a-fatal-hardware-error-has-occurred mentioning
A bunch of folks got this back in 2020, not sure it was ever properly resolved or even figured out. But i am also getting this and have for the last 3 months off and on.
...
It could* be replated to the version of bios i'm running with that version of agesa, i saw other folks talk about certain versions of agesa may* be related to this issue...i updated to the latest version back in Oct 22 i think.
maybe it'd be worth trying to roll back the motherboard firmware version?
https://linustechtips.com/topic/1409230-pc-hard-reset-on-both-windows-and-linux-error-type-cache-hierarchy-error-solved-rma/ does mention having the problem occur on Linux as well, and also mentions, intriguingly,
I have disabled Core Performance Boost(CPB) which "solved" my issue.
As @pwrightlindl noted in chat, it's a real crapshoot of solutions out there. For example:
This worked for me! I was able to fix it increasing my DRAM voltage by a little (0.3), not the full 0.05 as recommended in the post.
Edit: seems like it was a fluke, it started restarting again after some time. For some reason I can consistently reproduce if I try to watch YoutubeTV, but have no issues with anything else.
That same person later says
Yep, I fixed it by downloading the latest bios from manufacturer website.
And someone replying to them mentions "I was able to reproduce mine as well by watching a Youtube video, 8 times in a row.", so maybe that's a valid test to trigger the problem?
From that same Reddit post,
I had the same problem with AMD Ryzen 5900x and Windows 11 and Asus BIOS. Disabled both CPB and PBO (which was on auto) and connected PC directly to wall instead of via extension cable, and now the problem is solved.
Maybe this'll justify me finally buying a power-conditioning powerbar myself ;)
Video testing using YouTube mostly in Chrome but also a bit in Firefox hasn't crashed it on @pwrightlindl's PC yet since downgrading to firmware version 2803 . . .
Sounds like it has been solid ever since, so that must have been it? Or perhaps something else coincidentally changed, I suppose. But for now this awaits a newer firmware version to try and see if it resolves or resurrects the problem.