Following reports of cracked PCH chips on MSI motherboards, the company has responded swiftly with both a formal statement and findings following its own internal investigation. Thankfully, the problem should now be resolved while affected customers are encouraged to get in touch with MSI for replacement boards.
For the full details on the issue affecting some of the best gaming motherboards from MSI, we encourage you give our previous story a read. Summarily, though, Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboards were either arriving with or developing cracks in their chipset, causing the board to malfunction.
In a statement sent to PCGamesN, MSI claims the cause of the problem has been identified as “a previously used chipset heatsink screw design,” but did not clarify how it was causing the issue. We imagine, though, that the screw design was either creating too much or uneven pressure on the chipset, causing it to crack.
MSI has since “revised” its design in the manufacturing of the Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi, but the nature of the revision again remains unclear. The issue appears to be limited to this particular model, though, so there’s little reason to worry if you’re rocking a different motherboard.
Should you find yourself affected by this problem, MSI has assured us that you’re entitled to a product replacement. You can find your local customer service center details here.
Here is the full response from MSI supplied to PCGamesN:
“Regarding the MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi incident, we’ve discovered that a minority of units may encounter non-functional PCH potentially resulting in Dead on Arrival (DOA) of the motherboard product. We have isolated the cause to a previously used chipset heatsink screw design and have taken proactive measures to address this issue.
A revised chipset heatsink screw design has been implemented into our production, and the known cases have been resolved.
We uphold high standards of responsibility and accountability, and want to assure affected customers can promptly receive product replacements. Please contact our local customer service center for assistance.”
We’re glad to see that this appears to be a largely isolated incident and should in no way put you off purchasing an MSI motherboard. If anything, this prompt response instils confidence.
Check out our MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED review for an example of one of the company’s latest and greatest products.