▷ How to process an rma with amd 【step by step】

If you have problems with your AMD processor and need to process an RMA, you may find yourself with a somewhat messy process or have doubts about it. If that is your case, in this tutorial on how to process an RMA with AMD we will try to help you. Join us and find out?

Index of contents

Assumptions in which we can process a guarantee

Almost any failure that comes from the processor and for which you are not responsible is a reason to process an RMA from a CPU. For example, if you are affected by a problem known as that of the famous segfault of some first-generation Ryzen, or malfunctions attributable to the processor such as not being able to reach the base frequency or having memory problems within AMD specifications..

With rather complex problems that do not make it clear if they are the fault of the CPU, the best way to make sure is to discuss the problem with the store, AMD itself, or even in our forum.

The truth is that it is highly unlikely that you will have to RMA a CPU.

There are also assumptions that directly invalidate the warranty, such as the existence of scratches on the CPU that make it difficult to identify, broken / bent / stained pins, etc. The same happens with the damages derived from the overclock of the same.

Do I process the guarantee with AMD or with the store where I bought the product?

Before requesting an RMA with AMD itself, we must take into account that if the product is less than 2 years old, we can process the guarantee with the store where we purchased it. However, there are several cases in which it is preferable or almost mandatory to do it with AMD:

• If the product is more than 2 years old, we will not have any kind of guarantee with the store, while AMD (like Intel) offers a 3-year warranty period. Except in some exceptional cases, the AMD warranty can be processed purely by serial number, without invoices, so if we do not have the invoice (either because we have lost it or because we have bought it second hand) we should do the procedure directly with the manufacturer.If the store where we have bought the product has a Terrible warranty service (there are some cases) or if we do not want to deal with them due to a previous bad experience .

RMA process in detail

This article focuses on conducting RMAs from Spain. We do not know what the warranty service is like for Latin America and other countries.

The process itself is very simple, but it has some peculiarities that should be highlighted. We are going to rely on a real RMA made by a server on an AMD Ryzen 1700. I did it just a year ago, but the process shouldn't have changed almost anything in that time.

AMD Warranty Form

The first thing we must do is fill in the AMD guarantee form, which you can access by clicking on the button above. There you can choose whether to do it in English or Spanish, in the practical case that we show you is in English, but you will have no trouble filling everything in Spanish. The fields to be filled in are the following:

• Company's name. Obviously you must leave it blank if you are an individual. Postal address. Postal Code. Name and surname with its corresponding title (Mr / Mrs). City. Phone number. Country. Email address. State (in this case it will be the province) Product type: as you are surely looking for this to process RMA of a CPU, select that option.

Until now the form has more than obvious and normal fields, without any special feature, but now comes the "difficult" and is to fill in the product data. We will help you with each one of them.

• Product name. Fill in the "trade name" of the product here, eg AMD Ryzen 7 1700. Product part number. It is the "MPN" or "P / N" of the product. Compared to the trade name, it is a more accurate way of identifying which product it is. Serial Number. It is like the DNI of our processor. It is what identifies our unit facing the manufacturer and is unique to each CPU. Description of the problem. Indicate here briefly the problem your processor is having. We do not know if it can be done in Spanish, but we understand that it can.

Finding the MPN and serial number in the CPU box

The original box of the processor is our best ally to find this information that we seek. If you have it accessible (and it is the original box where the processor came), take it and take a look at the sticker on the top, we show you what you have to identify:

At the top we show you the box of a Ryzen 5 3600, and at the bottom the box of a Ryzen 7 1700, while on the left we show the serial number and on the right the P / N. As you can see, the two numbers are easily identifiable. Also note that the S / N can be scanned with a barcode reader to copy it more easily.

What if I don't keep the box?

Well the only alternative to know the serial number is by looking at the screen printing of the CPU itself. That is, we have to unscrew the heatsink or RL that we have on top of our processor, and consult this number. Specifically, you will find it like this in a Ryzen processor:

Also note that you probably need to change the thermal paste to be able to read the serial number, so if you opt for this tedious method, have one prepared to replace it. (Don't commit the sacrilege of mixing thermal pastes, please!)

Maybe you will think… and can't you look at the serial number using Software? Well no, it is not possible, in fact the last time this was allowed was at the time of the Pentium III, and it was not done again for security reasons.

We already have all the necessary data, let's see what happens when we send our request…

Development of the RMA request

Please note: the process steps and deadlines are based solely on an RMA experience, therefore they will vary for each case, but we believe that they are more than enough instructions for anyone to get an idea.

Well, if everything goes as it should and the problem described complies with the warranty policies, we will receive two emails: one titled "AMD RMA #XXXXXX APPROVED" indicating that our application has been approved, and another titled " RE: Warranty service request ”which in this case would be the response of an agent to it.

In both mails, we will have different shipping instructions and more, but we should pay more attention to the second mail, since it includes a more elaborate address and, most importantly, a DHL account number with which to send the processor for free.

Be careful because, as reported in the email, the ticket closes automatically 10 days after sending the request, so if you are going to be late in sending it, you should reply to the email before that time has passed, simply to that the ticket is not closed. If not, you would have to open another one.

The second email has not arrived, what do I do?

It is very likely that you have not received the second email that we describe and, therefore, that you have not been provided with the DHL account number to make your free shipping. However, this account number is the same for all clients, and you will be able to send your CPU using it even if they haven't given it to you. At least that's the conclusion we draw after asking several more users who have processed an RMA with AMD.

DHL account number: 955575758

Address:

AMD c / o Kuehne + Nagel

1 Pudongweg

Rozenburg (NH), 1437 EM

Netherlands

Procedure to send the CPU

As we just said, AMD pays not only for return CPU shipping but also outbound shipping, for that we are provided with that “DHL account number” which will basically eliminate all shipping costs when we process the pickup.

The first thing that we must be clear about is who DHL is , because even if you know the company, in reality at the operational level there are two different DHLs: "DHL Express" for air shipments and "DHL Parcel" for ground shipments. We have to send with DHL Express.

The point is that, as far as we know, this shipment cannot be made online, but you must call DHL. At the time of writing the article, the DHL Express number is 902, specifically 902122424 (it could vary, check it).

Keep in mind that making these calls from a mobile phone is very expensive, while with a landline it is usually relatively cheap. According to the OCU, 5 minutes of calling from a landline would be 50 cents and from a mobile it would amount to almost 3 euros. Therefore we recommend calling from a landline or resorting to websites such as "No more 900" where alternative phones are published. Yes, the system is a bit archaic, but apparently it is what there is…

Some people have also told us that they have been able to process the RMA by taking it to a " DHL store ", but we do not know if any Service Point is used for this purpose.

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We will expand information if we know more, and we invite you to leave us your experiences in the comments.

Once you make this call, they will send you a link to your email with a digital delivery note that you will have to finish filling out. You need to open it with software like Adobe Reader or similar to see the form fields. You will already have the shipping labels and you can proceed to send your package.

Please carefully pack the package! Remember to also write the RMA number and your address on the package. In the FAQ we give a couple of guidelines on packaging protection.

Once the pdf is completed and sent, you will receive another email with the shipping labels to print and paste on the package, and a courier will pick it up on the agreed date.

Note that shipping is really fast, it will take only 2-3 days to arrive in the Netherlands. There AMD will review the product, with a speed that will depend on the ease with which they identify the problem, and if everything goes well they will send you a replacement. Keep in mind that the approval emails for the replacement and shipping of the product can arrive even after it has been sent, in our case it was a day before they had delivered it.

Finally, this was the chronology of our RMA:

• Saturday, October 27, 2018: We sent the RMA request Monday, October 29: We are informed that the RMA has been approved Friday, November 7 (this delay was ours): The processor is picked up by DHL Monday / Tuesday, November 10-11: The CPU reaches AMD. Thursday, November 15: AMD sends an email informing of the RMA approval and that "a replacement will be shipped soon." Friday, November 16: Received the new CPU.

We also leave you the chronology of another RMA carried out this year by another person, which was by the same dates is a coincidence.

• November 17, 2019: RMA request sent November 18: RMA approval mail received November 19: Processor sent to Netherlands November 21: Processor arrives at its destination November 22: RMA approval mail received26 November: Product received.

Frequent questions

• Is it necessary to invoice the product?

In principle no, in fact we already indicated it as an advantage of doing the RMA procedure with AMD, but we do not know if there are cases in which it is necessary.

• Do I need to send the product in its original box?

The truth is that no, so if you have lost it you should not worry. Of course, it is your responsibility to send it with a good protection to avoid bending the pins in its transport or other damages, so if you have the original box but do not want to send it, at least put the CPU in its plastic blister, obviously wrapped in more protection, to avoid problems. Remember that it is a very expensive and fragile piece!

If your Ryzen had a heatsink, sending it is totally unnecessary. In fact, we recommend that you do not send it in order to have two Wraith heatsinks ( normally AMD sends back a new CPU in its box and with a new heatsink ), which could come in handy on occasion.

• What if I bought my CPU in China?

We do not know what happens with the official guarantee in this case, and the information on the internet is very diffuse. We recommend you buy your processor in European stores.

• Do you offer a guarantee for AMD graphics cards?

Obviously, if your AMD chip graphics is assembled by another manufacturer, as is the case with most users (ASUS, Sapphire, MSI, XFX, Gigabyte…) you will not have a warranty from AMD and you will have to contact the store where you bought the product or with the corresponding assembler.

• Can I ship the CPU with another carrier?

Of course, but obviously you will have to pay for it yourself and assume any possible loss.

• Do I lose the warranty if I have mounted the processor with a different heatsink than the stock one?

No, you don't lose it. In the past, AMD's warranty terms said yes, which generated great controversy. Fortunately AMD corrected it.

• Do I have a tracking number when they send the processor back?

No, and it is not necessary since it will arrive quite quickly, but if you need it you can request it from AMD once they have confirmed that the CPU has been shipped.

We recommend the following guides:

• Best processors on the market Best motherboards on the market

Final words and conclusion about how to process an RMA with AMD

We hope this article has helped you to process an RMA with AMD. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to use the comment box or our hardware forum.