What is MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION?
MCE - Machine Check Exception (MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION) is a critical-severity fault affecting the processor (CPU). The CPU has detected a fatal hardware error. It could be a faulty processor or motherboard. It's most often caused by defective CPU, unstable power supply and l3 cache failure. See the troubleshooting steps below for the fix.
Common Causes
- Defective CPU
- Unstable power supply
- L3 cache failure
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Check CPU power
Start with Check CPU power — it clears the most frequent root cause behind MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION in the majority of cases we've seen.
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2
Test with default BIOS
In case symptoms recur, the rest of the sequence deals with the less common side of cpu instability.
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3
Contact service
"Contact service" covers a less common but documented cause of MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION.
Commands & Diagnostics
No specific commands required for this error. Follow the step-by-step guide above.
Frequently Asked Questions
The leading cause of MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION is defective CPU, though unstable power supply and l3 cache failure also show up in our reports.
Try "Check CPU power" first — it resolves most MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION cases on its own. Only work through the rest of the guide above if it comes back.
Treat MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION as urgent — it's flagged critical severity, meaning repeated occurrences risk data loss or hardware damage.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
Not necessarily. MACHINE-CHECK-EXCEPTION can be triggered by software and driver issues, overclocking instability, or BIOS misconfigurations — not just hardware failure. Run through the diagnostic steps above before concluding the processor itself is defective.
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