ASRock X370 Gaming K4 goes dead after BIOS Update

[Markie2]

Hello everyone

I got myself an ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4 motherboard with an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X CPU and 2 x 8 GB HyperX Fury memory modules, DDR4, 2666 MHz.

The motherboard originally came with BIOS version P1.60 on it. Because I am installing Windows 7 on it, I have to download all drivers manually, as the original All in 1 driver on the CD doesn't work properly for Windows 7. While I did that, I noticed that the motherboard BIOS is helplessly outdated. The current BIOS version for the motherboard is P3.10. So I downloaded and installed that as well. I put it on a memory stick and used the motherboard BIOS update tool to update itself. Everything worked perfectly. I got a 'Success! BIOS updated successfully!' message after the update asking to reboot.
I rebooted, then everything stayed dark. Pitch dark. No logo, no prompt. Even after rebooting several times, resetting CMOS according to manual, removing the power cord, the motherboard battery, removing one or both memory modules and putting them in different places, nothing works. When I boot, the screen stays dark and the operating system does not boot. The little Dr. Debug error code displayed on the motherboard always reads '4F'. According to the manual, that's supposed to be an incorrectly connected CPU or memory module. However, this PC has been running for about 2 months now, perfectly, and this just started right at the BIOS update to the current version.

Has anyone else had this problem?
What can I do?
Is there a way to get the old BIOS version back in this state?
I contacted ASRock support on this on July 31'st, but so far I got only an auto-responder message on August 2'nd, that my request was received... No other reply, help or solution. :-((

Mark

 

[nitinvaid20]

if you have flashed the correct bios then i think the new bios is not reading your CPU

 

[Markie2]

if you have flashed the correct bios then i think the new bios is not reading your CPU

Hi
Thanks for your help!
What does that mean? Would it help to remove the CPU and put it back in?
Do I need to buy new memory or even a different CPU to save this motherboard? Or should I just get a new motherboard (seems cheaper, at least than a new CPU)?

 

[Markie2]

I'm starting to get really pissed at ASRock.
About 2 weeks ago I filed a support request to ASRock Support about the All In 1 Driver not working for Windows 7 64-bit and causing corruptions / failed installations. The funny thing is, they replied within 1 or 2 days, saying that their Fatal1Ty X370 Gaming K4 motherboard does not support Windows 7, only Windows 10.

Now, with this new and much more serious problem, I get no answer at all from ASRock. It's been a full working week by now and ASRock just refuses to even answer my support request. I can't use my motherboard anymore, darn!
I'm starting to suspect my motherboard is toasted by their faulty BIOS and they don't want to tell me.
Or they need me to send my motherboard from Switzerland to Taiwan or the US and they don't want to pay for the cost of the repair and return shipping.

I filed another, identical support request today. Maybe they "lost" the first one.
I also got an email address from one of their employees when I asked about the All In 1 Driver.
I sent him another email as well, asking him to help with their newest BIOS which destroys their motherboards.
I sent that email with a reply notification. Here's the reply notification which I got 10 minutes after sending it:

您的郵件

收件者: Asrock TSD
主旨: PLEASE HELP! Motherboard goes DEAD after BIOS Update!
寄件日期: 2017年8月5日 下午 12:27:11 (UTC+08:00) 台北

已於 2017年8月5日 下午 12:27:19 (UTC+08:00) 台北 閱讀。

Go figure...
:-(


Edit 2017-08-07: I got a reply from ASRock today, suggesting that I seek help from someone who sells their motherboards in Switzerland. Great help that is...
I might have an idea though: From the start, I didn't quite have the perfectly correct memory modules. I have 2 x 8 GB HyperX 2666 Mhz DDR4, part No. HX426C15FBK2/16. However, that's not officially supported, although DDR4 2666 Mhz certainly is. Part No. HX426C15FBK2/8 is supported, so I though it can't be that big a difference. Well, maybe it is. When I installed the memory with BIOS P1.60, it auto-detected it correctly, except for being 2400 Mhz, instead of 2666 Mhz. Then, when I updated the BIOS to P3.10, obviously they changed something in relation to my memory. I guess since the particular part No. I've been using wasn't officially supported, ASRock just doesn't care if a new BIOS breaks working memory to non-working.

I ordered some new memory for $250.- today. It's identical except for one or two digits in part No. I hope that will get it to work again. Also, just to be sure, I ordered another identical replacement motherboard. After all, it is THE ONLY MOTHERBOARD for AMD Ryzen, that has X370 chipset and thus supports 6 SATA drives... AND... AND... AND has two dedicated PS2 ports for mouse and keyboard. Something I mandatorily need for my various arcade controllers and KVM switches.

I might report on this again when I get the new memory and replacement motherboard in about 2 weeks.

Mark

 

[Markie2]

Today I got different replacement memory that is 100% supported according to ASRock specifications on their homepage. All the same, the motherboard remains dead, displaying error code 4f, no matter what you do, after a 100% successfull BIOS updage which returned success message: "Success! The BIOS has been updated successfully!".

I really tried everything, removed CPU and memory, tried only one memory, bought and tried different, 100% supported memory, reset CMOS, removed motherboard battery, everything. Noting helps. The motherboard has been declared officially dead now and I returned it to the vendor, hoping I will get my money back. This is really a guarantee case as I did nothing wrong at all. I'd like to add, that I build PCs since 25 years and have updated BIOS and firmware on at least 30 - 40 PCs. I have never ever experienced anything like this! ASRock bad, bad, baad!

Conclusion:
DO NOT EVER UPDATE BIOS on any ASRock Motherboards!
Or at least, certainly never ever on a ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR MOTHERBOARD!!!

Mark

 

[rasengan]

Hello everyone

I got myself an ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4 motherboard with an AMD Ryzen 5 1500X CPU and 2 x 8 GB HyperX Fury memory modules, DDR4, 2666 MHz.

The motherboard originally came with BIOS version P1.60 on it. Because I am installing Windows 7 on it, I have to download all drivers manually, as the original All in 1 driver on the CD doesn't work properly for Windows 7. While I did that, I noticed that the motherboard BIOS is helplessly outdated. The current BIOS version for the motherboard is P3.10. So I downloaded and installed that as well. I put it on a memory stick and used the motherboard BIOS update tool to update itself. Everything worked perfectly. I got a 'Success! BIOS updated successfully!' message after the update asking to reboot.
I rebooted, then everything stayed dark. Pitch dark. No logo, no prompt. Even after rebooting several times, resetting CMOS according to manual, removing the power cord, the motherboard battery, removing one or both memory modules and putting them in different places, nothing works. When I boot, the screen stays dark and the operating system does not boot. The little Dr. Debug error code displayed on the motherboard always reads '4F'. According to the manual, that's supposed to be an incorrectly connected CPU or memory module. However, this PC has been running for about 2 months now, perfectly, and this just started right at the BIOS update to the current version.

Has anyone else had this problem?
What can I do?
Is there a way to get the old BIOS version back in this state?
I contacted ASRock support on this on July 31'st, but so far I got only an auto-responder message on August 2'nd, that my request was received... No other reply, help or solution. :-((

Mark

I have the same MB, came with bios P1.50
I created a bootable usb disk (FreeDOS 1.2 lite) with bios updates 3.10 (dos exe) & 3.30 (rom)
- download fd12bu.img.7z archive & extract
- write img file to a usb flash disk (overwrites everything on it !) with:
sudo dd bs=1M if=fd12bu.img of=/dev/sdb status=progress
where /dev/sdb is your usb device (not sdb1 or sdb2)
- boot from usb disk
- on freedos install prompt, say no to drop to dos shell
- run GK4-310.exe
on reboot your MB will have P3.10 & instant flash menu with which you can update to 3.30
tested & worked.
my $.02