[SOLVED] B550-F wifi motherboard unable to read ram

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APassingCow

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Nov 26, 2015
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Hello,

I recently attempted to build a PC. The motherboard was not reading the RAM indicated by an orange post code light and a specific beeping pattern.

Specs:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
GPU: PNY RTX 3070 EPIC-X XLR8 GAMING 8GB GDDR6
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz C16 XMP 2.0
COOLER: Kraken X63 (280 mm)
PSU: Corsair CP-9020070-UK Professional Platinum Series 1200 W ATX/EPS Fully Modular Power Supply Unit
SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 (2280) Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (MZ-V7S1T0)
HDD: Seagate 2 TB BarraCuda 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive (7200 RPM, 256 MB Cache, SATA 6 Gb/s, Up to 220 MB/s, Model: ST2000DM008)
CASE: Lian Li LANCOOL II Midi-Tower, Tempered Glass, DRGB - White
FANS: Corsair LL120 LL Series, 120 mm Dual Light Loop RGB LED, PWM, High Airflow Fan - White (Triple Pack with Lighting Node PRO)

A few things to note before I explain the problem:

  • The motherboard + cpu came as a bundle and was pre-fitted with an amd spring based cooler which i replaced.
  • The board was bios ready out of the box.
  • I didn't plug my hard drive into the motherboard as i wanted to install windows on my ssd.
  • I had my m.2 in the slot at the bottom of the board.
  • I didn't remove any mounting screws from my case when fitting the board.
  • My cable management at the back wasn't amazing, all the sata/power cables were stuffed into the bottom around the psu.
I didn't know the board was bios ready and i tried to flash bios before my first boot attempt. Admittedly I did actually put the wrong bios onto my flash drive. I used the bios for the normal b550-f board, not the wifi version (1 letter difference at the end of the file name) - I thought i would add this information in, although I'm not sure its of any relevance. As you will read below, i sent the motherboard back and the seller had no problem booting it. Also, upon realising my mistake I did try resetting the bios by taking the cmos out, waiting 15 minutes, then putting it back in - didn't seem to change anything.

When i powered up for the first time i tried to boot into bios (note: i attempted to boot without GPU first few times). All the components lights/rgbs came on (including the RAM). After a few seconds i got a post code error for the RAM (orange light on the motherboard). I also heard the beeping pattern indicating there was an issue with RAM ( I believe it was 1 beep followed by 3 beeps. I also heard a pattern which was 2 beeps then a gap then 2 beeps repeatedly).

I tried testing with different RAM sticks which came with my motherboard bundle. I also had no success with these. I tried with just 1 stick and also got the same error. I did have a tiny bit of trouble getting the ram into the dimm slots. It didn't click in, in a single movement. Although i definitely got them in eventually (RGBs were on, therefore they were getting power)

I then tried to boot with my GPU in and still had the same issue.

During this time i am getting no display on my monitor. I had an HDMI plugged into my motherboard. Admittedly i forgot to test with a display cable plugged into my GPU. Perhaps if the board doesn't have integrated graphics, that would explain why there was no display.

For a brief period of time the white post code light came on my motherboard. That light indicates there is hardware issue. This light stayed on for a noticeable amount of time but did end up turning off and swapping to the orange light. I did hear other forms of beeping as well. From memory, there was fast continuous beeping and also single beeps with spaces. Possibly also 1 beep, gap, then 4 beeps.

Anyway, i ended up sending the motherboard + CPU back to CCL Computers (company i purchased the bundle from).

Earlier today i rang them up asking for an update on the board. They informed me they have been testing for 3 days now and have had no such problems. They tested with different RAM, different GPUs and have not gotten any post code errors.

I asked for some advice from tech support as to why i would have been getting the post code error and they aren't. They suggested the light doesn't necessarily indicate there is an issue with RAM. Apparently it could be an issue with my SSD or GPU. Is this true?

I'm unsure what to do from here. I don't really have any way to test my SSD/GPU.

Is it possible i might have just fitted the water cooler too firmly on the CPU? I read some people had the same issue due to the cooler exerting too much pressure on the CPU.

I didn't try to reseat the CPU (thought this might be a bit above my pay grade).

I think that's all of the information i can provide. I would really appreciate any help/advice as this was my first build and I don't have too much knowledge when it comes to PC building.

I can provide pictures for any parts if need be (I don't currently have the board or the CPU and therefore can't take pictures of those parts)

Thank you.
 
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APassingCow

Honorable
Nov 26, 2015
21
0
10,510
I sent the board back to the company and they managed to get it to work without having to make any repairs. So I don't think any pins were bent. When i receive the board again i will make sure to check for that though.
 

APassingCow

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Nov 26, 2015
21
0
10,510
The board and CPU were part of a bundle, so they tested with both together. The company claim there's nothing wrong with the board or the CPU. Is it possible that my SSD is causing this issue?
 

APassingCow

Honorable
Nov 26, 2015
21
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10,510
So I refunded the old board/cpu and bought a new b550f gaming and amd ryzen 5 5600x. The new motherboard has a dent on the top of the io and the flashback button has fallen out. That being said, I still managed to mount it (although it wouldnt line up perfectly with all the mounting screws). I tried to boot and got the orange dram postcode light (no beeps). I also had no display on my screen. I assumed i might just have to update the bios as I wasn't sure if the board was compatible with the new amd cpu out of the box. I therefore tried to flash bios by using a paperclip (button fell off). I tried multiple times and no flashback light ever came on. The damage to the board is in that general area and therefore I assume that was the reason for my troubles. I'm going to return the board and the ram. Hopefully It will post next time
 
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