[SOLVED] Cannot edit BIOS settings on otherwise working setup, B350 MSI Tomahawk

[ZaddyTBH]

Hello all, hope you had a nice New Year, and bless you for reading/responding to my question.

Specs:

MSI B350 Tomahawk
Ryzen 7 1700
Vega 56 8 GB
Corsair Vengeance 2 x 8GB 3000 MHz

Issue synopsis: When exiting BIOS, the computer bootloops 5x, then launches into Windows with default settings (no XMP enabled, no CPU overclock, etc). Bootlooping also happens if I simply enter BIOS and then exit without making any changes. The PC otherwise boots normally if I do not try to access BIOS.

Things I have tried: Resetting BIOS via removing CMOS battery. PC will still bootloop 5x out of the fresh BIOS and then proceed to Windows as normal. I also updated BIOS from the one shipped with the board to the latest release. No change in behavior after doing so unfortunately.

I am hoping someone here can point out my error so I can finally configure my setup properly...

Cheers all!

 

[Karadjgne]

Bios resets like that mean whatever you are changing, or causing to change through software OC like Dragon Center or Ryzen Master, is causing a bios instability or changing a setting too high to be considered safe, so the bios reverts to last known stable boot or failing that, default values.

What exactly are you trying to change? Xmp to set 3000MHz? Because your board doesn't support that speed. You need to enable XMP, but then manually set the ram speed for 2933MHz

 

[Bob.B]

Hello all, hope you had a nice New Year, and bless you for reading/responding to my question.

Specs:

MSI B350 Tomahawk
Ryzen 7 1700
Vega 56 8 GB
Corsair Vengeance 2 x 8GB 3000 MHz

Issue synopsis: When exiting BIOS, the computer bootloops 5x, then launches into Windows with default settings (no XMP enabled, no CPU overclock, etc). Bootlooping also happens if I simply enter BIOS and then exit without making any changes. The PC otherwise boots normally if I do not try to access BIOS.

Things I have tried: Resetting BIOS via removing CMOS battery. PC will still bootloop 5x out of the fresh BIOS and then proceed to Windows as normal. I also updated BIOS from the one shipped with the board to the latest release. No change in behavior after doing so unfortunately.

I am hoping someone here can point out my error so I can finally configure my setup properly...

Cheers all!

Try one stick of ram in the proper slot.
Any diff?

 

[ZaddyTBH]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Bios resets like that mean whatever you are changing, or causing to change through software OC like Dragon Center or Ryzen Master, is causing a bios instability or changing a setting too high to be considered safe, so the bios reverts to last known stable boot or failing that, default values.

What exactly are you trying to change? Xmp to set 3000MHz? Because your board doesn't support that speed. You need to enable XMP, but then manually set the ram speed for 2933MHz

Yep, I had figured it was bootlooping because of some poor configuration. I reset BIOS to try and clear any settings I may have borked, but it still bootloops out of a freshly reset BIOS. Am I wrong to think this would remedy the issue?

I was trying to enable one of the XMP profiles, which is preset to 2933, and increase the CPU clock and voltage. But even making no changes from stock settings results in bootlooping.

I have Ryzen Master downloaded to try and toy around with certain settings for my CPU, but I thought those settings were just temporary. When I open Ryzen Master, it shows that my CPU is running at stock settings when I boot. But, I will try uninstalling Ryzen Master to see if it's causing some sort of settings weirdness.

Try one stick of ram in the proper slot.
Any diff?

When I get home from work, I'll toy around with the RAM to see if one of the sticks/slots is bad as you suggest.

Thanks again.

 

[Karadjgne]

So you loop even with a freshly reset bios. Try unplugging stuff, one component at a time, cold booting after each piece is removed, Mouse, keyboard, monitor, drives (data and power) etc.

 

[ZaddyTBH]

Try one stick of ram in the proper slot.
Any diff?

Happy (and sad) to report that RAM was the issue. Removing the problem stick fixed the issue immediately. Inserting it again instantly caused bootlooping.

Sad, I never expected it to be the issue, Windows, CPU-z and BIOS all reported I had 16 GBs of memory, so I (incorrectly) assumed my memory was fine.

Thanks so much everyone, guess I'll go (nicely) bitch to Corsair.

 

[steveb1976]

try setting your memory to 2666mhz, as thats the mad the 1700x is rated for .. this might explain the 5x memory test bootloop.