MSI - B350M PRO-VDH - Ryzen 5 1500X 3.5GHz - wont even post

[stratthecat]

AMD - Ryzen 5 1500X 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
MSI - B350M PRO-VDH Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard
Crucial - Ballistix Elite 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory
Zotac - GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB Mini Video Card
Kingston - SSDNow UV400 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Corsair - CXM (2015) 450W 80

Hi All

I have just built the system above..
Trouble is it wont even post - Nothing...
2 Debug leds showing CPU and Ram error...

Re-seated everything
Checked all connections....
Reset bios with onboard jumper....

Anyone have any ideas?...
Sons xmas present - Currently a box of bits...

Please Help !!!

 

[alexoiu]

Have you connected the 8 pin power cable to the motherboard?

 

[stratthecat]

Hi Blackbird
Never done AMD before...
Are you saying I need to get a Bristol Ridge CPU from somewhere update the motherboard bios then put the ryzen back in????

 

[stratthecat]

YOU NEED Bios: 7A38vA0.zip TO SUPPORT a 1500X and there's no way to update it unless you had a Bristol Ridge CPU.
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B350M-PRO-VDH#support-cpu

Hi Blackbird
Never done AMD before...
Are you saying I need to get a Bristol Ridge CPU from somewhere update the motherboard bios then put the ryzen back in???? ( sorry for the double post - new to forum)

 

[madmatt30]

No I disagree , the FAQs clearly state that the board supports all ryzen cpus out of the box but a bios update is recommended once up & running if a newer one is available.

The board also absolutely supports crucial ballistix too according to memory compatibility table.


As blackbird asked before do you have 8 pin ATX power plugged in ??


Manual states ram slot a2 must be populated so put your single stick in there (2nd slot away from CPU)

You do have the monitor plugged into the 1060 & not the board ??

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Matt is right, there is a BIOS UPDATE on the compatibility page , but FAQS say you don't need it , that's unusual. Deleted my posts

 

[stratthecat]

Thanks for the replies

I have got the CPU power connected
And ram is in slot 2 (also tried the others)
And monitor is into the graphics card

Motherboard debug leds show CPU and Ram fault

Any other suggestions guys?

 

[madmatt30]

Try different ram.slots mate , really that's all


You did lift CPU retention lever before fitting CPU , then locking it back down ??

Have to ask as I've seen people just throw it in.

Also cooler fitting , need to be done uniformly .

2 turns top left , 2 turns bottom right, 2 turns bottom left , 2 turns top right & repeat.

These cheap msi boards honestly seem to have a history of the behaviour you're getting.

They should not require a bios update but very often do.

I'd you can't solve this I'd return the board & buy an asrock b350 pro 4 instead , its much the same price & will just work

 

[stratthecat]

My first AMD build
Probably my last...

Built loads of intel systems... No real probs...

 

[stratthecat]

Try different ram.slots mate , really that's all


You did lift CPU retention lever before fitting CPU , then locking it back down ??

Have to ask as I've seen people just throw it in.

Also cooler fitting , need to be done uniformly .

2 turns top left , 2 turns bottom right, 2 turns bottom left , 2 turns top right & repeat.

These cheap msi boards honestly seem to have a history of the behaviour you're getting.

They should not require a bios update but very often do.

I'd you can't solve this I'd return the board & buy an asrock b350 pro 4 instead , its much the same price & will just work

 

[stratthecat]

Thanks for the reply...

This is 'doing my head in'

Your animated gif is just how I feel at the moment

 

[drea.drechsler]

Thanks for the replies

I have got the CPU power connected
And ram is in slot 2 (also tried the others)
And monitor is into the graphics card

Motherboard debug leds show CPU and Ram fault

Any other suggestions guys?

pull CPU check for bent pins...

try another DIMM if you have one on hand

is it in a case? are you POSITIVE there is nothing shorting on bottom of motherboard? sometimes it's better to do a quick bench test of the system on top of piece of cardboard or some other soft insulator before putting it into the case.

 

[stratthecat]

Thanks for the replies

I have got the CPU power connected
And ram is in slot 2 (also tried the others)
And monitor is into the graphics card

Motherboard debug leds show CPU and Ram fault

Any other suggestions guys?

pull CPU check for bent pins...

try another DIMM if you have one on hand

is it in a case? are you POSITIVE there is nothing shorting on bottom of motherboard? sometimes it's better to do a quick bench test of the system on top of piece of cardboard or some other soft insulator before putting it into the case.

Already pulled the CPU - no bent pins
Unfortunately I haven't any other ddr4, but I might borrow some from I.T. in work...
Havent pulled everything out and tested on table, But think it is unlikely.

There seems to be a lot of other people out there with similar issues with msi boards and ryzen 1500x CPUs
I have posted the question on the MSI help desk....
Should be interesting their reply

 

[helpstar]

how did you connect your monitor to the graphics card. DP/DVI/HDMI?

did you plug in the PCIe power connectors to the video card?

did you reset the BIOS while power was unplugged from the wall?

still think you need a Bios update to run the board

 

[madmatt30]

The reason I don't recommend MSI boards to people using ryzen 3 or the 4c/8t ryzen 5's.

The 1600/x doesn't seem to have any issue at all.

 

[stratthecat]

how did you connect your monitor to the graphics card. DP/DVI/HDMI?

did you plug in the PCIe power connectors to the video card?

did you reset the BIOS while power was unplugged from the wall?

still think you need a Bios update to run the board

Yes pcie is plugged into graphics card
Yes reset bios was done with power removed

 

[drea.drechsler]

Thanks for the replies

I have got the CPU power connected
And ram is in slot 2 (also tried the others)
And monitor is into the graphics card

Motherboard debug leds show CPU and Ram fault

Any other suggestions guys?

pull CPU check for bent pins...

try another DIMM if you have one on hand

is it in a case? are you POSITIVE there is nothing shorting on bottom of motherboard? sometimes it's better to do a quick bench test of the system on top of piece of cardboard or some other soft insulator before putting it into the case.

Already pulled the CPU - no bent pins
Unfortunately I haven't any other ddr4, but I might borrow some from I.T. in work...
Havent pulled everything out and tested on table, But think it is unlikely.

There seems to be a lot of other people out there with similar issues with msi boards and ryzen 1500x CPUs
I have posted the question on the MSI help desk....
Should be interesting their reply

I'm sure help desk response will be good for a frustrating giggle and little else....

Seriously: installing it into the case is the the most common way a problem is injected in any new build. Just saying.

Also, since everything is brand-new the problem could be anywhere and finding it pretty much means swapping components with known-good to eliminate everything you can. Even the power supply is suspect if it too is new, so swap it with known-good as well as the video card. Being out and on the bench just makes this much easier.

 

[stratthecat]

OK Guys....

MSI insist that the motherboard has an 'A0' bios that supports the Ryzen 1500x

So...
My issue now is what to swap first... Bearing in mind I have no spares, so will have to buy until I find the fault
The fault is either with the motherboard, ram or psu.

I have another pcie graphics and I can try, so if that is ok this rules out the graphics.

I would normally go for the cheapest first... ie psu...
BUT, There are lots of people, on various forums, all saying that the ryzen 15000x doesnt work with this board...

A question - Is an old atx power supply from 10 years ago the same as a modern atx power supply?

And.... Would you just get another motherboard? asrock?

 

[madmatt30]

^ hard work mate , I mean there's the
possibility of faulty ram in all honesty which could indeed make the cpu & ram debug LED's light up.

Or the board on an early bios may not like the ram ??

All I know know is the asrock pro4 absolutely does support the 1500x & ballistic on a first revision bios (used it) .

& yeah an old atx will still work (barring maybe a lack of pci-express connectors maybe) but that would be my last port of call in all honesty & the least likely component by far.

I'd be more inclined to return the board as DOA over anything else first myself.