Question New motherboard and CPU - - - - black screen, and BIOS update doesn’t work ?

[Ojeii]

Hello all,

I am at a complete lost. Spent hours on this and have been worried.

So I upgraded my mobo and cpu to a ASUS ROG Strix B550-A mobo and Ryzen 7 5700x3D. Seated everything in and turned on and all fans were running and RGB lights on my GPU bracket and AIO are on but mobo lights were off but the screen was black and orange DRAM light on mobo was blinking.

Looked it up and it was bad RAM or BIOS update needed for AM4 5000 series. I went and got my BIOS update on my flash, renamed it and put it in the root directory of the flash drive.

PC is off and plugged into BIOS port and used the BIOS flashback feature. Light turns green the. After 3-5 minutes it turns off, turn my PC on and same thing. I tried re-seating my RAM, took my GPU out, re-seated my CPU, nothing works. Sometimes when re-seating RAM my orange DRAM light and red CPU light on mobo would blink back and forth.

Maybe bad CPU? Idk… please help I feel defeated. Please let me know if any additional info is needed.

Specs
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B550-A
CPU: Ryzen 7 5700X3D
GPU: GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i RGB Platinum SE
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 32 GB [4x8GB] 3200 CL16
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G3 80+ Gold

Video and pic:

https://imgur.com/a/zQA2oS2

View: https://imgur.com/a/zQA2oS2

 

[digitaldata77]

Just a suggestion remove the CMOS motherboard battery to default the board settings for a few minutes and reinstall it . Try booting the board to see if it will post.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

On boot you may need to account for memory training as well which can take a while. You have 4 sticks of ram as well. Are these 2 separate 2 x 8gb pairs? I assume you didn't buy a 4x8 kit? Even the same model numbers can be mismatched and cause issues in some occasions.

See if the clearing of the CMOS helps but patience can be the key here. If you still encounter issues then I would remove 2 of the sticks initially to try and get it to boot keeping the sticks in A2 and B2. If you still encounter issues go to just 1 stick.

Remember if you remove or swap modules around then you may have to wait for memory retraining to run again on boot

 

[Ojeii]

Just a suggestion remove the CMOS motherboard battery to default the board settings for a few minutes and reinstall it . Try booting the board to see if it will post.

I did try that for about 30 seconds but I can give it a longer try

 

[Ojeii]

On boot you may need to account for memory training as well which can take a while. You have 4 sticks of ram as well. Are these 2 separate 2 x 8gb pairs? I assume you didn't buy a 4x8 kit? Even the same model numbers can be mismatched and cause issues in some occasions.

See if the clearing of the CMOS helps but patience can be the key here. If you still encounter issues then I would remove 2 of the sticks initially to try and get it to boot keeping the sticks in A2 and B2. If you still encounter issues go to just 1 stick.

Remember if you remove or swap modules around then you may have to wait for memory retraining to run again on boot

They are 2 sets of 2x8. I’ll try the A2/B2 configuration and single stick but I was messing around with the RAM all day. How long does memory retraining take? I don’t see any output to my monitors. I turn it on and the monitor knows to turn on but the output is nothing.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

They are 2 sets of 2x8. I’ll try the A2/B2 configuration and single stick but I was messing around with the RAM all day. How long does memory retraining take? I don’t see any output to my monitors. I turn it on and the monitor knows to turn on but the output is nothing.

It can vary but if it is over 5 mins then I expect that something else is the culprit. 4 sticks can be an issue for some systems in general. Is this RAM new or has it been carried over from a previous system? Have you ever had these modules running together?

When things like this occur taking it back to basics is the first step as you have a few things going on - new system, BIOS update etc.

Reset the cmos as suggested which will take everything back to defaults in the bios. This should be the case with an upgrade anyway but clearing the cmos is always a good thing to start with.

I would actually just run 1 stick of ram to start with and see if you can get the system to post. You can add the second stick and then potentially the second set from there. Make sure that you are adding in matched pairs in case you have mixed them up.

If you do not get a post with 1 stick of memory then I would consider having a look at your cpu install to ensure that there are no bent pins or any debris on the socket.

Don't panic at this stage as still a few things to check and some ryzen systems can be a bit temperamental with memory initially.

 

[Ojeii]

It can vary but if it is over 5 mins then I expect that something else is the culprit. 4 sticks can be an issue for some systems in general. Is this RAM new or has it been carried over from a previous system? Have you ever had these modules running together?

When things like this occur taking it back to basics is the first step as you have a few things going on - new system, BIOS update etc.

Reset the cmos as suggested which will take everything back to defaults in the bios. This should be the case with an upgrade anyway but clearing the cmos is always a good thing to start with.

I would actually just run 1 stick of ram to start with and see if you can get the system to post. You can add the second stick and then potentially the second set from there. Make sure that you are adding in matched pairs in case you have mixed them up.

If you do not get a post with 1 stick of memory then I would consider having a look at your cpu install to ensure that there are no bent pins or any debris on the socket.

Don't panic at this stage as still a few things to check and some ryzen systems can be a bit temperamental with memory initially.

I do need to see which ram sticks pair because I definitely mixed it up. Everything except the mobo and cpu has been carried over. Worth mentioning that the cpu is supposedly new but the mobo is used. I will try and check these things tomorrow as I’m pretty exhausted at the moment. Thank you for taking the time to type this out for me.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

I do need to see which ram sticks pair because I definitely mixed it up. Everything except the mobo and cpu has been carried over. Worth mentioning that the cpu is supposedly new but the mobo is used. I will try and check these things tomorrow as I’m pretty exhausted at the moment. Thank you for taking the time to type this out for me.

No worries. Sometimes best to take a breather and return.

The RAM should be easy to identify by looking at the serial numbers on the side of the sticks. Matched pairs normally have sequential numbers on them from my experience so that should be easier to resolve.

You mention the motherboard is used and that the cpu is 'supposedly' new. Where did you buy these from? Was it Ebay or something other site. Just covering off worst case scenario is all

 

[Ojeii]

No worries. Sometimes best to take a breather and return.

The RAM should be easy to identify by looking at the serial numbers on the side of the sticks. Matched pairs normally have sequential numbers on them from my experience so that should be easier to resolve.

You mention the motherboard is used and that the cpu is 'supposedly' new. Where did you buy these from? Was it Ebay or something other site. Just covering off worst case scenario is all

Yes so I bought the motherboard “open box” from eBay but it turns out to be slightly used and the CPU from Amazon but it came repackaged even though they said it’s new and sold it as new. I suspect it’s one of the CPU’s from china that are being sold pretty cheap like from AliExpress. I’ve seen some legitimate one’s and this could potentially be fine. I also bought a cheap AMD Ryzen 3 4100 to see if it’ll post with that and if it does I’ll check the BIOS and update it this way to ensure it’s actually updating and maybe rule that the BIOS flashback just wasn’t working perhaps.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

If you get it to post with the 4100, then try to update the bios using that. Don’t wait long though. I think eBay gives you a money back guarantee that’s good for 30 days. So if the motherboard or cpu doesn’t work you might need to file a claim that the item not working wasn’t as described if they said working.

 

[Ojeii]

If you get it to post with the 4100, then try to update the bios using that. Don’t wait long though. I think eBay gives you a money back guarantee that’s good for 30 days. So if the motherboard or cpu doesn’t work you might need to file a claim that the item not working wasn’t as described if they said working.

Yeah, I’m still not understanding what could be the culprit here. When I had my GPU in the mobo the fans were spinning. All my fans are spinning, some of my rgb is on so I feel like the mobo is actually working but it’s a black screen but my monitor turns on so it receives the signal so maybe the video input ports are not working? The CPU idk if it is working or not, I feel like it wouldn’t turn on if it wasn’t entirely working.

I wonder if thermal past had gotten in the slot of the motherboard socket. I checked the CPU pins and they were fine.

Either way it might be a good idea to return both and start over and buy new parts.. they have been quite the headache.

 

[beyondlogic]

Yeah, I’m still not understanding what could be the culprit here. When I had my GPU in the mobo the fans were spinning. All my fans are spinning, some of my rgb is on so I feel like the mobo is actually working but it’s a black screen but my monitor turns on so it receives the signal so maybe the video input ports are not working? The CPU idk if it is working or not, I feel like it wouldn’t turn on if it wasn’t entirely working.

I wonder if thermal past had gotten in the slot of the motherboard socket. I checked the CPU pins and they were fine.

Either way it might be a good idea to return both and start over and buy new parts.. they have been quite the headache.

Bios flashback does work properly however Corsair memory is a pain in the rear end on these motherboards I found Kingston works well.

Also remove the cmos for longer and put the battery back in after 3 minutes

Plug in your GPU.

Your using 2 kits of 8gbx2 to get to 16.

And from what I can tell you've mixed the kits up.

Take only 1 of the sticks and put it in slot 2 only second slot from CPU. And try to boot.

A true kit of 4 will work properly but a 8x2 kit X2 won't. Because of batch differences.

One kit could be hynix another kit can be Samsung etc.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

Yes so I bought the motherboard “open box” from eBay but it turns out to be slightly used and the CPU from Amazon but it came repackaged even though they said it’s new and sold it as new. I suspect it’s one of the CPU’s from china that are being sold pretty cheap like from AliExpress. I’ve seen some legitimate one’s and this could potentially be fine. I also bought a cheap AMD Ryzen 3 4100 to see if it’ll post with that and if it does I’ll check the BIOS and update it this way to ensure it’s actually updating and maybe rule that the BIOS flashback just wasn’t working perhaps.

The issue here is that we don't know if the motherboard or 5700x3d work properly before we are starting.

I would try the 4100 with a single stick of Ram and see if you can get it to post. If not then I would potentially cut your losses and send it all back and start again.

 

[Ojeii]

Bios flashback does work properly however Corsair memory is a pain in the rear end on these motherboards I found Kingston works well.

Also remove the cmos for longer and put the battery back in after 3 minutes

Plug in your GPU.

Your using 2 kits of 8gbx2 to get to 16.

And from what I can tell you've mixed the kits up.

Take only 1 of the sticks and put it in slot 2 only second slot from CPU. And try to boot.

A true kit of 4 will work properly but a 8x2 kit X2 won't. Because of batch differences.

One kit could be hynix another kit can be Samsung etc.

I tried this and the same result with the DRAM light. I’ve been running these RAM sticks for years without problem, would it be an issue for AMD boards?

 

[Ojeii]

The issue here is that we don't know if the motherboard or 5700x3d work properly before we are starting.

I would try the 4100 with a single stick of Ram and see if you can get it to post. If not then I would potentially cut your losses and send it all back and start again.

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking tbh, if it does post then I’ll maybe keep the motherboard and return the cpu but we’ll see. Motherboard doesn’t seem like the culprit at the moment.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking tbh, if it does post then I’ll maybe keep the motherboard and return the cpu but we’ll see. Motherboard doesn’t seem like the culprit at the moment.

Just be mindful that motherboards can light up and look functional but have issues as well. If you do not get a post with a second cpu i would return the lot and look into buying new if at all possible.

 

[Ojeii]

Just be mindful that motherboards can light up and look functional but have issues as well. If you do not get a post with a second cpu i would return the lot and look into buying new if at all possible.

So I plugged the Ryzen 4100 in and same thing happened except this time the red CPU light on the motherboard lit up longer and more pronounced this time. I suspect possibly something wrong with the socket perhaps or the mobo itself in this case.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

So I plugged the Ryzen 4100 in and same thing happened except this time the red CPU light on the motherboard lit up longer and more pronounced this time. I suspect possibly something wrong with the socket perhaps or the mobo itself in this case.

I take it you still only have 1 memory module inserted?

It feels like it could be the motherboard and as it is second hand then as mentioned I would look into returning if possible. Out of interest did you update the bios on the board before testing it?

I would also look to return the cpu's if you can. The 5700x3d was stated as new but you said it wasn't so that is a red flag.

Look into getting your money back, chalking this up to a learning experience and look to purchase new if possible. Sometimes second hand is great and works fine but it is always a gamble. Sometimes if a deal is too good to be true it is.

Just be mindful that you may still encounter ram issues with all 4 sticks. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't with ZEN3 being particularly challenging at times from my experience

 

[Ojeii]

I take it you still only have 1 memory module inserted?

It feels like it could be the motherboard and as it is second hand then as mentioned I would look into returning if possible. Out of interest did you update the bios on the board before testing it?

I would also look to return the cpu's if you can. The 5700x3d was stated as new but you said it wasn't so that is a red flag.

Look into getting your money back, chalking this up to a learning experience and look to purchase new if possible. Sometimes second hand is great and works fine but it is always a gamble. Sometimes if a deal is too good to be true it is.

Just be mindful that you may still encounter ram issues with all 4 sticks. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't with ZEN3 being particularly challenging at times from my experience

Yes one ram stick in the A2 slot, I’ll occasioanally try one in the B2 slot of the same pair. I did try to flash the bios and I can’t tell if it was successful or not but the signs showed that it was. I tried 2 different BIOS versions.

I’ve bought many secondhand PC parts but this has been the most troublesome by far for sure, I unfortunately got unlucky for sure.

What can I do with the ZEN3 RAM issue in this case? Assuming my RAM is good and all, am I just going to have to buy new sticks or something? I’ve always been an Intel guy so I never really looked much into the AMD chips.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

Yes one ram stick in the A2 slot, I’ll occasioanally try one in the B2 slot of the same pair. I did try to flash the bios and I can’t tell if it was successful or not but the signs showed that it was. I tried 2 different BIOS versions.

I’ve bought many secondhand PC parts but this has been the most troublesome by far for sure, I unfortunately got unlucky for sure.

What can I do with the ZEN3 RAM issue in this case? Assuming my RAM is good and all, am I just going to have to buy new sticks or something? I’ve always been an Intel guy so I never really looked much into the AMD chips.

If the BIOS flash didn't work or didn't complete properly it can brick the board and in some cases there is no way back from that. I have had one where the motherboard looked like it was working but the BIOS was screwed and it would get stuck in a boot loop. Hard to tell if this was the problem if it wasn't tested or worked before the attempt was made.

Where did you buy the motherboard from? I think I heard you say Amazon for the cpu but I would assume it was a third party seller so the returns may not be covered by the usual amazon policy. Best to check ASAP.

Regarding the RAM then have you had all 4 sticks working in another system before? Can you take photos of all 4 chip serial number labels as it will hopefully help identify if they are all same version and use the same chips. If they are all the same then they might still work but it is not guaranteed. I have used 2 x 8 x 2 in multiple systems without issue. My current system is running that configuration without issue. There are a lot of people who do have issues however so it's not an easy call. We don't know if the RAM is OK at this stage as the motherboard appears to be the root cause.

 

[Ojeii]

If the BIOS flash didn't work or didn't complete properly it can brick the board and in some cases there is no way back from that. I have had one where the motherboard looked like it was working but the BIOS was screwed and it would get stuck in a boot loop. Hard to tell if this was the problem if it wasn't tested or worked before the attempt was made.

Where did you buy the motherboard from? I think I heard you say Amazon for the cpu but I would assume it was a third party seller so the returns may not be covered by the usual amazon policy. Best to check ASAP.

Regarding the RAM then have you had all 4 sticks working in another system before? Can you take photos of all 4 chip serial number labels as it will hopefully help identify if they are all same version and use the same chips. If they are all the same then they might still work but it is not guaranteed. I have used 2 x 8 x 2 in multiple systems without issue. My current system is running that configuration without issue. There are a lot of people who do have issues however so it's not an easy call. We don't know if the RAM is OK at this stage as the motherboard appears to be the root cause.

Well, before I did any BIOS update I tried to launch into BIOS with my 5700X3D the very first time and it did the same thing so maybe the board was just bricked to begin with. I wonder if at some point static electricity messes it up? I was touching my PC case at all times but possibly slipped up.

Yes these sticks were used in my previous system with my i9-9900K for at least 3 years. These appear to be all from the same model/chip.

https://imgur.com/a/bqCSIiP

View: https://imgur.com/a/bqCSIiP

 

[MEMOFLEX]

Well, before I did any BIOS update I tried to launch into BIOS with my 5700X3D the very first time and it did the same thing so maybe the board was just bricked to begin with. I wonder if at some point static electricity messes it up? I was touching my PC case at all times but possibly slipped up.

Yes these sticks were used in my previous system with my i9-9900K for at least 3 years. These appear to be all from the same model/chip.

https://imgur.com/a/bqCSIiP

View: https://imgur.com/a/bqCSIiP

It's hard to tell what the problem is to be honest. It could have been the memory to begin with then a bad bios flash or a number of different things.

Intel chips do seem to be more forgiving with memory than AMD. I am still running a 9900k funnily enough. Been a great chip.

From looking then the model of the ram kits are the same but the version numbers are different. Normally when corsair change the version numbers they have altered the chips so you may well have a mismatch here.

I have an old system with an AMD 3600 in it that has mixed version corsair vengeance kits at 3000 c15 and that works fine. It is luck of the draw sometimes though and until you get hold of a known working motherboard and cpu it will be impossible to know unfortunately.

I will have a look to see if its can find out what chips are in those modules in the meantime

 

[Ojeii]

It's hard to tell what the problem is to be honest. It could have been the memory to begin with then a bad bios flash or a number of different things.

Intel chips do seem to be more forgiving with memory than AMD. I am still running a 9900k funnily enough. Been a great chip.

From looking then the model of the ram kits are the same but the version numbers are different. Normally when corsair change the version numbers they have altered the chips so you may well have a mismatch here.

I have an old system with an AMD 3600 in it that has mixed version corsair vengeance kits at 3000 c15 and that works fine. It is luck of the draw sometimes though and until you get hold of a known working motherboard and cpu it will be impossible to know unfortunately.

I will have a look to see if its can find out what chips are in those modules in the meantime

Interesting that is good to know. Yeah the 9900K has served me well but I started experiencing bottlenecking.

Thank you for checking, I’ll check for new motherboards and try to get one. I’ll be returning both the cpu and motherboard, I got the mobo on eBay so I’ll have to see if I can return it, I should be able to since they advertised it as open box.

 

[MEMOFLEX]

Interesting that is good to know. Yeah the 9900K has served me well but I started experiencing bottlenecking.

Thank you for checking, I’ll check for new motherboards and try to get one. I’ll be returning both the cpu and motherboard, I got the mobo on eBay so I’ll have to see if I can return it, I should be able to since they advertised it as open box.

From looking at it then the version 4.32 uses Samsung C die and the 5.32 uses Hynix from what I can find

https://help.corsair.com/hc/en-us/a...ed-circuits-ICs-are-used-on-my-CORSAIR-memory

The 9900k is showing its age in some newer titles I will admit but at 1440p she is still doing well on the whole with my 4070 super. An upgrade will happen at some point later this year i feel but will be sad to see her go.

See what you can do about returning the items. It may be worth considering trying to move to a new platform entirely although cost may be prohibitive. Something like a ryzen 7600 would be a good start. You could even go the 12700k route with a ddr4 motherboard and try and keep your ram. 2 of your sticks should definitely work, possibly all 4 but it's a risk