[SOLVED] New PC Build - No Display Signal

Feb 12, 2019
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I have a new PC Build and for some odd reason I have no display signal. There's no red lights on the motherboard. The GPU and CPU fans are both running. All 4 tower fans are running. The silly LED strips on the memory sticks light up (not a warning light, just have the memory sticks with LED backs because they were the same price as the normal ones).

A bit stumped on this one. Took the computer to work. Took out the GPU and put it in my work computer. Has a display. Took the work computer's GPU and put it in the new PC build. No display. So... not the GPU.

Have played musical chairs with the memory cards. Currently have them in the exact same slots as the work computer setup. Highly doubt its the memory.

I did consider the processor. Yanked out the Ryzen 5 we started with and threw in a Ryzen 7. Still no display. Hard time believing I had two bad processors.

Can't imagine there being an issue with the 1TB SSD or the 4TB secondary.

I've rechecked all the power supply cables to the motherboard and even popped out the CMOS battery for giggles.

The only things left I can think of are the MSI B350 Tomahawk motherboard and the 600W Power Supply.
 
Solution
Doubt they'll let you borrow, but anywhere with a service dept will likely be willing to flash the BIOS for you if you take the board to them - no doubt for a fee though.

Unfortunately B350 launched with the first release Ryzen chips. B450 would support the 2700X out of the box.


AMD have a "boot kit" they were offering.... Not 100% sure if it's still available.
Basically, they'll send you the absolute cheapest compatible CPU to allow you to flash the BIOS - you use it, then send it back.
https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/pa-100

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
Yeah, 2XXX is 2000 series. The B350 very likely needs a BIOS update to support the newer CPUs.

The box may have a sticker that says "2000 series ready" or "Pinnacle Ridge ready". If not, it almost certainly does not support the chip out of the box.

You'll need a 1xxx chip to update the BIOs (1600, 1700 for example)
 
Feb 12, 2019
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Naw, it just says Ryzen compatible. It didn't even cross my mind to research further than it has an AM4 socket and says Ryzen compatible. What an expensive adventure this has become.

Doubt a retailer would let me borrow a 1600 for bios updates.
 

Barty1884

Retired Moderator
Doubt they'll let you borrow, but anywhere with a service dept will likely be willing to flash the BIOS for you if you take the board to them - no doubt for a fee though.

Unfortunately B350 launched with the first release Ryzen chips. B450 would support the 2700X out of the box.


AMD have a "boot kit" they were offering.... Not 100% sure if it's still available.
Basically, they'll send you the absolute cheapest compatible CPU to allow you to flash the BIOS - you use it, then send it back.
https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/pa-100
 
Solution
Feb 12, 2019
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Poking around forums and whatnot and it looks like some of the 1000 series might not work with the B350 either (very dependent on how old the particular B350 BIOS is, which I might as well assume as 1.0 at this point). Would feel bad to wait a week on a 1600 processor that still might not work (1.3 from what I understand). Think I'll just pick up an AMD ASeries and hope that those are supported (can't imagine them not being as they were the first AM4 processors). Regret not sticking with the X470 boards I picked up for the work computers. Didn't realize the B350 was that antiquated.
 
Feb 12, 2019
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Wanted to update the thread to let any that stumble across this post that I had display when I put in an AMD A8-9600 processor, which confirmed the issue as being an old BIOS on the B350.