[SOLVED] Orange dram error, black screen, forced shut down

[RJGray]

So I was running my pc just fine with a 3700x cpu on my Asus Prime X570-Pro motherboard and 4x16 Gb Corsair Vengeance Ram, and I decided to upgrade my cpu. I got a new Ryzen 9 5900x cpu and, stupidly, discarded my old cpu.

Upon attempting to start my computer after the installation, I noticed my screen froze at the bios splash screen, and I noticed the dram light and cpu lights were solid orange and green respectively and simultaneously. So I unplugged everything and tried resetting the ram, thinking I might've accidentally knocked it loose or something, then plugged everything back in, double and triple checking that everything was secure. After placing the ram back in, the computer decided it didn't want to start at all anymore, and only gave the orange dram light with all the fans and lights starting up for a few seconds before shutting down. In order to attempt restarting it again, I need to unplug my psu from the wall or I need to flip the power switch on my psu.

I then thought it was the bios being outdated since I mistakenly thought I could update the bios after installation and that I wasn't able to prior. And so I tried bios flashing only to find out my motherboard isn't capable of that. So I went to AMD for a boot kit after talking with Asus, and they sent me a cpu that should be working. But it's not and I'm still having the same issue implying it's something else.

I looked around online and all I could find was that the cpu might be bad (it's brand new), the bios needs updating (an older card should work on current/factory bios), that the ram isn't compatible or secure (it is compatible as it was working before the upgrade, and it is secure.), that I should place ram sticks in separately (made no difference, but when only one stick is plugged halfway in, all my motherboard lights light up got a second then turn right back off for some reason. Doesn't matter the stick or slot either).

So I spoke with Asus again, and they're saying that the board itself is faulty and that I should send it in for repairs/replacement which will take 1-2 weeks. But I'm certain I spoke with a bot, so Idk if I trust that conclusion.

I've already been without my pc for 2 weeks, I've been unable to attend 3 appointments, my job is threatening to fire me if I don't get my pc fixed asap, the closest repair shop is 20 miles away from me and costs me $60 just to diagnose the problem with no guarantee of a fix, and they're claiming it'll cost more and that I'd need to leave my entire rig there for at least 3 days for at least an hour's worth of work.

So I'm turning to you guys. What do you think the problem might be, how might I fix it, and how should I proceed in order to get my pc fixed before next Saturday, 4/16/2022 because after that I'll be fired from my job. Cheaper options are better too btw because I've already invested $110 in this issue with no results so far.

 

[Lutfij]

What BIOS did you have prior to your "upgrade"? As for the processors sent over by Asus, what did they send over? You might want to go through the option to use CrashFree BIOS 3 on your board;
https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/...ME_PRO_TUF_GAMING_X570_Series_BIOS_EM_WEB.pdf
^ page 53. See if that helps you get your board back up to functionality.

I know this might sound bad but you ask first before making any sort of investment choices, especially since your work is on your PC. If only you didn't discard your known working processor or that you'd made sure your board was on the latest BIOS update, you wouldn't be here.

Frankly speaking, the cheapest and smartest option, IMHO, is to get a board that supports the 5900x out of the box, which is either a B550 chipset.

To add, this is a troubleshooting thread, might want to list your specs like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:

 

[RJGray]

Did you not read the specs I put in there at the beginning? Also, I have no idea what bios my computer currently has since I updated it from the factory version when I got it roughly 2 years ago in order to run my 3700x cpu. So whatever the latest AMD BIOS was two years ago is my current bios.

Also, AMD sent over a Ryzen 3 3100 as part of their "bootkit". It's not compatible with my current bios even if it fits into the board. When attempting to stay my pc with that cpu installed, it simply doesn't start at all. No errors, no freezing in the bios splash screen like with the 5900x, nothing. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling in case it was a fluke, and did that 3x. Then tried again with the 5900x, and my computer tried starting but froze on the bios splash screen not allowing me to interact or open bios and gave an orange dram error light, which I've learned can mean an outdated bios.

The investments I made were to get diagnostics run by a local computer repair store, at which they said they weren't able to help me but still demanded payment for their time. The only other investment I'm avoiding is to just buy another ryzen 7 3700x cpu to replace my old one. For the record, the old cpu got damaged beyond repair as two pins got flattened and two pins broke off completely because my cat decided to play with it before I could stop them while I was putting in my new cpu. I wouldn't be so dumb as to throw out a working cpu that cost me nearly $300. But one that's broken beyond repair and beyond usability would get thrown out.

Last time I listed my specs in a list like that, my post got marked as spam and blocked by the website, so that's out of the question as a non-possibility. I think you're only able to list like that because you're a moderator or something too unless the website's filters got updated. And besides, I provided all available relevant information anyways. Because why does my chassis, hard drive, or monitor matter in this scenario?

And why did you link a manual for a different motherboard? My motherboard, sadly, doesn't have that feature. If it did, I wouldn't be having this issue in the first place because I have a formatted flash drive with only the latest amd bios downloaded on it plugged into my computer, and it does nothing. Plus, Asus confirmed when I spoke with them that my motherboard doesn't have bios flashback or crashfree bios capabilities.

As for a board that works out the box, that simply doesn't exist for the Ryzen 9 5900x cpu. That cpu is too new and higher end, so all existing boards apparently need a bios update to make use of it. If they didn't, then I wouldn't be having this problem in the first place since I have the x570 chipset, which is better and more recent than the b550 chipset you recommended that would still require an update to the bios to make use of the cpu.

By the way, who am I supposed to ask when upgrading my own personal computer that I built myself? Am I supposed to ask strangers on the internet for permission? I've been living on my own for nearly a decade, and your statement of asking someone for permission is frankly insulting. I know the part is good and that my board is compatible, but I didn't realise I needed to update my bios prior to installing the new cpu. The reason I'm here asking for advice is because all other methods I have tried to date have failed and I apparently have so far been unable to obtain a cpu that is compatible with my current bios. So I'm reaching out to see of there are any options I haven't considered yet.

 

[RJGray]

Okay. Final update.

Turns out that, despite AMD's insistence that a Ryzen 3 3100 was compatible with my board, it simply was not.
Turns out that despite Asus's insistence that my board was faulty, it was not.
Turns out that the issue was indeed what I suspected all along, an un-updated bios.

Here's how I fixed it for anyone in future curious.

1. I procured a new CPU from the same generation of chips as the one that was working prior. Specifically for me, a Ryzen 7 3700 cpu. I paid for a 3700x, but got a 3700 instead. Thankfully it still worked being from the same generation and series of chips and all. Had to pay $300 out of pocket since AMD refused to send a boot kit with the correct cpu my way, but I plan to return it since I no longer need it.
2. I was finally able to download the update for my motherboard's bios from the motherboard's specific website.
3. Use the renaming tool that comes with the update to rename it so that the bios system will recognise and accept it.
4. Format a flashdrive for fat32 and copy said renamed update into the root folder with nothing else.
5. Restart computer and go to bios > tools > Flash 3 Bios. Then select the renamed file and hit run.
6. Wait for the update to finish, ensure that the computer starts and runs with the update.
7. Turn computer off, install new cpu, in my case the Ryzen 9 5900x, and restart computer.
8. Follow instructions, set bios back up to preferred settings, and run!

I hope this helps anyone in future with similar issues