[SOLVED] Q Code LED shows number 36 (Asus B550-E)

[apalace]

Hello everyone!

I built my PC yesterday. MB: Asus Rog Strix B550-E Gaming / CPU: AMD Ryzen 5900X / Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S / PSU: Corsair RM850 (2021), RM Series, 850 Watt 80 Plus / RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz / ASUS TUF GeForce RTX 3070 TI

Everything runs OK, but I noticed the Q Code LED on the MB shows the number 36 in RED color. Does it mean there is an error with my build somewhere? Although I didn't face any issue at all.

I appreciate any comment!

 

[Darkbreeze]

Q-code 36 is a memory initialization problem during the POST process.

I would first make sure you have the memory installed in the correct slots, which are the A2 and B2 slots located in the second and fourth DIMM locations over from the CPU with the fourth DIMM slot being the one closest to the edge of the motherboard.

Also, I would want to check the Corsair memory finder utility found on the Corsair website, and verify that Corsair says that the exact model of your memory kit is compatible with the exact model of your motherboard. On AMD platforms is is a bit less certain and a bit more critical that you try to use memory that is either validated by the memory manufacturer for a specific motherboard or is listed on the motherboard manufacturer's QVL compatibility list. If not, you might see problems anywhere from very very minor requiring several "training" passes during POST before it finds a setting it likes or simply won't work at all, and anything in between.

If the memory IS installed in the correct slots, it might be a good idea to remove and reinstall them, making certain they are fully seated and that the locks at each are engaged in the cutouts at the ends of the memory module.

Also, I would download CPU-Z, HWinfo or Thaiphoon burner and install one of them, then verify that the memory is ACTUALLY running at the correct speed and shows the correct capacity. You might have one stick that isn't even actually being used or memory that is running at a lower speed than it should be.

 

[apalace]

Thank you Darkbreeze for your useful reply!
I checked them, and they are in the correct places A2 & B2 , I also checked them with the CPU-Z and it looks like both are recognized correctly.. Here are pictures of them:

https://ibb.co/0qpc7bX
and
https://ibb.co/XLQ4dWX

Could it be that one Dimm isn't placed correctly even if the CPU-Z shows them correctly?
then only option left is the compatibility with the MB, which I really don't know and not sure about.

Again, I thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So check.

I gave you all the info you needed to validate it or not.

Ok, so what is the ACTUAL model number of your memory kit. As it was displayed, and sold, on the package you bought?

 

[apalace]

Thanks again for replying back.

The model number is CMW16GX4M2C3200C16W
I also unplugged the memory sticks then plugged them back, to be sure they are plugged correctly.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, Corsair says they are compatible, so we can eliminate incompatibility as a probable cause.

What BIOS version are you running?

 

[apalace]

Thank you for your reply.

Bios version is the last, which is currently 2604.
Could this Q Led 36 be useless ? Or a MB failure? Seeing this red number inside is just awful and gives me bas feeling.

 

[Darkbreeze]

If everything is working normal, I would still try to solve it, but I wouldn't give it TOO MUCH weight.

First thing I would do, is this. Maybe it is a quirk.

BIOS Hard Reset procedure

Power off the unit, switch the PSU off and unplug the PSU cord from either the wall or the power supply.

Remove the motherboard CMOS battery for about three to five minutes. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the graphics card to access the CMOS battery.

During that five minutes while the CMOS battery is out of the motherboard, press the power button on the case, continuously, for 15-30 seconds, in order to deplete any residual charge that might be present in the CMOS circuit. After the five minutes is up, reinstall the CMOS battery making sure to insert it with the correct side up just as it came out.

If you had to remove the graphics card you can now reinstall it, but remember to reconnect your power cables if there were any attached to it as well as your display cable.

Now, plug the power supply cable back in, switch the PSU back on and power up the system. It should display the POST screen and the options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup. Enter the bios setup program and reconfigure the boot settings for either the Windows boot manager or for legacy systems, the drive your OS is installed on if necessary.

Save settings and exit. If the system will POST and boot then you can move forward from there including going back into the bios and configuring any other custom settings you may need to configure such as Memory XMP, A-XMP or D.O.C.P profile settings, custom fan profile settings or other specific settings you may have previously had configured that were wiped out by resetting the CMOS.

In some cases it may be necessary when you go into the BIOS after a reset, to load the Optimal default or Default values and then save settings, to actually get the hardware tables to reset in the boot manager.

It is probably also worth mentioning that for anything that might require an attempt to DO a hard reset in the first place, IF the problem is related to a lack of video signal, it is a GOOD IDEA to try a different type of display as many systems will not work properly for some reason with displayport configurations. It is worth trying HDMI if you are having no display or lack of visual ability to enter the BIOS, or no signal messages.

Trying a different monitor as well, if possible, is also a good idea if there is a lack of display. It happens.

 

[apalace]

I think the MB is now defekt or something.

I followed your steps, I had to remove the graphics card , where I struggled a bit because of the huge CPU-Heatsink, and I wasn't able to to stick my finger to push down that little snug to let it free, I used a screwdriver and tried several times till I got it finally out.
After I reinstalled the CMOS back in, put everything back including the graphics card , turned on the PC, No signal on the display.

Then the Q Led error code shows the number 4d, and I noticed the cpu red Led at the edge of the MB near the Ram sticks is also ON.. I took off the graphics card and put it in another Slot, same result.. I then took off the graphics card then plugged in the HDMI cable to the on-board graphics card , sadly the same result.

Please help me, what could the problem be? Did I brick the MB or is the graphics card damaged? Or maybe the CPU is dead?

Here is the picture of that Code and the red led:
https://ibb.co/qYC1gX6

 

[Darkbreeze]

My guess would be that there has to be more to it than you're offering. Motherboards don't just die and systems don't just stop working simply because you've done a hard reset of the BIOS. Either you did something to damage the graphics card or the PCIe slot when you took the graphics card out, or while using a screwdriver, as you say, to try and release the graphics card's PCIe slot lock you slipped off and hit the board, or something that you aren't telling.

Either that, or the board was already dying previously which is possible since you were already having problems in the beginning, but it sure seems strange that it won't POST now.

Did you build this system or did somebody else build it for you?

 

[apalace]

Thanks again for your reply.

Yes I built it myself. I just asked the seller to send me a MB replacement, it is on the way now.
Yeah I might have hit something on the board with the screwdriver when I was trying to release the card.
But I remember when I first turn on the PC after I built it, the first screen that showed me was a strange message that I have never seen before with my previous PCs that I also built.. There wasn't a message to enter the BIOS, but a message in the middle of the screen telling me that there has been changes with the hardware, and I have to hit Y if ... or N if.... , I don't remember exactly the message but something like that, "the hardware has been changed and there is an encryption, if I want to keep the datas bla bla hit Y , if not hit N ..." , something similar to that.

Does this mean that the board has been used before and I have been sold a used and not new board?

 

[Darkbreeze]

No, it doesn't mean that. It means that between the last time the system was able to POST and this time, something changed in regard to the hardware. That actually should not happen if you perform a hard reset properly because the system shouldn't even KNOW that it had been used previously. That's kind of the whole point of the hard reset, so something is definitely not adding up somewhere.

 

[apalace]

I think you misunderstood my last post.

I mean the message appeared when I turned on the PC the first time I finished building it 4 days ago. Not after the hard reset.
After hard reset the PC didn't post at all and nothing was in the screen, no signal.

If the MB was totally new, should this message appear in first place?

 

[Darkbreeze]

No.

 

[apalace]

I got the new MB today, I replaced the old one with it, and everything is back to normal now.
But the Q Led Code 36 is still there, I assume the RAM sticks aren't fully supported by this MB, I will get other sticks and test if the Code goes away.

But again I got the same message that I got first time when I installed the MB first time, I took a picture of it :
https://ibb.co/KFP4W86

Is this a normal message? Can this appear if the MB totally new? Any idea what this means and why does it appear?

Many thanks!

 

[Darkbreeze]

No idea. I have never once seen that message before on any system.

 

[apalace]

Updating on my situation:
I also changed the rams and gave me also the same code.
After thinking, I discovered that the code isn't 36 , but 9E 😬 :
https://ibb.co/dpYv6Pv
I was reading it upside down, so stupid.
After searching for the code 9E I discovered that it is something related to TPM enabled, to support Windows 11.
Therefore I am closing this thread here, and thank you Darkbreeze for all your comments.