Question System not posting to BIOS

[ericericeric]

Issue: System not posting to BIOS. Checked CPU for bent pins, CPU seated properly, checked RAM slots and sticks, checked power plugs, updated bios to config shown below.



Configuration:

• 
  Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max II
  
• 
  CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600x
  
• 
  PSU: Corsair CX 650 F RGB Series
  
• 
  System Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 3000MHz 32 GB
  
• 
  GPU XFX 5700XT Thicc 3
  
• 
  BIOS: 7C02vH0
  

 

[prateek320i]

• Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max II

Your motherboard has EZ Debug LEDs , as per as the manual.
Found these helpful info- [Page 38, from the English manual]
These LEDs indicate the status of key components during booting process. When an error is occurred, the corresponding LED stays lit until the problem is solved.
CPU - indicates CPU is not detected or fail.
DRAM - indicates DRAM is not detected or fail.
VGA - indicates GPU is not detected or fail.
BOOT - indicates the booting device is not detected or fail.

Boot your system again with mentioned components, Mobo, Processor, RAM, CPU Cooler, GPU, PSU.
Check for the EZ Debug LEDs. Do you see any of these LEDs staying ON?

 

[ericericeric]

The CPU light has been staying on, despite the attempts mentioned.

 

[prateek320i]

The CPU light has been staying on, despite the attempts mentioned.

CPU got a problem if we take EZ Debug LED into consideration.
Double check if you have correctly connected the 8 pin power cable to CPU_PWR1 and you’ve correctly plugged in CPU cooler’s 4 pin wire to CPU_FAN1.
Although, you’ve mentioned there are no bent pins on CPU, sometimes, the CPU doesn’t sit properly.

 

[prateek320i]

I’d like to add this. Try reseating GPU also. Try PCI_E4 slot rather than PCI_E1 just for diagnosis purpose.

 

[ericericeric]

The CPU power plug is in fully attached and in place; both the original one, and I tried the extra one that came in the package as well.

All of the fans are spinning; the ones that came with the case, as well as the ones with the cooling system. I'm using the Sys fan 1 and sys fan 4 slots for the case fans. The cooling system is plugged into the CPU fan 1 slot.

PEI_E4 slot won't work with the GPU I have - there is a small metal divider that segments the slot, my GPU needs the full width. Does that divider come out?

And about the CPU comment above, even though the pins are fine, it still may not sit properly? I'm guessing that'd be a defect in the motherboard?

 

[prateek320i]

I'm guessing that'd be a defect in the motherboard?

Possibly. If CPU is all well, it can be CPU slot of motherboard. Even once, in 2014, it was I who somehow bent a pin of my LGA 1150’s socket and I was totally unaware of that. Typical, I being foolish. I went for RMA, the inspection guy used magnifying glass 🔍 to verify the bent pin and they replaced my whole socket for some INR 250. Please don’t laugh at my silly doings 😁.
Can you ask any of your friend for help? Clip in your CPU to their board and their cpu to your mobo. It’s better if we do some experiments before approaching RMA.

 

[ericericeric]

My friend has been helping me build it, but that's been over video. I don't have anyone else with a machine to test things with. He did notice some discoloration where the CPU sits. It looked like the same gray as the thermal paste I used, but I don't remember spilling any. It didn't look like it had gone into any of the pin holes, but I guess anything extra in there could cause a problem.

Earlier, we had flashed bios, then cleared CMOS, but then he said clearing CMOS might have reset the new bios. Today I cleared CMOS, then flashed bios, but it is still lighting up the CPU light.