CPU debug light flashing constantly, no boot

[baphoden]

Hi! I finished my build two days ago, and no matter what I try I can't resolve this issue. The manual for my motherboard is useless and nobody online seems to have had this specific issue with this specific motherboard.

 

I finished up my build, went to turn it on, and the moment I flipped the power switch on the PCU the CPU light began flashing. It's consistent and infinite. I've tried everything short of reseating the CPU itself and I'm terrified that I've wasted several hundred in buying parts just for something to be broken.

 

My exact specs are:

 

- B450 Tomahawk Max II motherboard.

- AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU [with stock cooler]

- The RAM I'm admittedly unsure about. It's in the HyperX Fury line, though.

- EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU.

- MSI MPG A-GF 850W PSU.

[IkeaGnome]

Unless the box says Ryzen 5000 ready you need to update the BIOS. 

[baphoden]

1 minute ago, IkeaGnome said:

Unless the box says Ryzen 5000 ready you need to update the BIOS. 

The box says Ryzen 5000 ready so I know that isn't the issue. Sorry, should have specified.

[An0maly_76]

First things first. The 5600X is a Zen3, and "5000-ready" or not, some, if not most boards still need a BIOS update. Several members here have had exactly that problem recently, and a BIOS update fixed it. That being said, I went to a new build with an Asus board due to incompetence in regard to exactly this on the part of MSI support. The board in question was a B450M Bazooka, and I'd had issues with it before. Some say B450 is perfectly fine for Zen3, but I personally would not use a Zen3 with a B450 to start with. Maybe that's just me.

 

The good news is, if the board supports USB BIOS updating, you don't need a CPU to do it. If it doesn't, you'll need an older processor supported by the current BIOS for the update.

 

Your RAM could be an issue. I've mostly seen this with Corsair, but quite a few folks are having RAM compatibility issues with Ryzens as of late. They are funny about RAM, and seem to like Crucial Ballistix best. And be sure that the Mhz of the RAM is supported by the CPU and the board collectively. Whichever's limit is lower, stay within that. As in, if the CPU supports 3200, but the board only supports 2666, stay with 2666. Many newer modules will default to 2666 without enabling DOCP in BIOS.

Edited June 18, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[baphoden]

5 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

First things first. The 5600X is a Zen3, and "5000-ready" or not, some, if not most boards still need a BIOS update. Several members here have had exactly that problem recently, and a BIOS update fixed it. That being said, I went to a new build with an Asus board due to incompetence in regard to exactly this on the part of MSI support. The board in question was a B450M Bazooka, and I'd had issues with it before. Some say B450 is perfectly fine for Zen3, but I personally would not use a Zen3 with a B450 to start with. Maybe that's just me.

 

The good news is, if the board supports USB BIOS updating, you don't need a CPU to do it. If it doesn't, you'll need an older processor supported by the current BIOS for the update.

 

Your RAM could be an issue. I've mostly seen this with Corsair, but quite a few folks are having RAM compatibility issues with Ryzens as of late. They are funny about RAM, and seem to like Crucial Ballistix best. And be sure that the Mhz of the RAM is supported by the CPU and the board collectively. Whichever's limit is lower, stay within that. As in, if the CPU supports 3200, but the board only supports 2666, stay with 2666. Many newer modules will default to 2666 without enabling DOCP in BIOS.

Ahh, having to update the BIOS is another thing I didn't want to have to do, but apparently my motherboard does support USB updating - so that's a bit reassuring. What would be the best way to go about it, if you don't mind? This is completely out of my comfort zone haha.

[An0maly_76]

From my understanding (and this sucks because you need to use another functioning machine), you have to download the latest BIOS update from the manufacturer's website (in this case MSI, and be sure you get the right one for the right version of the motherboard -- aka there may be more than one Tomahawk B450), download it to a USB flash drive, insert it in the port reserved for BIOS, and you should just need to power on the board without the CPU installed, and press the button. From that point, it should do its thing. I don't think I would do it with the CPU installed, just to be safe.

Edited June 18, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[Stormseeker9]

20 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Unless the box says Ryzen 5000 ready you need to update the BIOS. 

It’s a ‘MAX’ mobo so should always be ryzen 5000 ready.

[An0maly_76]

6 minutes ago, Stormseeker9 said:

It’s a ‘MAX’ mobo so should always be ryzen 5000 ready.

In my experience, I don't believe anything MSI says about any of their products. They told me my B450M Bazooka supported a 5900X with BIOS update, then later told me that same update could fry my board AFTER I'd bought a 5900X. And this was after the board refused to recognize a new GPU and required a RMA because it shut down following some upgrades. I said to hell with them and went with Asus. Some love MSI, but I wouldn't recommend MSI to my worst enemy after that fiasco.

 

That said, BIOS update for Zen3 can be a thing regardless of manufacturer. Given that the 5600X is a 65W chip, it might be okay with this particular board if it can be made to run, but I wouldn't dare use a 5800X-up with it.

Edited June 18, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[IkeaGnome]

18 minutes ago, Stormseeker9 said:

It’s a ‘MAX’ mobo so should always be ryzen 5000 ready.

It’s hard to keep track of what came out when. 

[baphoden]

I kept the CPU in [primarily because I'd already been struggling trying to remove the fan without taking out the whole board] and there's absolutely zero response to flashing the board. I'm not really sure what to do here or if it's safe to power off.

[StareX]

It's always safe to power off, Flashing your BIOS with a USB should be easy.

Just follow the instructions, you can keep the hardware on your motherboard and flash the BIOS.
 

What prevented me from flashing my BIOS at first was a bad USB and I didn't configure FAT32 to flash.

I plugged in a good USB, and it flashed easy.

[baphoden]

1 minute ago, StareX said:

It's always safe to power off, Flashing your BIOS with a USB should be easy.

Just follow the instructions, you can keep the hardware on your motherboard and flash the BIOS.
 

What prevented me from flashing my BIOS at first was a bad USB and I didn't configure FAT32 to flash.

I plugged in a good USB, and it flashed easy.

I'm assuming it's the USB itself that's the problem then - it's just a cheap SanDisk USB. I'll see if I can order something better. Thanks

[StareX]

Just now, baphoden said:

I'm assuming it's the USB itself that's the problem then - it's just a cheap SanDisk USB. I'll see if I can order something better. Thanks

Same problem I had, try a different USB
Sandisks are weird

[baphoden]

On 6/18/2022 at 8:45 AM, An0maly_76 said:

From my understanding (and this sucks because you need to use another functioning machine), you have to download the latest BIOS update from the manufacturer's website (in this case MSI, and be sure you get the right one for the right version of the motherboard -- aka there may be more than one Tomahawk B450), download it to a USB flash drive, insert it in the port reserved for BIOS, and you should just need to power on the board without the CPU installed, and press the button. From that point, it should do its thing. I don't think I would do it with the CPU installed, just to be safe.

I tried flashing the BIOS with two different USBs and no luck - no response whatsoever. I'm pretty stuck on what to do here aside from returning the CPU and getting a replacement.

[An0maly_76]

Last ditch effort -- see if you can borrow a CPU the board supports by any BIOS version, or have a local shop do it, and see if that helps. BIOS updates have been known to corrupt. That's the trouble with it. It usually works fine, but it is an imperfect process. It could either be a bad board or CPU at this point. Two USBs and a failed update might point to the board.