PC Build – Help needed

beed84

PC Components:

MB: MSI X570 Gaming Edge Wifi
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700x / AMD cooler
GPU: MSI RTX 2060
RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3600mhz
SSD: Samsung EVO 500GB
PSU: Corsair 650w Gold

***

So, I've just built my first gaming PC and it's not worked out in the way I hoped. Before I head to my local PC repair shop, I'd be grateful if any experienced forum members might be able to help or provide some pointers.

First problem – No signal to monitor

I managed to fit everything together and it powered up just fine. All fans for all components were active. RGB cooler and RAM showed their colours. However, I thought the fans were a bit noisy and later realised the motherboard power cable wasn't seated properly. Resolving this made the fans much quieter after a few seconds of turning the PC on.

However, my main issue was no signal to the monitor, and I couldn't get to the BIOS screen no matter how hard I tried. The HDMI cable was connected to the GPU, not the MB, and I tried different cables. No joy. I ensured the monitor was working with a different device (Nintendo Switch). I then tried reseating all the parts. I reset the BIOS by removing the battery and updated it via the flashback button on the motherboard. 

Second problem – Ezbug

This has led to the PC turning on with the fans running loud again, and, as far as I can tell, the Ezbug stuck on CPU – it's constant, not flashing. Prior to this I remember them going through a sequence, but I'm not sure what. Also, when I turn the PC off, the RGB lights of the RAM modules go off a few seconds later; before, everything went off at once. Also, after it shuts down, it boots up on its own accord after few seconds.

***

That's it. It's gone from bad to worse and I'm stumped. I'm gutted too, especially as I'm worried that I've knackered some/all parts beyond repair. 

At this point, any help would be genuinely appreciated 

Jonathangus

Try taking the GPU out altogether, then connect the monitor to the MB so you can get at the BIOS.

swiller

Problem 1: try putting the HDMI not in the graphics card but on the MB. if it hasnt booted up and not been online, likely that the MB will default to graphics card on MB.
Problem 2: not sure but get in the bios first would help. Did you thermal paste the processor before putting on the fan? If noyt that might explain a few things of ezbug and recycling power.

E2A dont think you have damaged anything, remember doing v similar on my first PC build.

nero1701

Take out CPU(carefully), check for bent pins ect.

As others have said plug into mother board HDMI.

Try only one stick of ram(in correct slot)

Try the other.

Is it POSTing? do you get Number lock/Caps lock flash on when you switch on?

Check all wire are seated correctly (disconnect and reseat to be sure)

jasonbone75

There is no onboard GPU on the 3700x so connecting to MB display connectors won't help.

Emp_Fab

Check the RAM is seated correctly....   despite the CPU led being lit, it is apparently a common thing on this board...  (read last posts here: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threads/ez-debug-cpu-led-with-msi-x570-a-pro.373169/ )

This will also likely help:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xLKPS7EOezOJ3UHJyv_wLU-sMCPiKlb9/view

Failing that, Google has a fair few hits on the subject: http://tinyurl.com/3h499w69

beed84

Thanks all, I really appreciate the advice.

Other than check the CPU, I've tried everything suggested so far but still no joy.

I don't think it's getting past POST as nothing happens with the num lock. No flashing, nothing. The mouse doesn't turn on either. Also, as @jasonbone75 said, I can't connect to motherboard due to the CPU's limitations unfortunately.

I will check the CPU tomorrow for bent pins etc as I've ran out of thermal paste. Fingers crossed I can resolve this without taking it in for repair . . . 

crunchman

Can you scrounge another graphics card from somewhere?  It might be worth trying it with a different card in the slot.

hywelg

Multiple input monitor? Check it's set to HDMI. 

digitalscream

OK, problem #1 - removing the GPU and plugging the monitor into the motherboard won't do anything, because the Ryzen 3700X doesn't have integrated graphics.

My main question is...how long did you wait? Ryzen machines can take ages on first boot, because it's RAM training. It's also not unheard of for a tiny misalignment of a pin or two on the CPU to prevent boot or cause RAM problems.

My suggestion would be...remove the CPU, examine it for bent pins (any pins at all that look out of the ordinary), then - if all's good - re-seat it and go through the whole process again. You may need to wait up to five minutes for it all to come alive, and it may reboot a couple of times before it comes up.

Don't worry if the fans come up at full speed, if it boots - you can edit the fan curves in the UEFI/BIOS screens.

beed84

Okay. Latest developments:

I’ve reseated the CPU – there didn’t appear to be any bent pins though I could be wrong 

I let it run idle for several minutes but nothing changed.

I also tried interchanging a single RAM in the correct slot, but that didn’t change anything either.

Following some advice on the web, I downloaded the latest BIOS version on a USB 2.0 memory stick (these apparently work best) and used the flash BIOS on the motherboard. This took several minutes but didn’t shut down and reboot. I turned it off and on at the PSU, it came on, and the Ezdebug LEDs this time were stuck on BOOT and DRAM. Progress, or so I thought. 

I tried turning it off via the PC power button but nothing. I turned it on and off at the PSU again and it fired up on its own this time with the LED on CPU again. I also noticed the PSU fans weren’t spinning.

At this point I’m out of ideas. The USB Flash seemed to sort of work but not. Is there a particular version that may benefit me more, or am I better off just taking it to the shop at this stage?

EDIT: Would this be worth trying?

https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/261331/fs-6-amd-ryzen-5-2600x-3-6ghz-am4-6-core-cpu-with-wraith-spire-cooler#latest

Axe_meister

Could be a dead CPU or motherboard.
Have you tried a CMOS reset (see motherboard manual).
Is it a modular power supply are all the connectors seater properly especially the 24pin and the 8pin PCI power cables )both ends)

digitalscream

beed84 said:

Okay. Latest developments:

I’ve reseated the CPU – there didn’t appear to be any bent pins though I could be wrong 

I let it run idle for several minutes but nothing changed.

I also tried interchanging a single RAM in the correct slot, but that didn’t change anything either.

Following some advice on the web, I downloaded the latest BIOS version on a USB 2.0 memory stick (these apparently work best) and used the flash BIOS on the motherboard. This took several minutes but didn’t shut down and reboot. I turned it off and on at the PSU, it came on, and the Ezdebug LEDs this time were stuck on BOOT and DRAM. Progress, or so I thought. 

I tried turning it off via the PC power button but nothing. I turned it on and off at the PSU again and it fired up on its own this time with the LED on CPU again. I also noticed the PSU fans weren’t spinning.

At this point I’m out of ideas. The USB Flash seemed to sort of work but not. Is there a particular version that may benefit me more, or am I better off just taking it to the shop at this stage?

EDIT: Would this be worth trying?

https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/261331/fs-6-amd-ryzen-5-2600x-3-6ghz-am4-6-core-cpu-with-wraith-spire-cooler#latest

OK, you may have bricked the motherboard there, by turning it off after the BIOS flash. Might be worth trying to flash it to an older version, if that's possible; in which case, you'll probably want to go for the earliest version which supports your CPU (7C37v11).

However, the fact that the EZ Debug CPU light was on indicates that the CPU is either not detected or it's failed; everything prior to the BIOS flash points towards the CPU being the culprit, but unless you can successfully flash a BIOS on there you're not going to know whether any further issues are the motherboard or not.

jasonbone75

Couple of suggestions just come to mind:

Make sure the DRAM modules are in the correct slots (not sure if you checked already).

1 module must go only in DIMM A2

2 modules must go only in DIMM A2 and B2 (i.e. not next to each other)

4 modules ...well obviously.

The other thing to check is if it has dual BIOS. I know my X470 boards (edit actually may well have been a different board! memory problems pardon the pun) had a switch for BIOS 1 and 2. You can switch between them for trying updates but also if one gets corrupted the other should still be working.

jasonbone75

Just found the manual and it doesn't have hardware switch between BIOS unfortunately.

beed84

Another update:

I took everything apart and reseated it all. That's including cables to and from the motherboard and PSU – all connected securely.

I replaced the CMOS battery with a new one and waited five minutes before doing so. 

I doubled checked the DRAM are in the correct slots. They are.

I downloaded the 7C37v11 BIOS and update it via the Flash button. It did it's thing and still booted up with the CPU LED.

***

I don't think there's any more I can do now other than take it to the shop. Obtaining other parts to try and isolate the problem will cost me money without any guarantee I'll even get it to work – I'm just going to chalk it up as "one of those things". 

Thanks again for everyone's input, it's much appreciated. I'll let you know if and when I'm finally playing COD 

nero1701

have you another PC in which you can test some components?

beed84

nero1701 said:

have you another PC in which you can test some components?

Nothing for the parts I've got, unfortunately.

Bidley

My money's on dead CPU or RAM. The only thing I would try now is a single stick of RAM in each slot, i.e remove them, put one in slot 1, let it post (or attempt to), then remove it, put it in slot 2 and so forth. Do this with both sticks.

An alternative would be to buy some RAM from Amazon and try them. If they don't work then you're boned, and you can at least return the RAM for your money back.

beed84

Bidley said:

My money's on dead CPU or RAM. The only thing I would try now is a single stick of RAM in each slot, i.e remove them, put one in slot 1, let it post (or attempt to), then remove it, put it in slot 2 and so forth. Do this with both sticks.

An alternative would be to buy some RAM from Amazon and try them. If they don't work then you're boned, and you can at least return the RAM for your money back.

Just tried both sticks of RAM individually in each slot and still no joy.

Before taking it to the shop on Monday, I could try some new RAM from Amazon. There's a Crucial DDR4 2666 MHz 4GB for £10.97. Would that be sufficient to test?

Danny1969

Have you got a caps lock light when you press caps lock .. if you have then the machine has at least partly posted but there's no video
If you haven't got a caps lock light then pull all the ram out and see if you get beep code or light code for no ram

Has the PSU got enough juice on the 12V rail for the video card. You can have a 1000W power supply but that's no good if that's 800W of 5V and only 200 of 12V

Are the standoffs under the board in the right place or are some fouling the underside of the board and shorting it  ? There should only be a metal standoff where there is a hole in the motherboard.