5900X won't POST - Incompatible BIOS?

[Cenedd]

Mobo: Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus
CPU: Ryzen 5900X
RAM: Team Group DDR4-3200

I've got all this built, but it won't POST. The motherboard cycles the Aura LEDs down one edge as soon as you apply power to the PSU (standby power) and on power-up, the RGB fans sync up but the DRAM Q-LED lights orange as soon as it has power. I've removed the GPU (to simplify) and moved the RAM about different sockets - initially all four and then different sticks in just the A2 socket recommended. Nothing helps. Before I drive myself nuts taking things apart, is it going to be that this board hasn't got a recent enough BIOS to even POST this CPU?

Don't have any other AMD CPUs I could use to check it, unfortunately.

Thanks guys.

 

[Cenedd]

Damn, that's what I feared. As far as I can tell, it's only possible to flash the BIOS without a supported CPU if you have the BIOS Flashback feature....and this board doesn't seem to have that, only Crashfree BIOS 3.
Does it seem likely that the DRAM light would be lit rather than the CPU light? I suppose if the memory controller is in the CPU and the CPU isn't supported, it might.

 

[Cenedd]

ASUS boards might have a sticker on them near CPU socket to indicate what BIOS is on there - looks like it should boot with the AGESA 1.0.8.0 that wasnt released until August but If it doesn't have a flashback feature then maybe you can borrow a chip?

Ah, cheers. There's a sticker and I think that "706023 - -5-57 - MB1180 - B05 1407" suggests it has the 1407 bios (only number that ties up with their releases. That dates to 10/4/2020 but the AGESA 1.0.8.0 doesn't appear until version 2607 in 17/8/2020. Well at least that looks like it confirms it.

I've had an offer from the only friend I know with an AMD chip....but it's a 200 mile round trip. There's the AMD offer of a boot kit but according the KB article they supply an Athlon 200GE and unless I'm reading it wrong, that's not on the list of supported CPU's for this board. Am I wrong there? Anyone know if it's worth asking AMD if they do a newer boot kit? Or can OCUK flash the board and send it back? (purchased from them, naturally).

 

[Cenedd]

Thanks all, much appreciated for confirming I wasn't going nuts. @ALXAndy Were it legal and I wasn't jittering with stress from multiple sources, I'd make a day of it. Appreciate the offer though.

This board doesn't have FlashBack. You can update or even recover from bios failure using a USB stick but only when there's a supported CPU in the socket.

Spoke to OCUK and they would flash the board for me if I post it back to them. I've just found an updated boot kit offer from AMD for the 5000 series though and I'm going to try that since it doesn't require completely dismantling the build - that obviously I impatiently put together before the CPU had arrived. If it's of help to anyone, the link is here: https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/pa-105

 

[Cenedd]

Will do. So far, I've had a "New Request Received" email and a "Global Customer Care Account Created" email but they're just notifications/confirmations - nothing that asks for any details yet.

Incidentally, having had to take the cooler off and clean off the (expensive!) gunk so I could read the serial number, I discovered that there IS a serial number on the box, it's just in tiny print and underneath the OCUK stock number sticker :-/
Later we shall play the game of "Is there enough Kryonaut in the tube to do another complete CPU?"! There's been at least two so far and it wasn't the extra-large tube.

 

[Cenedd]

I did find a comment on an article from 11/1/2019 relating to this process but for the 3000-series. I can but hope that it's better this time but I have to say that it doesn't fill me with hope:

It's a terribly slow process. Called Monday, directed to webpage. 3 days later get email response to send info like lots of pics and receipt (I should have been asked for all that in the initial request). Further waiting, It's Friday, and still no response from AMD. I call every day (squeaky wheel gets the grease), but nothing still (so for me it's a week and it hasn't shipped). They claim 14 working days to send it out, and that's after a week or more to even accept the request. I have read users takings over a month for their boot kits. I think AMD is purposefully slow in order to exhaust the return window on their products.

I'm wondering if it would be quicker to ask OCUK to flash it but I'd feared (with no basis for that, just figured they'd be busy) that may take longer than waiting for AMD.

 

[Cenedd]

Nowadays you can flash bios without CPU installed

Only if your motherboard supports USB FlashBack....which is only on the ROG series of the Asus boards (and probably other manufacturers, I'm just dealing with an Asus board). You can tell those that do as they have a bios button on the I/O panel.

 

[Cenedd]

I did and they'd be willing to do so if I posted it back. I didn't ask how long that would take though and didn't overly want to dismantle to everything after I'd tamed all the cabling with colourful language and zip ties.
I think the plan now is to buy a 3900X. Use that to flash with and then build it into a system with parts for a friend as they come on offer. I'll let you guys know what I hear from AMD though.

 

[Cenedd]

Morning all. I've not heard anything from AMD yet beyond the acknowledgements of filling in the form. Thought I'd let you know that a 3900X installed in the board gives exactly the same orange LED and a sinking feeling of dread......and then springs to life after just long enough that you've started to headbutt the desk.
Bios update takes the better part of ten minutes and then follows up after a reboot with "BIOS is updating Led firmware" and resets again. I know you're going to hate me but I've been commanded to go to work so I haven't got time to test the 5900X in the board this morning but I'll get on it asap. All looks promising though!

 

[Cenedd]

Spoke too soon. Had this an hour ago from AMD. Just to give those thinking of this route an idea of response times and requirements for the next phase.

Thank you for your request to loan a boot kit from AMD.

Before approving your request, I would like to verify that you have tried to contact your motherboard manufacturer or their local authorized service provider, and they have established that your motherboard requires a BIOS update, and were not able to help you perform that update.

Please provide a summary or copy of your communication with the motherboard manufacturer to indicate why support from the Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) is not suitable.

NOTE: Some motherboards are designed to support “USB BIOS Flashback,” which allows for BIOS updates from a flash drive even if the current BIOS on the motherboard does not have the software code to boot a new processor. Such motherboards feature special hardware to enable USB BIOS Flashback, and every manufacturer has a unique procedure to execute USB BIOS Flashback. Check your motherboard’s user manual to see if USB BIOS Flashback is supported. If it Is supported, follow the steps described in the manual or support documentation to perform the BIOS update.

If the motherboard manufacturer is unable to assist, and your motherboard does not support USB BIOS flashback, AMD is in position to be able to provide a short-term loan of a Boot kit, such that you can Flash the BIOS yourself.

To qualify for this service, AMD will require a picture of your Ryzen processor that clearly shows the Model number and Serial number plus a copy of your purchase invoice.

Please Note: A picture of the retail box is not sufficient

List of qualifying parts:

Ryzen 9 5950X
Ryzen 9 5900X
Ryzen 7 5800X
Ryzen 5 5600X
Ryzen 9 3950X
Ryzen 9 3900X
Ryzen 7 3800X
Ryzen 7 3700X
Ryzen 7 2700X
Ryzen 7 2700E
Ryzen 7 2700
Ryzen 5 3600X
Ryzen 5 3600
Ryzen 5 3400G
Ryzen 5 2600X
Ryzen 5 2600E
Ryzen 5 2600
Ryzen 2500X
Ryzen 5 2400G
Ryzen 5 2400GE
Ryzen 3 3200G
Ryzen 3 2300X
Ryzen 3 2200G
Ryzen 3 2200GE

Please can you also provide a picture of your motherboard clearly displaying the make and model number.

* By submitting these details, you agree to the attached terms and conditions of AMD’s Boot Kit loan.

Once we receive this information, we will be happy to review your claim to establish legibility for a Boot Kit loan.

If you no longer require this service, no response is required.

In order to update this service request, please respond, leaving the service request reference intact.

Best regards,

Markus

AMD Global Customer Care

 

[Cenedd]

No, in the ASUS range, it's almost exclusively the ROG boards that support Bios Flashback.
When you download the bios it even gives you instructions about what to name the file for flashback but if you follow the link for how to do it, it's not on the list of boards that support it. There's also no button on the I/O panel (or on the board) for flashback.

 

[Cenedd]

Quick splash of acetone, swap of CPU, scrape the bottom of the Kryonaut barrel and......she LIVES! She's a nat's toasty at times on a 240 AIO with the speeds turned down (curve favouring peace and quiet) but I guess that's what happens when you suddenly turn all 12 cores up to over 4.5GHz. This isn't an overclock - all at stock - it's boosting to 4.5 on all cores and I've seen a couple hit 4.95. Shove a decent custom loop on there and you'd be laughing. Definite warm breeze wafting out the front from the rad though - even at mainly idle.

Firecuda 520 (512 GB) hit 5GB/s by 2.5GB/s on a 1GB test in Crystal DiskMark 7.

 

[Cenedd]

To be honest, I didn't do a lot of testing once I was happy it wasn't abnormal - as it seemed to be when in the BIOS. It was running about 33°C idle and I saw it get to 77°C reading the average die temp but I didn't do constant load tests, just installs and updates. It was fairly spiky too - not slowly ramping up to a temp but bouncing up that high when it was loaded. You'd probably need a decent constant load test to see what it settles at and whether it throttles. Unfortunately, I'm not your man there as it's boxed back up and ready for someone else to fondle now - not scalping, just wasn't built for myself.

 

[Cenedd]

There was a presentation?! Honestly, you think they'd tell the casual purchaser of computer parts that there was required attendance of a presentation to know that compatible boards and CPUs aren't actually compatible.

Other vendors may call Flashback another term but I think Asus call it Flashback and either way, it's not on that board. Once flashed, it did work perfectly so if:

• You're in the position of having easy access to another compatible CPU, you're fine
• You strike lucky and get new enough stock that the motherboard is already sporting a new enough bios to at least post, you're fine
• If you have plenty of time to wait for AMD to post you a loan CPU, you're fine
  
• If you buy both M/B and CPU together and can prearrange that OCUK will flash the board for you, great.

Otherwise, you might want to make sure you buy a motherboard that had flashback so you can avoid this if it ships with an older bios. Works great once it's done though.

 

[Cenedd]

Yes. You're assuming a fanatical fervour of "I must have this new, shiny thing no matter what its cost!” whereas it's entirely possible to simply be in the market for a CPU and discover there's a new one about to be available that's faster and a generation newer than what you were planning and it's even compatible with what you've planned already - I mean it says so in the description.
Once flashback is a standard features this will be a non-issue. Until then, much as I hate to say it, there is a positive to Intel's obcession with a new socket each time.

 

[Cenedd]

I can't say I disagree with you Kelt. On the other hand, I can't remember when I've changed CPU without also changing motherboard. I guess it depends whether you buy high-end and run it for years or buy lower-end and replace more frequently. There are merits in both, I just happen to have settled on the former. The only thing I'm suggesting as a positive is that if a new Intel CPU comes out that requires a new socket, you can at least be sure that buying the motherboard with that socket is going to work out the box. I do agree that it's convenient if you want to just upgrade the CPU only. Pros and cons both ways perhaps.

 

[Cenedd]

There didn't seem to be a lot of the very cheapest options available in stock last I checked. I didn't feel right about buying a CPU, using it and returning it. OCUK did offer to flash my board (it was purchased from them) if I posted it back to them. I don't know how busy they are though and hence how long that would take. It's another option though - and you could post them the board while waiting for the CPU.

 

[Cenedd]

The giveaway for if it has flashback is a button on the rear I/O panel. If it has that, you're good but I suspect you'd have noticed it already. I think Asus only have the feature on their ROG range.

Without that you need an older supported CPU to use while you flash it. Options are:

1. Borrow one from a friend.
2. Buy one.
3. Ask OCUK to flash the board - or other retailer if you purchased elsewhere. May take a while and I think you have to pay carriage.
4. Return the motherboard and buy one that has flashback.
5. Use AMD's "bootkit" service where they will load you a CPU. It takes a good couple of days to get a response and then you can give them evidence of the CPU (Invoice, photo of CPU serial number) and then it may take a while from there as there's probably a queue.

 

[Cenedd]

If it'll run the 3200x and update the bios but won't run the 5900x then logically you've either got a duff CPU or the bios for that board still doesn't support it. The board I was running was an Asus Tuf Gaming x570-plus and it came straight up after upgrading the bios. Actually, scratch that, it delayed long enough that I thought it still wasn't working and then came to life.
But yeah, that sucks. No pins got bent in the swapping by any chance that you straighten?

 

[Cenedd]

That's a point. It's not one of those immensely annoying dual bios things where when it fails to post it switches to the other bios....that doesn't support the CPU?