Tried to build a PC after 15 years and I am having a nightmare! Motherboard wont post :(

Psilonaught · 15 Dec 2023 at 16:57

I haven't posted here in a very very long time!

I decided it would be fun to build a gaming PC for my 11 year old daughter, and I am struggling to get the motherboard to post. I don't know whether it is the CPU or MB that is at fault or if it a bios issue.

Motherboard : asus prime a320m-k (used from ebay)
CPU : AMD Ryzen 3 3100 3.6 (used from ebay)
PSU : CiT ATV Pro 500W 80 PLUS Bronze
RAM : Corsair VENGEANCE LPX DDR4 RAM 16GB (2x8GB) 3600MHz (used from ebay)
GPU : SAPPHIRE Nitro + Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5 (used from ebay)
Storage : M.2 1Tb

I hope I have ordered components that are compatible with each other?

With the MB on the bench, with just the CPU/Fan fitted (no ram), and the bios speaker installed, the board powers up on, and the fan spins, but I don't get a beep of any kind. I don't have the GPU yet (in the post) so I can't see if it will load the bios, but I am assuming if I am not hearing a beep then it isn't posting?

I've checked the manual and I have both the 4-pin ATX and longer MB power plugs fitted.

I tried taking out the bios battery for 5 min to reset the bios but that didn't help. Is the CPU dead?

random_matt · 15 Dec 2023 at 17:16

I swear you need at least on stick of ram installed to post.

Quartz · 15 Dec 2023 at 17:20

Psilonaught said:
I've checked the manual and I have both the 4-pin ATX and longer MB power plugs fitted.

You want a 4 pin EPS plug, not ATX.

Psilonaught said:
PSU : CiT ATV Pro 500W 80 PLUS Bronze

That's probably a dreadful PSU.

Psilonaught said:
Motherboard : asus prime a320m-k

The motherboard may require its BIOS updating: according to the CPU support list you need version 5007. You should also check the CMOS battery.

Psilonaught said:
With the MB on the bench, with just the CPU/Fan fitted (no ram),

Try with one stick of RAM installed. I think it should beep if you have no RAM but maybe you have the beeper the wrong way around?

Tetras · 15 Dec 2023 at 21:20

Psilonaught said:
With the MB on the bench, with just the CPU/Fan fitted (no ram), and the bios speaker installed, the board powers up on, and the fan spins, but I don't get a beep of any kind. I don't have the GPU yet (in the post) so I can't see if it will load the bios, but I am assuming if I am not hearing a beep then it isn't posting?

Since there are no integrated graphics it might not initialise without it, so I'd wait until you have one.

Psilonaught said:
I hope I have ordered components that are compatible with each other?

As Quartz mentioned above, the shipping BIOS may not be compatible, since you have a 1st gen motherboard with a Zen 2 CPU.

Semple · 15 Dec 2023 at 21:24

Tetras said:
Since there are no integrated graphics it might not initialise without it, so I'd wait until you have one.

I feel like I've encountered this before.

Psilonaught · 16 Dec 2023 at 17:48

thanks for the responses, I've replaced the motherboard a new version of the same, with the 6xxx bios and it posted first time. Newbie mistake!