Assist in reviving an A320M PRO-VD/S motherboard
Assist in reviving an A320M PRO-VD/S motherboard
Hi all! I'm facing some challenges with my motherboard and feel stuck on what to do next. I was planning a PC build for my girlfriend this Christmas, which led me to purchase a pre-assembled unit second-hand from someone who refurbishes PCs. My goal was to upgrade to a Ryzen platform from my FX-8350, but the seller suggested fitting a Ryzen 3 1300X into an A320M PRO-VD/S board. Because it was quite affordable, I went ahead and bought it, hoping the overall components would suffice.
After a few days of testing, the system ran smoothly without any problems. I replaced my graphics card and power supply with those from my previous setup, keeping my SSD with the Windows partition installed. When I tried to boot, I received an error stating it couldn't find a boot drive. Later, I discovered that my SSD might have failed during the swap.
I decided to reset the BIOS settings to their default configuration. However, after doing so, the computer wouldn’t start. It became clear that a BIOS update was necessary for the motherboard to recognize the new hardware. The main concern is whether the board itself is faulty or if I made a mistake during the swap.
I’ve been searching online for solutions but feel like I’m hitting a dead end. Right now, the fans are running but there’s no boot. The CPU indicator on EZ-Diag is blinking, though the manual suggests this means an issue with the CPU or recognition problems. I attempted to restore the BIOS, but the machine still wouldn’t power on.
I tried removing the CMOS battery overnight and retrying both CPUs, but nothing changed. I also jumped the JBAT_1 pins, which supposedly reset it, but the indicator stayed blinking—unlike with the 1300X, which would blink. I checked the manufacturer’s site for compatibility, noting that the Athlon X4 970 supports earlier motherboard versions, but the latest version listed on their site is 7A36v20. This made me wonder if I needed a different CPU to work with default settings.
Despite trying various fixes—swapping parts, updating BIOS, and checking compatibility—I’m still stuck. The build’s specs are clear, but I can’t pinpoint the exact issue. I’m hoping for guidance or confirmation that this setup is fundamentally broken.
It's not a BIOS compatibility problem since it wouldn't have booted otherwise. Go ahead with just one stick of RAM as recommended. It might be rejecting the configuration due to default settings, leading to errors even with different memory options. Storage issues could also be similar.
I believe the bios chip should be reprogrammed from outside. Also, I’m unsure about the board’s age. I owned two MSI models—Z77 and Z170—for three years, but they all stopped working after a day once their warranties expired. The best part was I never replaced my CPU. In the days before failure, settings would randomly reset with no explanation—just a warning on a cold start. By the way, for a first-generation AMD system, have you considered using more JEDEC standards? For example, memory speeds like 2.133 GT/s instead of XMP profiles?
I attempted to replace one stick, inserting it into various slots and testing different HDD/SSDs with both the Athlon and the 1300X, but nothing changed. The EZ-Diag still displays a blinking CPU indicator for the 1300X, and the light turns on when I switch to the Athlon as before. No signs of activity have appeared.
I found a similar suggestion on another forum, though I can’t recall the exact details. I’m considering giving it a shot despite the risks, as the seller didn’t mention the board’s age. It seems the issue might have arisen after adjusting the BIOS settings. I’m open to trying different RAM sticks but don’t want to waste more money on repairs or new parts. If anyone knows of another unit, I’d be happy to test it.
You have another DDR4 system. Take a stick from there and attempt to remove the CMOS battery each time you switch slots after waiting a minute or so. This might help it try again. You might also want to test a different GPU just to confirm if the issue isn't related to a PCIE error, which can cause the CPU light to activate.
It seems like external flashing involves connecting another machine to your board. The main challenges I've faced are: the EEPROM voltage coming from the BIOS chip, which makes me think a different A520 might be better; PCIE errors can cause the GPU to activate but not the CPU unless you're using a newer or unsupported chip.
Chose to give it a try without altering anything. Replaced RAM modules with Patriot Signature Premium 2666MhZ instead of Viper Elites, same CPUs remained unchanged. Tested both my R9 270x and GTX 1060 6GB configurations but still couldn’t improve performance. Removing the CMOS didn’t help either.
You're still figuring out how to flash the board. It might come up later if you decide to adjust it more. The blinking CPU light is unusual—like it's reacting to a BIOS reset, but it keeps lighting up even after updating the BIOS settings. The Athlon model seems problematic because it's not showing up in compatible motherboard versions. I'm not sure what CPU would work best for your setup, but you might want to check older models or consult a compatible list.