Encountered issues with CPU performance following a BIOS update.
Encountered issues with CPU performance following a BIOS update.
Hey everyone, I just finished updating my bios and the PC handled the process without any power issues or USB removal. It managed to complete the update, but after restarting, the CPU light stayed on and the system didn’t boot for more than half an hour. I’m planning to upgrade from a Ryzen 5 3600 to a Ryzen 9 5900x, but I haven’t installed the cooler yet because I still don’t have it. My motherboard is an MSI Tomahawk Max, and I did this beforehand so I can easily swap CPUs and coolers later. Since the update changed everything, I’m getting some trouble with the boot process. Any advice or suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks!
It shouldn't be this way, but it's likely the BIOS version you installed takes away support for the R5 3600. This only occurred on first and second generation Ryzen during 'one way' BIOS updates, meaning it shouldn't affect the R5 3600 specifically. Some motherboards lacked sufficient space in the BIOS to enable full Ryzen support from the first to fifth generation, so certain boards had limited updates that removed older generation compatibility—though I'm not sure this included the R5 3600. I suggest going back to the BIOS update if possible. Your motherboard should allow external flashing of the UEFI/BIOS without needing to POST beforehand, such as through MSI's M-Flash process.
Is it possible to power off your PC and access the flash drive? You mentioned using the BIOS flash port on the motherboard, which is a common method. Let me know if you need more details! Thanks for your quick response—it makes a big difference.
Try a CMOS reset and consider the new CPU. You can reuse your existing cooler.
If it runs quietly for long enough—about fifteen minutes—it's unlikely the screen will keep flashing, making removal safer. I haven't tried this yet, but external tools can flash corrupted UEFI/BIOS, though I haven't faced that issue. It might just crash on reboot, so a full power-down and dry start could help clear any power issues and see if it powers up before changing settings. PGA really worries me; I've bent pins even while being very careful.
It hinges on your familiarity with replacing AM4 CPUs. In my experience, I’d aim to limit how often you swap the CPU because pin removal is straightforward. I suggest bringing the PC back to a solid condition before introducing another change, as the motherboard likely won’t support an R5 3600 in the same way it does an R5 1600—manually reverting the UEFI to its earlier version would be necessary. There’s no update in any UEFI release for the B450 tomhawk max that removes CPU support, so it’s probably not a hardware issue. It could just be a faulty UEFI flash.
I attempted to install older BIOS versions on my system, but it didn’t work. I’m looking for a recommendation on which version to save to. I purchased the motherboard between 2019 and 2020, and I remember the PC started up but couldn’t boot past the CPU again.
I tried the bios flash, then let it run and finish, but it’s not booting up at all.