Error 4d detected on the motherboard during a new build – system restarts three times before booting.
Error 4d detected on the motherboard during a new build – system restarts three times before booting.
PC Specifications
Motherboard: Gigabyte x870E Xtreme Ai Top
CPU: AMD 9800X3D
CPU Cooler: ASUS ROG RYUYJIN III 360 ARGB Extreme
RAM: 2x48GB G.Skill Ripjaws M5 RGB
Power Supply: MSI Meg AI1600T
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 4TB M.2 2280
GPU: ASUS RTX 5090 Rogue Astral OC
Fans: 7x MSI MPG EZ120 argb fans
Case: MSI Meg Maestro 700L PZ
Monitor: LG 39GS95QE via DP2.1 cable
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
The issue I encountered, initially suspecting a display port cable, has since been eliminated. After rebooting, the system displays a motherboard error code ‘4d’ accompanied by a black screen and freezing state. It remains unresponsive until manually powered off and restarted. Upon turning it back on, the PC progresses through multiple boot sequences before finally launching. The error codes persist even after several attempts to resolve them.
During a third power cycle, the machine experiences roughly two minutes of random error messages before the monitor powers up and the system boots successfully. Once operational, everything functions normally—CPU stress tests in Cinebench, GPU performance on 3D Mark, and MemTest86 completed without errors. Gameplay has been stable, with frame rates between 200–240 FPS on COD BO6 under demanding settings, and a GPU clock reaching up to 2925 MHz with memory at 14000 MHz. No overclocking was applied, though BIOS XMP was enabled without resolving the problem.
I have attempted various fixes: changing monitors, using HDMI instead of DP, swapping cables, updating BIOS, clearing CMOS multiple times, and even testing with different power cycles. Despite these efforts, the system continues to stall on ‘4d’ during initial boot and requires several cycles to enter the OS.
My concerns are: is there a defect on the motherboard? Are there any workarounds I should try? Have others faced similar problems? I submitted a support ticket to Gigabyte with all details, but no response has been received in about a week. I have a few more weeks before the return window closes. Any guidance would be invaluable!
Given the high cost of this PC, these are merely suggestions that have proven effective for me and could apply to you as well. Consider re-setting and reapplying the CPU, then re-installing the RAM and GPU. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, the motherboard might be defective. It’s regrettable but does occur. From my past PC building projects, I’ve encountered a few new motherboards failing right out of the box. You might also try booting with BIOS set to default to check for errors.
If the problem persists or you encounter difficulties, let me know. If you decide to replace the motherboard, please share your experience—whether it helped or not—and if you have time in the future. There are skilled professionals here who understand current technology and can assist you.
All the Best And Wishing You Success.
I plan to give this a try, likely tonight. A forum user recommended possibly reseating the CPU as well and seems quite sure about it. I’ll also attempt to reseat the others while I’m there. I’ll let you know the outcome soon. Hope it works. Clearly, swapping the motherboard isn’t my first choice, but if necessary, it has to be done.
I tried almost everything, but eventually I had to replace the motherboard entirely.
The new one is working perfectly, so I assumed the original one was defective.
I’ll avoid buying Gigabyte products going forward!
Hi, I've installed and maintained numerous high-performance PCs and business servers for over 25 years. I've faced some defective motherboards right away and had to return them. It's regrettable but does occur. In your situation, it seems like a faulty motherboard was the issue. Wishing you success with this project. Cheers.