Error in L2 cache for i5 8600K with MSI Z370 SLI plus
Error in L2 cache for i5 8600K with MSI Z370 SLI plus
In my media PC (emulation and light pc gaming) I am Running a z370 SLI plus. motherboard. and a i5 8600k. For about a week I have been getting an error code with 11 beeps when booting up from off or back from sleep, per MSI its a L2 cache error. likely CPU possible motherboard. Bought a used CPU to upgrade, supposedly tested and working, a i7 8700k. seems to run faster now, but I still get an L2 cache error of 11 beeps on startup/wake. I guess its possible to have the same error on a new to me used CPU but seems unlikely Everything runs fine. gaming is slightly better with the new CPU. So the question is... is maybe the motherboard reading the L2 cache wrong, or could the motherboard be the issue? Just debating is a new z370 motherboard is worth grabbing here. I have 3 kids and a wife so passing down the motherboard and PC is certainly going to happen. I am leaning towards unplugging the speaker but don't want to damage my new CPU if the old one is still good. What say you internet, new motherboard (probably leaning here, likely an ASUS z370-H gaming). get another CPU, or unplug the speaker and pretend everything is fine. until it dies. link to mobo in case anybody has better suggestions. sketchy that is out of hong kong and a retailer with a lot of products but only 2 ratings so maybe something else. https://www.newegg.com/asus-rog-strix-z3...ce-options
Good decision regarding the error lights. Checked the manual and found none present—all four RAM slots display white, the X16 GPU red light is active, and no debug indicators are lit for bent pins. I didn’t notice any when I removed the CPU, though it’s been installed in the same location since 2017. I haven’t taken it down for cleaning in about a year. My main worry is something serious could be affecting it, possibly damaging connected drives or other components. Even though the system is powerful enough to handle another Windows 10 release for a few more years, I’m hoping it can run smoothly until Windows 11 support ends. Also, one of my kids likes gaming with controllers, so keeping it running without major issues is important. Good call—just tried it. Still hearing the 11 beeps, but I’ve updated to the latest stable BIOS. There’s a beta release from 2021, but I usually avoid beta drivers, even if they’re old. According to the support page, XMP isn’t working and has been turned off by default, which might have happened after a reboot. It seems like the memory issue could be related to aged traces or damaged RAM connecting to the CPU. Likely, a replacement motherboard would be better.
Or perhaps the issue started from the beginning. Did you set slots 2 and 4 for dual channel? Have you attempted posting at stock settings (2133MT/s) to verify those 11 beeps? You might test your memory using Memtest86. Consider swapping slots to 1 and 3 just to eliminate an electrical contact issue. What are you referring to? Simply purchase a controller (PS4 DualShock or similar) and connect it.
I filled all four channels and could test two sticks from one set and then 2 and 4. I didn’t run a memtest because it flagged L2 cache, but I’ll try that next. I also have a bonus USB 3 card in a PCI slot, but I’m going to take it out now since it’s not being used right now and to clear another item from the list. Regarding the controller, my youngest prefers using the controller over the mouse and keyboard on the TV versus a desk setup. That’s why I’m keeping the PC running instead of letting it shut down or replacing it—this isn’t a problem at all, just how I want to use it. I was just noting that might be why I didn’t get a notification when the motherboard was restored to defaults during boot.