It isn't starting to the operating system, yet it enters the BIOS menu.
It isn't starting to the operating system, yet it enters the BIOS menu.
In short, I purchased a Ryzen 5 3600x to go with an ASUS B450 Prime Gaming. It functioned properly for a while until I encountered a BSOD and couldn't boot again, though the BIOS remained accessible. I assumed the problem was with my Windows setup, so I made a USB installation media to reinstall it, but the drive also wouldn't start. When I moved the SSD to another laptop, it worked fine. I suspected a motherboard issue since the new one booted normally. I then bought an MSI B450 Tomahawk Max, but the same issue persists—boots to SSD briefly, then restarts. It won't boot from a USB either. Is this related to my CPU? It looks brand new with straight pins. Could the power supply be the culprit? Have others experienced similar problems?
I’d start by reshaping the drive and attempt a clean installation. It seems the current setup might have a corrupted driver. Did you just create a recovery USB?
I completed the recovery USB but it still won't start. Now I'm experiencing a BSOD during the installation USB!
Yes, it wasn't resolving with the factory settings either. I attempted to reset the CMOS and tested each RAM stick individually, but nothing changed. It seems the issue might be with the motherboard itself. The same problem appeared on two brand new systems, and neither RAM worked. The error message shows something like "IRL_DRIVER_NOT_EQUAL," which is confusing.
Very improbable, the CPU is more likely to be the issue. Replacing it would also make sense.
I checked for "NO" outcomes while testing the memory. One stick in slot A1. Start it up. Post windows or not? Another stick, identical to the first, placed separately in A1, does it post windows? Or should I run memtest86 on each stick? The CPU might be faulty, but I'm focusing on the memory first. Clearly the CPU has a load (single core) in BIOS, so it should be working unless the LED stays off and the processor self-test passed. I agree with @Xiee and @TheGlenlivet. Test the memory properly.