New installation occasionally uses SSD only
New installation occasionally uses SSD only
Hi everyone, ... I just assembled a mid-range gaming PC for my grandson. The initial three boot-ups into Windows 10 went perfectly. On the fourth start, it immediately entered the BIOS, which I thought might be a coincidence. After rebooting, it returned to the BIOS about two hours later. Around 95% of the time it successfully recognizes the SSD and boots, while the remaining 5% fails to see the drive and instead goes to BIOS (which only shows up when it does boot). This has been quite frustrating for troubleshooting. It seems to fail more often on a cold system, which makes me think about soldering. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
What I have tried so far:
- Installed Windows 10 on two SSDs and one HDD
- Used various SATA cables and ports
- Tested multiple SATA power connectors
- Disabled TPM in BIOS (uncertain reason, but I’m desperate)
- Downloaded and installed a new MSI BIOS, version E7B86AMS.P60
- It includes the standard Windows SATA driver (some issues with AMD drivers reported)
- The rig is brand new
- Motherboard: MSI B550 Gaming GEN3
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600G
- Power Supply: Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
- SSD: KingSpec 1TB SATA III
- GPU not installed yet
- 16 GB RAM
I really don’t want to replace the new motherboard... HELP!!
It might be a weak or unstable connection. People usually avoid forcing anything on a fresh build, so what seems secure might not actually be. Turn off the system, unplug it, and open the case. Inspect everything—connectors, cards, jumpers, RAM, and case links—to ensure they’re all firmly seated. Gently disconnect and reconnect several times (except the CPU), watching for a smoother fit. A bright light can help spot any damage or obstructions like debris or cracks.
This motherboard?
https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe...NGGEN3.pdf
Make sure you’ve found the correct User Guide.
How was your RAM installed? Pay attention to the instructions on page 26, which states the first memory module must go into DIMMA2. That matters a lot.
In short, there’s nothing wrong with reviewing the guide again to confirm all connections and settings are correct. I’m sure the issue is just an oversight or a small mistake.
That's one of the reasons I've experimented with various sata/power cables, hoping it was the cable or connection.
I even used a molex to sata splitter into another port on the modular power supply just in case the power supply behaves unpredictably.
And yes, that's the MB.
Yes, I installed two RAM sticks in slots 2 and 4.
The case stayed open, which is fine.
It seems once it warms up it runs quite reliably, but when it's cold it's much more likely to fail to boot, leading me to think about hardware issues rather than just drivers or bios.
I've built all my Windows boxes since I had to abandon my Amiga years ago, and this is the first time I really suspect a faulty MB.
🙁
Thanks!!!
Warm >> expansion >> tighter link.
Reading back:
"Approximately 95% of the time it identifies the SSD and starts up, the remaining 5% fails to detect the SSD and proceeds to BIOS."
Based on your actions thus far, the issue seems likely tied to the motherboard.
To confirm, you can try replacing another functional PSU.
When fast boot is active, check whether disabling it improves performance.
It seems MSI has removed it or placed it very discreetly in the click bios 5. It doesn't appear to be available anymore...