Odd system behaviour
Odd system behaviour
I finished assembling my PC a couple of years back, and it has faced several issues over time in various forms. Excuse the lengthy explanation, it's hard to sum up clearly.
In the first case: VGA illumination during boot and lack of display afterward
The initial boot was smooth, and I could enter BIOS to install Windows. But soon after, problems emerged. When trying to access the installation media via USB, the PC failed to show any screen. The white VGA indicator stayed lit even with the same boot code as before. A forced shutdown by pressing the power button was necessary to proceed. After a reboot, I could enter the first Windows installer without issues and installed it on my SSD. However, during the restart phase, the same issue reappeared—VGA light on, no display. This time, I refrained from shutting it down completely because it was still in the middle of installation, so I let it continue. The PC restarted several times as expected. After more than an hour, I decided to power it off forcefully since there seemed no escape. Once restarted, everything functioned properly; I accessed the OOBE setup and everything worked correctly.
Later, while installing Windows, I noticed the VGA light would turn off every time I restarted, regardless of the boot code (still A0). Despite attempts to troubleshoot—restarting in advanced settings, checking cables, testing different ports, even using another monitor—I still encountered the same problem. After five minutes of testing all possible fixes, I tried pressing keyboard keys to see if it would wake up. At that point, the PC briefly came back to life but not as intended. It then restarted normally, going through all boot indicators except VGA. After waiting about 30 seconds at A0, it suddenly booted into Windows. This unusual behavior is still puzzling, and I’m considering borrowing a different screen to see if it resolves the issue. Still, it seems unlikely.
For the second issue: Random GPU PCIe light flashes
This problem has appeared sporadically, usually after a few months. The timing remains consistent. Once the PC was powered off, the GPU PCIe lights would flash red, causing a noticeable delay in startup—about an extra minute. Booting into Windows remained unaffected, and the motherboard displayed no VGA lights. After power cycling, the PCIe indicators stayed red, requiring manual power management to stop it. This occurred consistently during boot.
The third concern: Inaccessible boot device BSOD
During a night of inactivity, the PC booted normally through all indicators, but the boot code changed from the usual A0 to 20. The screen displayed the Windows logo without any error message. However, the system crashed with an error stating “Your device ran into an issue and needs to restart. It will restart for you.” This error had no QR code or progress bar, just a generic message. After restarting, the VGA lights reactivated, and the PC booted again using the A0 code, returning to normal operation. This repeated BSOD strongly suggests driver-related complications, possibly linked to the first issue.
I’ve verified all components are properly seated, the GPU is securely connected, and cables are fully connected. I’ve reset the CMOS multiple times. Despite these efforts, pinpointing the exact cause remains challenging. I’m certain a BIOS update will help, but without a working USB, it’s unlikely to resolve this.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer! The optimal RAM speed for that platform is DDR5-6000MHz or a bit faster. Regarding your BIOS, update it to the latest version and then reset the CMOS. To clear the CMOS, disconnect from the power source and display, remove the CMOS battery, press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to discharge any remaining power, then replace the battery after 30 minutes. How are you managing the CPU cooling? You might consider easing some pressure on the CPU socket until it sits securely in the IHS. Try placing the case on its side during this process and observe if it improves performance, especially if the BIOS update doesn't resolve the issue.
I'll ensure the CMOS is reset once the bios update is complete.
Regarding cooling, the entire system uses custom water cooling, making it difficult to diagnose issues at a hardware level. I can't easily remove the CPU blocks retention bracket without risking damage because it's made of hard tubing. However, I'm certain the CPU block is secured with 0.6Nm torque, as confirmed by the screwdriver EKWB provided for installation.
Hey there,
To reset the CMOS on an Asus motherboard, you must connect two specific pins labeled CLRTC at the edge of your card. Removing just the battery won’t work.
It might be a faulty power supply unit. Is it outdated or in good condition?
Purchased the PSU in early 2022. Thought it might be the issue, but I believe it's not the most probable cause. There are numerous SATA connections thanks to the RGB cables, which could be related.
Bottom, using the upward method is the optimal approach for this issue.
I would remove the power source, release the caps by holding the power buttons, open the case and check each cable to make sure it’s firmly attached. Once done, plug it back in one at a time. Confirm every part is well secured; remove and reattach each one. Examine the connectors and wires, making sure they’re intact. After that, you’ll realize hardware connections aren’t the problem.
Next, concentrate on testing the components individually, confirming each works correctly and meets expected settings.
Afterward, proceed with the UEFI upgrade. Check the firmware level when the system restarts.
Test the operating system and drivers, and search for apps that might run background programs and disrupt your setup.
Good luck!
With a DVM or a multi-meter, and leads available, you can assess whether the outputs from the power supply are delivering the intended power accurately. To ensure the quality of the cables, examine the outputs at the power supply; then, if the cables are not permanently connected (such as at the power supply distribution bus interface) at that point, install them and test the ends. This process should clarify any concerns you might have about the power supply.
Update on what's happening. I've started to install the bios update, thing is problem number 1 is messing with this highly. Thanks to how asus updates their bios, it restarts a ton.... and you know what that means. In short, every other reboot wasn't getting displayed and has a white VGA light. I'm pretty sure the process is complete?? But I really wouldn't be able to tell you. The pc did restart multiple times and has now stopped for quite a while with both the VGA light and the GREEN boot light active (at the same time). The boot code for this restart was initally D6 (no graphics card detected) after about a minute it changed into boot code A2, which if you understand correctly means no boot device connected/detected. Does this mean that it's gone to the american mega trends boot screen and just cant display it cuz of the VGA? I sure as hell do not want to interupt it since, I'd prefer to have a working motherboard
. At this point I really dont know how to procced, any sugestions? I've read that a wide screen monitor messed someone up a similar way to me, and since I myself got a 1440p monitor maybe have the same problem? Anyone got suggestions on what to do in this situation?
I tried resetting by disconnecting the display port from the graphics card and using HDMI on the motherboard for built-in graphics. At least it worked—boot code changed to 64, but the screen still didn’t appear. The white and green LEDs remained lit simultaneously.
Edit: It seems I might have missed the full update, as the VGA light stayed on. I’m guessing the motherboard completed the update but couldn’t show anything. Since the VGA indicator was active, I suspect it gave up on displaying for this particular boot even after changing the input. I’ll let it run a bit longer to confirm if the BIOS update finished properly. At this point, the only option is to power it down and restart. I plan to turn it off, wait, then turn it back on with built-in graphics, as the main issue appears to be GPU detection. I’ll keep updating as I go.
Edit 2: The restart resolved everything. The problem was identified. It wasn’t the BIOS version for the motherboard. In fact, the GPU BIOS was the culprit. I purchased the GPU from a Swedish store in November 2021 during a microchip shortage. Getting it was a lucky break, given the limited stock. On August 11, 2021, ASUS released a new GPU BIOS with the note “Update: Compatibility for Monitor Display Port.” That was likely the last update I could have relied on. I’m unsure if this will fix the other two issues I faced, probably not. I’ve verified the BIOS version on my card, and my assumption checks out. Overall, it was an extremely unfortunate situation.