Problems with Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI B450 Tomahawk setup
Problems with Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI B450 Tomahawk setup
Hey everyone. I'm facing a tricky situation. I swapped my Deepcool tower cooler for an EVGA CLC 280 AIO, but after the change I encountered some problems. On first start-up, the CPU error LED lit up, video didn't boot, and I couldn't access BIOS. After a few reboots it worked fine. Recently I installed Windows updates and rebooted again—still no success. Now I can't even get back into Windows.
On my motherboard I see a red LED on the CPU and no video output. I checked my RAM, trying different sticks in various positions, but nothing changed. I'm confused about what might have caused this after the cooler replacement. I know my thermal paste improved afterward, so it probably wasn't overheating. The board is an MSI B450 Tomahawk non-Max, and I updated the BIOS before upgrading from the 2600 to this CPU.
I'm in a remote area with limited access to used parts, so I'm thinking about testing a used 1st or 2nd gen CPU instead. If I remove the battery or reset the CMOS, will that clear the BIOS update I installed? I haven't tried it yet but was wondering. My sister's system is only a few hours away, and I don't want to risk losing the new board by trying to test it.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Resetting CMOS or removing the battery won’t change the BIOS version. Once a BIOS is updated, it stays that way. Clearing CMOS helps remove any extra data that might be causing issues. If only the cooler was changed, the problem likely lies elsewhere. Give a thorough reset by clearing CMOS and ensuring your power cables are properly connected. Verify the pump fan is set to the correct header before trying again. You can’t effectively stop the CPU without shutting it down or running it while powered on unless you damaged the cooler beyond repair.
I don't think that's correct. I verified the mounting and didn't over-tighten anything during installation.
You might try removing the cooler to check for posting, or you could always reinsert the CPU. You mentioned the issue was with the CPU.
You're confused about your setup. It seems to work without the CPU block, but it boots normally the first time and then fails after a restart. This might mean your AIO isn't meeting the required specifications. The lack of resistance during installation could also indicate an issue.