Question Weird M.2 no POST problem.
Question Weird M.2 no POST problem.
Hello, I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful day.
In brief, my computer functioned properly for nearly six months.
I installed an NVMe SSD into slot 2 of my motherboard, and later added another with greater capacity to slot 1 as the primary drive.
BIOS recognized the new device, transferred data from the previous one, and the system started working again—until errors began appearing.
“Your device encountered an issue,” it reported at 0%, followed by a restart without any minidump files.
I examined the Event Viewer, which displayed a driver error on Device RAID port 1.
I verified the BIOS settings to confirm whether the drive was operating in RAID mode instead of AHCI, but it wasn’t.
I suspected a cloning problem or possible data corruption during transfer.
To resolve this, I reinstalled Windows using a USB drive.
After several failed attempts with Windows 11 Installation messages, I managed to reinstall on the original drive via the same USB, and everything installed correctly.
I concluded that the issue likely stemmed from the drive itself being defective at the factory or due to driver problems.
I performed numerous tests—on both my PC and another system—installing WD Dashboard, updating drivers, running SMART checks, and using h2testw. All tests passed without issues.
I then considered whether the motherboard slot might be causing incompatibility.
In a somewhat reckless decision, I connected the old drive to slot 1 and observed failure.
BIOS confirmed the drive was detected, but the system failed to boot or display any output.
“That’s the slot,” I thought, “it must be faulty.”
I tried connecting it again to slot 2, but still no POST.
Then I connected the new drive to slot 2—still no response.
After clearing the BIOS settings, it booted successfully!
But when I reinserted the drives and attempted a reset, the system remained unresponsive.
I repeated the process multiple times, swapping components like GPU, PSU, RAM, CMOS battery, and even testing with a different SSD.
Still, after a successful boot following a CMOS reset, no POST occurred.
I considered sending the motherboard to a repair shop, but first wanted advice from experienced users on Tom’s Hardware forums.
Here are my details:
- Motherboard: ASUS Prime B650M A-II (7 months)
- BIOS Version: 3263 or 3278 (likely)
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X (7 months)
- CPU Cooler: CM Hyper 212 EVO (7 months)
- GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4070 OC (4 months)
- Test GPU: AMD RX 580 (2 years)
- RAM: 2x16GB - 32GB Viper DDR5 6000 MT/s (7 months)
- Test RAM: 1x8 GB Crucial DDR5 4800 MT/s (new, 1 month)
- Old SSD: WD Green SN350 - 1 TB (2 years)
- New SSD: WD Blue SN5000 - 2 TB (new)
- OS: Windows 11 Pro 24H2
- Monitor: Dahua 22' FHD VA
- Case: Cougar MX110
- PSU: ASUS Prime 750w (7 months)
- Test PSU: Corsair RM650 2019 650W
I truly value the support from anyone who helped through this process.
Please note I added missing specifications and updated component ages.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
Motherboard: ASUS Prime B650M A-II
If I were you, I’d consider upgrading to a more robust motherboard with a stronger VRM setup. Right now, your board lacks that feature, and Asus hasn’t included this detail in their product descriptions or images. I’d recommend pairing it with a B650/B850 chipsetted Mortar/Tomahawk board from MSI instead.
BIOS Version: 3263 (likely) or 3278.
Open BIOS and verify the current BIOS version for us. The most recent one is available at:
https://www.asus.com/motherboards-c...-i...B650M-A-II
version 3283, as of now. If...
Welcome to the forums, new member!
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
Motherboard: ASUS Prime B650M A-II
If I were you, I’d consider upgrading to a better motherboard with a stronger VRM setup. Right now, your board lacks that feature, and Asus hasn’t included this detail in their product descriptions or images. I’d recommend pairing it with a B650/B850 chipset board from MSI instead.
BIOS Version: 3263 (likely) or 3278.
Open BIOS and verify the version for us. The current one is:
https://www.asus.com/motherboards-c...-i...B650M-A-II
version 3283, as of now. If you can’t access BIOS, there’s a BIOS FlashBack button on the back—follow this tutorial:
https://youtu.be/frQApIktgyM
to update it to the latest. Even though the boards differ, the process stays similar.
Thank you for your response. After updating the BIOS to the newest release and avoiding the M.2_1 port, the issue was resolved. I plan to heed your guidance and purchase a new motherboard. This system wasn't built by me and is quite disorganized.
The first reply was labeled as Solution.
I should caution users with budget ASUS boards to update their BIOS. A small compatibility problem led to voltage problems not only in the M.2 slot but also in the PCIEx16_1 slot, potentially harming or permanently damaging my GPU (fortunately it didn't).
Nevertheless, my GPU experienced several voltage irregularities, and the VRM protection activated promptly.
Updating your BIOS is recommended, or consider spending a bit more on a better motherboard if you intend to use top-tier components.