The motherboard doesn't support other GPUs and there are problems with the RAM.
The motherboard doesn't support other GPUs and there are problems with the RAM.
I bought an MSI P67A-C45 board for a low-cost gaming setup, everything worked during assembly but the PC wouldn't start properly. I replaced the GPU with an outdated NVIDIA chip from a 2002 desktop and it functioned. After installing drivers, I tried another GPU but still faced boot issues. When I shut down and switched to a different GPU, nothing appeared on screen. I tested various specs: AMD R9 285X worked, HD 5550 lit up with a blinking line, NVIDIA GPU booted fine, RAM reported 50,000MHz in Task Manager despite being DDR3, and the I5 3470 kept spinning but looping. I can't get the RAM to recognize properly either. Everything seems to be fine until it fails, which is frustrating since I invested a lot. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I believe starting with a bios update would be the best approach. Older boards usually need this to work with 3rd generation CPUs, and a newer bios might also resolve some persistent issues.
I've already refreshed the bios to the newest release, but the third-gen processor still causes problems. It's really confusing with this motherboard!
OP didn't reference a BIOS upgrade. P67 requires one to enable Ivy Bridge, as this board only comes with Sandy Bridge features. That accounts for the issue with his other chipset. BIOS update for Ivy Bridge: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/P67AC45_B3/support
I couldn't locate the CMS setting anywhere. Even after updating all drivers and BIOS, the issue persists.
Verify your board revision carefully. The BIOS update referenced is for version B3... In the documentation, it mentions Ivy Bridge compatibility with this update. Earlier revisions may lack that support. Regarding CSM, it seems you're in good shape overall. All other aspects look solid.
I fixed it! The bios I had installed were incorrect or flashed improperly, which caused those strange problems. I re-flashed the bios and everything is now working properly. The RAM still shows an odd clock speed in Task Manager, but elsewhere it’s consistently 1600MHz.