The MSI B350 Tomahawk BIOS was corrupted. The cause isn’t clear yet.
The MSI B350 Tomahawk BIOS was corrupted. The cause isn’t clear yet.
Today my AM4 PC was acting up, and I received a new M.2 stick from AliExpress during Black Friday. After installing it on my Tomahawk MB, Windows recognized the device but I couldn’t install it because strange errors appeared. I searched YouTube and found a video explaining the issue. The solution involved switching UEFI+LEGACY mode to just UEFI, which allowed Windows to install properly. Once that was done, the installation proceeded normally. After finishing, I tried installing various drivers—CPU, GPU, RAM, etc.—but nothing worked. I changed RAM, swapped a few GPUs, removed all cables except for the motherboard connections (USB, audio, HDMI, SATA, NVMe), and even then it stayed on VGA mode, indicating a GPU problem. I tried replacing the motherboard module and other components, but nothing resolved it. Eventually, a repairman visited me and confirmed the issue was with the BIOS. He mentioned something went wrong during the BIOS update about 20 days ago, and everything worked fine until then. Now I’m wondering if this small change damaged the motherboard. Anyone know what might have caused this? Is it a BIOS problem or something else?
It's a complex situation with many factors at play. The M.2 drive in question has received high ratings, but issues can still arise. Some users report problems where the drive struggles to handle large amounts of memory, possibly due to BIOS compatibility or hardware limitations. It seems there might be a mismatch between the installed BIOS and the actual hardware. If the damage is related to the M.2 slot itself, it could indicate a manufacturing defect or improper installation. Regarding protection, modern drives often have some safeguards, but they aren't foolproof. Always ensure proper handling and consider using quality accessories to minimize risks.
I’m not confident about being truthful. The PCI data lanes appear directly connected to the CPU. A BIOS failure wouldn’t prevent the system from recognizing your graphics card.
They didn't notice the installation of a fresh CPU ROM as an ASAP update.
The only way to damage the BIOS I’m aware of was through a power cut during installation or when using faulty BIOS. I attempted to power on the PC while the GPU was removed to observe the outcome. It works with VGA, but it also behaves like a beep; once the GPU is inserted, it remains stuck at VGA. Tested GPUs such as RX 580, RX 550, GTX 750ti and older models. When switching to UEFI only, it started functioning after installing Windows on NVMe. If the issue persists with UEFI, it might trigger upon restarting after changing settings. Perhaps this BIOS version has instability in UEFI mode but shouldn’t completely brick the system. I also tried a CMOS reset by shorting two pins or removing the battery, but no improvement was seen. Now I’ve given up and ordered a B450 with a BIOS flashback, hoping it’s just a minor issue. I still hope it’s not a hardware problem from the technician who checks my PC—CPU is fine, GPU works, RAM is okay... Maybe it’s just a small bug. Moving from B350 to B450.