This model's BIOS is incorrect.
This model's BIOS is incorrect.
I bought a used MSI Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard from an eBay seller who offers many working used boards. When I got it, I couldn’t test it immediately because I struggled with the 9900K chipset. It wasn’t until a few months later that I managed to get the CPU. After assembling the PC, I was surprised to find the BIOS on the board matched an Intel Z390 Gaming Edge AC model instead of my intended Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon. What’s even more puzzling is that the system ran perfectly with the incorrect BIOS. When playing GTAV online, I would randomly crash to the desktop every time. Sometimes it took a long time, but it happened consistently. After trying numerous solutions and checking compatibility, I realized the issue was the wrong BIOS being installed. I attempted to install the correct BIOS for the Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon, but the update process failed because the system couldn’t recognize the board as compatible. The BIOS seems to identify it as an Edge board and blocks me from applying the Carbon version. I’m confused about how someone could have installed the Edge BIOS on this board originally. I can’t contact the seller for a refund or dispute since it’s been a while since the purchase. Essentially, I feel like I was scammed. Any suggestions on what to do next? The board functions well for non-gaming tasks. I’m wondering if there’s a way to create a custom BIOS that bypasses compatibility checks and installs the Carbon BIOS. Help would be greatly appreciated!
It seems there was an attempt to disable or remove BIOS settings, but no such changes actually existed unless using a specific ASUS board. You’ll need to reprogram the BIOS chip using a programmer or desolder method, or use AFUDOS to flash it. I’m unsure how to do that properly since I mainly work with older ASUS boards that have socketed BIOS. It looks like the BIOS is trying to adjust settings for an edge board instead of a gaming carbon board, which causes unstable defaults. I’ve experienced this while doing bios modding, especially with TP45 HP on my ASUS P5Q—ram defaults behave oddly because it thinks it’s a TP45 HP board but is actually in the wrong BIOS. In most cases, after manually setting RAM and CPU parameters, stability improves. You can check what settings are incorrect using Prime95 and try lowering the CPU clock speed to 4GHz with 1.2V, then test large FFTs. If it still crashes, the issue is likely with the CPU configuration itself, and you’ll need to adjust it manually.
You're welcome on the key points you mentioned. Re-flashing the BIOS with a proper programmer is definitely the right approach. Modded BIOS solutions exist, but they often come with risks—some guides suggest bypassing compatibility checks, which can lead to further issues. The forum story you read sounds risky and not recommended. Overclocking and undervolting helped temporarily, but the crashes were consistent. Taking the motherboard out was necessary since the problem was too frequent. Fixing it now will ensure a stable setup for your friend.