Two fresh M/boards, identical issue!
Two fresh M/boards, identical issue!
I assembled the system step by step, about 25 times before this happened. Everything was new except the SSD, which I used from a previous setup with Windows 11. I followed all the instructions carefully and double-checked every connection. When I turned on the power, the motherboard lit up with some RGB lights, then the LED lights flashed and everything shut down instantly. There was no fan noise, and they didn’t have time to spin before the power cut. I swapped the PSU for an older but functional one (GM 700) and got the same issue. When I pressed the power button, it flashed again and then turned off completely. I reset the CMOS via the onboard button, but nothing worked. I removed the battery and waited 5 to 10 minutes, then replaced it. Checked all connections, cleared RAM, tested each slot. The same “flash and off” kept happening. I downloaded the latest BIOS from MSI and formatted the USB drive, changed the BIOS file name to MSI.ROM. When I tried to flash it, the process flashed but then stopped abruptly. I disconnected the CPU fan because it seemed to indicate a problem, but when I plugged in another fan, nothing changed. I removed the CPU and attempted a BIOS flash again. The same sequence occurred every time. I rechecked everything and even tried removing RAM, GPU, and CPU, but nothing resolved the issue. I connected the board to power as instructed, but pressing the power button or bridging headers didn’t make any difference—power was still supplied. Eventually, I completely took the board out of its case, removed all components, and connected it back to power according to the manual. I tried flashing the BIOS again, but it kept flashing off. Now I’m unsure if there’s a problem with this board. I ordered another one, cheaper, but I need my PC back. It’s possible the X570 board came in poorly protected—packaged loosely, only minimal wrapping, and placed in a corner with air bags covering just two sides. The second board arrived in its own box with the label stuck, no protective packaging at all. I’m wondering if this handling during shipping could be affecting it. It’s really frustrating that both boards behave the same way, even though they’re different. I don’t have any working systems to test, so I can’t confirm anything. Please help me figure this out.
To ensure the issue remains consistent across different setups, consider removing other variables first. The CPU is a factor you mentioned, but there are additional components to examine at this stage. Try using a budget SATA SSD and install it on an empty PC. Check if it boots and loads Windows 10. If using a drive from another machine, verify TPM configurations that might block startup. You’ve already tested various RAM combinations—any other DDR4 modules you have could be worth testing. Lastly, the GPU is another area to adjust; borrowing one from someone or running it on another system may help confirm the problem.
I removed all connections except for power, and the BIOS won’t flash even after clearing CMOS. Does the same process work? The boards should at least refresh the BIOS without any other components, including the CPU, which seems achievable based on the video.
I own another drive running Windows 10. It performs well on this small, older machine I'm using. I placed an order for one stick of 8GB DDR4 RAM, expected tomorrow. Tested the Windows 10 SSD on one board but no changes. Will try it on the other board later; if that fails, I'll reset it as you recommended and retry. I also have a backup GPU installed, and it works fine. I'm attempting to install the 1060 graphics card now—hope it functions properly, though I'm unsure if this older setup can support it.