Which component is the motherboard or the CPU?
Which component is the motherboard or the CPU?
Hello everyone, This is my first post, but I’m facing some unusual hardware problems that haven’t happened before with this new Ryzen 5 3400G and Tuf B450m-Plus Gaming build. All components were bought at the end of September. The system runs BIOS version 1821 with default settings—2x8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX C16 3200/1.35V memory, Intel 660p M.2 NVME/PCIe SSD (OS), EVGA SUPERNOVA 650 G+, 80+ Gold NOCTUA NH-U12S, and IronWolf 6TB NAS drive. No new parts were added: only the InfiniTVPCIE 4 cablecard.
The main issue is that under heavy load—like compiling kernels or running Prime95—or even while streaming Netflix, most of the system freezes. Specifically, USB 2 on the motherboard, all three PCIe slots, and the SATA controller vanish. The only functioning parts are the two USB 3 Type A ports, Onboard Video, and the PCIe Video card (GTX 210) when inserted. After a hard reset, everything restarts normally.
This build was originally intended as an HTPC, so I didn’t plan to use a dedicated graphics card. It mainly handled TV playback and media streaming on Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS with kernel 5.3.6 and MythTV 0.30, and streamed Steam over my local network. Since the processor is more than sufficient for basic HTPC tasks (light encoding, minimal streaming), the workload often stays idle. Usually, I see a stable uptime of 24–48 hours before problems appear.
The trouble started when we began streaming Netflix. The PC would randomly lock up—no keyboard, no mouse, no internet. Checking logs revealed an issue with the onboard Realtek Gbit LAN. Given its known Linux compatibility issues, I added an Intel Server Gigabit PCIe 4x NIC. It still froze during Netflix and YouTube.
I downloaded the latest Intel drivers for the NIC, built a kernel module, and rebuilt the kernel. Within 25 seconds, mouse and keyboard disappeared, then the PCIe NIC vanished, followed by the SATA controller. The kernel crashed repeatedly.
I removed everything except the M.2 SSD and swapped in 8GB Patriot Steel RAM. I rebuilt the kernel again. After 25 seconds, the same crashes occurred. I removed the NVMe SSD and connected a SATA SSD via the SATA6 port. Installed Ubuntu 19.10/Debian 10 Mint 19.2, started the kernel build, but everything failed again. I attempted a Windows update via USB, but the ports died.
After installing all updates, AMD and Asus drivers, running Prime95, and using the BIOS “OC Tuner” (which increased clock speeds and voltages), the system briefly stabilized—gaining a few seconds of stress before failing again. I’m unsure whether this points to a board issue or a CPU problem. Given I’ve never seen a dead CPU in 25 years, I’m leaning toward the motherboard being the culprit. I’m not sure which part to order for replacement. This seems more like a hardware-related problem. Thanks for your help!