New AMD PC build stuck in infinite boot loop and no display

[TheDamagedCoda]

As the title says I am stuck in a boot loop with no display. This is a new PC that I attempted to build today. An OS has not been loaded on yet and nothing will happen with the connected display (LG monitor). On the B650 there is an alternating red light where it says RST. All of the power slots on the 6800xt are filled but one of the cables is split cable which came with the PSU. Do I need a 3rd dedicated cable to power the GPU? I have tried plugging it into different outlets with the same infinite boot issue if that matters. All cables are seated firmly as well as RAM and GPU.

-Components

[ul]
[li]Aorus B650 Elite AX M-ATX AM5[/li][li]AMD Ryzen 5 7600X[/li][li]G-Skill Triden 32 gb RAM DDR5-6000 CL36[/li][li]Asrock 6800XT 16 gb[/li][li]Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB SSD[/li][li]Seagate Ironwolf 8 TB HDD[/li][li]Deep Cool CC560 ATX Case[/li][li]Corsair RM850e[/li][li]Deep Cool AK620 CPU cooler[/li][li]LG Ultrawide HDMI display[/li][/ul]

[phillpower2]

Do I need a 3rd dedicated cable to power the GPU?

We can see at least one other problem but the above is a dead giveaway as being a potential issue, easiest thing to do is to remove the add on GPU from the PCI-E slot on the MB and hook the screen up to the appropriate video port on the MB and see how that goes.

Tip, make sure you have a keyboard hooked up throughout else the power on self test will most often fail.

[TheDamagedCoda]

We can see at least one other problem but the above is a dead giveaway as being an issue, easiest thing to do is to remove the add on GPU from the PCI-E slot on the MB and hook the screen up to the appropriate video port on the MB and see how that goes.

Tip, make sure you have a keyboard hooked up throughout else the power on self test will most often fail.

Thank you for responding. I have removed the GPU, RAM and HDD connections. All that remains is the CPU, CPU cooler, and SSD. I still get the same issue. I was wrong about which LEDs were flashing. It appears to be alternating between CPU and DRAM even with the RAM removed. I have tried loosening the CPU cooler mounting as well without any change.

[PeterOz]

CPU and DRAM

Did the cpu seat in easy - no force required?
Have you connected the cpu fan to the correct header.
Did you put thermal paste on the cpu.

The ram you have is not the correct ram for the cpu - It should still boot I qould assume.
@phillpower2 will confirm it it could affect the boot. Try with 1 stick only.

PCI Express® Version
PCIe® 5.0
System Memory Type
DDR5
Memory Channels
2
Max Memory Speed
2x1R
DDR5-5200
from here https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-5-7600x

[phillpower2]

Does the PSU still activate and the internal cooling fans spin up.

I have removed the GPU, RAM and HDD connections.

You must have at least one stick of RAM in the board and while troubleshooting try it first in slot A2 and if no change try B2, the second and fourth slots from the CPU respectively.

Peter is correct about the RAM speed but it will only be an issue if XMP were to be enabled.

I would not have loosened the CPU cooler because if any air gets in the thermal compound will not do its job and will need to properly cleaned off and a fresh amount of a good quality brand reapplied.

Can I ask that you do not quote every reply as we have to read the full post to make sure nothing gets missed, thanks.

[TheDamagedCoda]

I have not messed with it further but the PSU does work. Case fans turn on and when the GPU and RAM were installed their respective RGB lights turned on. I tried the RAM in A2 B2 and single RAM in A2 with no change in the infinite booting. Fans are plugged into CPU fan. Thermal paste was applied to the CPU. When the CPU was installed it slid right into its slot. It did not snap in nor do I think it can.

Additional detail:
The motherboard is mounted with 7/8 possible screws. The case is missing a mounting screw so the left bottom corner is without a screw. I was told these screws ground the motherboard so could one missing screw be the issue here?

[phillpower2]

Where are you up to with this ?

I would not have loosened the CPU cooler because if any air gets in the thermal compound will not do its job and will need to properly cleaned off and a fresh amount of a good quality brand reapplied.

You mention having applied thermal paste when the CPU was installed but have since loosened the cooler and so as above it may well need to be properly cleaned off and a fresh amont reapplied.

[TheDamagedCoda]

I have not had time to work on it this week but plan to do the following tomorrow.

-Remove the CPU cooler and re-do the thermal paste
-Add an additional stand off screw to the motherboard as one is missing.

If it is still in a boot loop after this I dont know what else to try.

[phillpower2]

-Remove the CPU cooler and re-do the thermal paste

Good but clean it off properly with 99% rubbing alcohol and a lint free cloth or coffee filter papers, be sure to use a good quality thermal compound and only apply the compound as directed by the instructions for your CPU, I’ve used Arctic Silver for years and they provide everything that you need to know here

Before putting the board back in the case, do the below which should 100% be done with any new build or MB swap;

Remove the MB and do a barebones set-up on a piece of cardboard (make sure it is larger than the MB) only connect the PSU, the video card, screen, 1 stick of RAM and the keyboard.

IF your MB doesn`t have a power test switch you will then need to short out the + and - power on pins on the MB header to get the PSU to activate, you can use a small flat bladed screwdriver or a paper clip bent into a U shape, this is perfectly safe if you do not touch anything else, the idea is to see if we can get a BIOS screen if you do you can then add one component at a time until you find the problem component, [COLOR=rgb(226, 80, 65)]you must power down and remove the power cord from the wall before adding another component.

Refer to your MB manual for which two pins you short to activate the PSU, if not sure, ask here.[/COLOR]

[TheDamagedCoda]

I am giving up and will be contacting the CPU and motherboard manufacturers for warranty coverage if possible. If not Ill be getting a new CPU and motherboard combo. I will update this thread with what the manufacturers have to say.

To re-summarize for future reference (Please see top of post for parts list):
The problem: My new AM5 AMD PC build, built from scratch with parts picked from PC part picker got caught in an infinite boot loop and would not display or post. Motherboard lights flashed between CPU and RAM. Power definitely worked as the case fans powered on, RAM RGB powered on, and GPU RGB powered on. One standoff screw is missing as well (the case only provided 3 and a 4th is needed).

Attempts at troubleshooting:

[ul]
[li]Checked all cable connections from PSU to motherboard, GPU, and HDD. No issues identified here.[/li][li]RAM was in A2 and B2 as required by the motherboard. Tried RAM in A2 alone with both sticks and got no change in the infinite booting issue. Did not try a solo RAM in B2. As pointed out by another member RAM is too fast at a rate of 6000 while the Ryzen 5 7600X is rated for 5200.[/li][li]GPU and RAM were removed leaving the CPU and SSD attached to the motherboard. Still got infinite boot issue.[/li][li]Attempted to use integrated CPU graphics for display and still did not get display.[/li][li]Tried loosening the CPU cooler to ease the pressure on the CPU with no change.[/li][li]Fully removed the CPU cooler and found some thermal paste overflowing onto the CPU but not any transistors. CPU arrow was correctly oriented with MB.[/li][/ul]
Did not try:
[ul]
[li]Finding a standoff screw to fill in the bottom left corner of the motherboard which was/is missing a screw.[/li][li]Cardboard PC setup.[/li][li]MB and PSU test with power on pins as suggested by phillpower2[/li][/ul]

[TheDamagedCoda]

Update 1: Buying a PSU tester to definitively rule out the PSU before contacting MB and CPU manufacturer

[phillpower2]

PSU testers are a waste of time i`m afraid, see my canned info below;
I don`t wish to alarm you but the attached video is the one that I use as an example to show the sort of equipment that is required to conclusively test a PSU.

What the equipment does is simulate a computer under load and so the PSU behaves as it would when it is powering your PC, multi-meters and the basic testing devices that you can purchase from some merchants only test the basic voltage output from the PSU rails and so cannot be relied on as 100% conclusive.

[phillpower2]

Being that the OP revisited the forum but left no reply this thread will be closed.