Solved Slow boot on new computer

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Talking_Cacti

PCHF Member
Aug 28, 2023
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Hello all,

I recently built my second computer and it takes on average 65 seconds to boot (according to the Task Manager's Startup tab), 54 seconds of which the motherboard's yellow (orange?) light stays lit (no blinking, just a solid light). Given that my previous nine year old computer still boots in ten to twelve seconds, it's making me concerned if the motherboard might have a problem.

Specs:
(PCPartPicker link: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/4g3nTY)
CPU : AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-core​
CPU Cooler : Noctua NH-U9S 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler​
Motherboard : Asus ROG STRIX B650-A GAMING WIFI ATX AM5​
RAM : Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36​
Storage : Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD​
Video Card : XFX Speedster SWFT 309 Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB​
Power Supply : SeaSonic FOCUS Plus 650 Gold 650 W 80+ Gold​
OS : Windows 10 Home​

Attempted troubleshooting:
Memtest86 (since the yellow is apparently a DRAM problem) = Found almost 400 errors, switched RAM sticks, several tests with no errors anymore // boot time unchanged before or after replacing RAM.​
Window power options = Tried 'Best Performance' setting, 'Turn on fast startup (Recommended)' on and off // Maybe a one second difference?​
BIOS settings = Tried 'Fast startup' option on and off, disabling some SATA ports for conflicts with NVMe M.2 SSD, changed 'OS Type' to 'Windows UEFI mode' // Still no change.​
​
I know that objectively a boot time of one minute is probably not a huge deal but since I'm used to a much faster boot time, I can't help but think that there's an issue and that ignoring it because it's 'not that bad' might portend other issues I might get down the line when I won't be able to replace parts anymore.

Thank you for any advice.
 
Couple of potential issues there;

Talking_Cacti said:
CPU : AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-core : Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36
Click to expand...

The RAM is not appropriate for your CPU, AMD state here up to 5200MHz and if you have XMP enabled the RAM will get auto OCd past what the CPU can handle and the PC will fall over.

Go into the BIOS, disable XMP and then manually set the RAM to run at 5200MHz and the voltage to 1.25V, save the new setting, exit the BIOS, restart the PC and check to make sure that your RAM is still set at 5200MHz.

You should also make sure that the Windows Power Plan is set to Balanced and not High Performance or Ryzen Balanced.

Something to keep in mind for the future, a CPU must be compatible with a MB whereas the RAM has to be compatible with both the CPU and the MB, this because a MB can be compatible with faster CPUs and MB manufacturers often state RAM speeds that far exceed what any CPU the board can handle.

Talking_Cacti said:
Video Card : XFX Speedster SWFT 309 Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Power Supply : SeaSonic FOCUS Plus 650 Gold 650 W 80+ Gold
Click to expand...

Two problems with the PSU, it only just meets the minimum power requirements of the GPU when for gaming rigs you should always go for what the card manufacturer recommends, this is particularly important with XFX who`s cards do tend to require more power, XFX recommend here 750W for your particular card, the card will work with the 650W PSU but not to it`s full potential.

Second issue with the PSU is that it is missing the secondary 4-pin +12V power connector, again the board will post but will not work to its full potential.

In addition to the above, is Windows a clean install on an out of the box new SSD, if yes, as soon as Windows was installed did you immediately install first the chipset drivers and second the AMD VGA drivers, this is an absolute must.
 
@xrobwx71
Updating the BIOS reduced the boot time to around 10 seconds.​
I love you. Really. Thank you so much.​

@phillpower2
  1. For the RAM, I think I saw in the BIOS that it automatically set it to your recommended 5200MHz settings but I will go back to make sure to set it properly along with the voltage. I'll also go put the power options back to balanced now that the main problem seems to be solved.
  2. For the Power Supply: Concerning the Video Card, it honestly never even crossed my mind to check its specific recommended power because, I suppose, I just had blind faith in the quite convenient PCPartPicker to tell me if there would be any problem. Still, as I have no intention of overclocking my PC, I figure (read: hope) this shouldn't be too much of an issue. For the missing 4-pin connector, I was aware of that when buying the part but since even the manual says it's optional and I won't overclock the PC, I don't think it's a problem (Do correct me if I'm wrong).
  3. Regarding the drivers, I'll go check that right now because I think I probably did but, knowing my peerless memory and attention to details, it's quite possible I didn't.
  4. Thank you very much for the advice.
So far the main problem seems solved but I'll post an update once I checked a couple other details that were suggested.
 
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Modern RAM has two speeds, SPD (serial presence detect) and XMP, SPD is what the BIOS detects on boot which for DDR4 as an example is most often 2133MHz and XMP which when enabled will set the RAM to run at the maximum speed that it is capable of, your DDR5 RAMs SPD is 4800 and XMP 5600MHz and the only way that the RAM will clock at 5200MHz and 1.25V is if you make the settings yourself manually, 5600MHz may work foe a while but at some point problems will occur.

As said about the PSU and additional 4 pin power supply, the system will work but gaming and video performance will not be as good as is possible.

You are welcome btw :)
 
So as suggested I :
  1. Set the 'AI overclock Tuner' to 'Manual' (I didn't find any XMP option in the available options but DOCP is apparently its AMD counterpart? so I was in the right place) and then set the 'Memory Frequency' to 5200MHz.
  2. Set the 'CPU Core Voltage' to 'Manual Mode' and the 'CPU Core Voltage Override' to '1.25000' (I wasn't sure if you meant CPU voltage or some kind of DRAM voltage but I only found the former so...)
  3. Set the Windows power option back to 'Balanced' and re-activated the 'Turn on fast startup (Recommended)' option.
  4. I DID install the chipset drivers (and have now updated them to be sure). AMD VGA drivers specifically I just haven't been able to find at all, whether on the AMD website or elsewhere. Maybe they're included in the driver installer?
Again, I wanted to thank you guys for helping with my problem as well as helping nip potential trouble in the bud.
 
Not quite as suggested as the RAM voltage needs to be 1.25V not the CPU and you really need to undo that CPU voltage change asap.

You should have got a driver installation disk with the MB that has all the drivers that you need on it and you should only go direct to AMD if the ASUS support page here directs you there.

You are welcome :)
 
So I went and restored the 'CPU Core voltage' to 'Auto' and then I found 'DRAM VDD Voltage' and 'DRAM VDDQ Voltage' which I set to 1.25000. On the BIOS' Easy Mode View, I think it reads as 'MC Volt' 1.28V instead of the usual roughly 1.1V under the 'Memory' window.

The PC I built doesn't have a disk reader so I didn't install any such drivers but I did get my drivers from the Asus site you mentioned (and not the AMD site as I mistakenly thought). The VGA driver I just got and tried to install said it would be a downgrade from my current one so I'm probably fine on that one.

I probably sound like a broken record but thanks again.
 
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You are most welcome @Talking_Cacti !


Talking_Cacti said:
I just had blind faith in the quite convenient PCPartPicker to tell me if there would be any problem.
Click to expand...
I am seeing this a lot at PCPartPicker. If you are "just above" specs it doesn't flag it. That may be ok for an SSD but not for a PSU. The PSU is not where you want to skimp.
 
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My last post looks like it's been liked so I'll take it as I got the right settings.

One last question now that the original problem has been solved: Do you guys think I should get a better, 750W power supply while I still can return my current one? Or is it not really worth the trouble?
 
phillpower2 said:
As said about the PSU and additional 4 pin power supply, the system will work but gaming and video performance will not be as good as is possible.
Click to expand...
You can never go wrong upgrading the PSU. So, the simple answer is yes.

Make sure it's a reputable brand and has a 10-year warranty. That Seasonic is a good one, I'd get the 850 or higher if you can afford it.
 
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