I assembled a PC with a Ryzen 5 5500, Gigabyte A520M K V2 motherboard, 8GB of TeamGroup memory, a DeepCool 550W 80+ Bronze power supply, and an RX 5500 XT 8GB graphics card. The system powers on but shows no display and never reaches the BIOS.
The graphics card works in another AM5 system, and the other components were reportedly tested successfully in different builds. I also tried flashing the motherboard BIOS, testing with an RTX 3050, clearing the CMOS, connecting an SSD, and disconnecting the case's front-panel connections. None of these changes produced a display, although the fans spun when using the RTX 3050. I understand that the system should still enter the BIOS without a drive installed.
What should I check next, and is the likely problem the power supply, motherboard, CPU compatibility, or something else?
2 Answers
The two most likely causes are the motherboard or power supply, but first verify the CPU power cable. The motherboard needs both the 24-pin motherboard connector and the 8-pin CPU/EPS connector plugged in correctly; a PCIe cable should not be used in the CPU power socket. Also test with the motherboard outside the case using only the CPU, cooler, one memory stick, graphics card, and power supply. That rules out a short involving the case or a misplaced standoff.
The Ryzen 5 5500 does not have integrated graphics, so the monitor must be connected to the graphics card, not the motherboard video outputs. Since the GPU works elsewhere, try one stick of RAM at a time in the recommended slot, reseat the CPU and GPU, and inspect the CPU socket for bent pins. Also confirm that the BIOS version supports the Ryzen 5 5500; an A520 board may need a compatible BIOS before it can boot with that processor.
I disconnected the case wiring, but I haven’t tried running the board outside the case yet. I’ll also double-check that the CPU power connector is the correct cable.