I'm new to building PCs and assembled my first system with a friend. The computer powers on, all fans and RGB lighting work, but it won't complete POST. The motherboard's diagnostic LEDs briefly go orange and red, then the white light remains on and the yellow light eventually appears too. I initially suspected a DDR5 memory problem, but I'm not sure what else could cause this or how to troubleshoot it. The motherboard is an ASUS ROG STRIX B850-A GAMING WIFI, paired with 2×16 GB DDR5 memory, a Ryzen 5 processor with a Nautilus 360 R5 ARGB cooler, and a dedicated graphics card. What should I check before taking it to a repair shop?
1 Answer
On ASUS boards, a persistent white diagnostic light usually points to the graphics card or display connection rather than the RAM. Shut the system down, unplug it, remove and reseat the GPU, and make sure its power cables are fully connected. Also check that the card is completely locked into the PCIe slot. If the processor has integrated graphics, try removing the dedicated GPU and connecting the monitor to the motherboard’s HDMI output instead. Testing another HDMI cable or input is worthwhile too. Bent CPU-socket pins can also cause startup problems, so inspect those carefully if the GPU checks out.
That fixed it! I got the boot screen after reseating things and using HDMI instead. Now I just need to install Windows—thanks!