I recently purchased an Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, Gigabyte Z890 EAGLE WIFI7 motherboard, and Patriot Viper Venom 32GB (2×16GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 memory bundle. On startup, the motherboard shows an amber DRAM indicator, changes to a red CPU indicator, and then reboots repeatedly.
The rest of the system includes a Thermaltake Toughpower 750W 80+ Gold power supply, a Sapphire NITRO Radeon R9 Fury 4GB graphics card, and a cooler and power supply that are several years old. I have reseated the memory multiple times, tested each stick individually in different slots, checked that the CPU is installed correctly, confirmed the cooler is not overtightened, cleared the CMOS battery, and allowed the system to restart and attempt memory training for about 30 minutes.
Could the Patriot memory be incompatible with this motherboard or bundle configuration? Is the older graphics card or power supply likely to prevent the system from passing its initial hardware check, or should I focus on replacing the RAM first?
2 Answers
The older graphics card should not prevent the system from completing POST, and 750W is generally enough for these components as long as the power supply is healthy and all required CPU and motherboard power connectors are attached. Before buying other parts, try a memory kit from the motherboard's QVL, use the recommended A2 slot with one DIMM, and leave XMP disabled until the system boots reliably.
The Patriot memory is the most likely problem here. New platforms can be picky about specific DDR5 kits, especially when the kit is not listed on the motherboard's memory support list. The changing DRAM and CPU lights do not necessarily mean the processor is defective; a failed memory-training attempt can make the board cycle through several diagnostic LEDs. I would ask the retailer to exchange the Patriot kit for a validated kit, such as the G.Skill memory that is now included with some versions of this bundle.
That also makes sense because the symptoms started immediately with the new bundle. Swapping the memory is a better first step than replacing the GPU or cooler.