I'm assembling a PC with an Asus Prime B450M-A motherboard, Ryzen 5 5500 processor, and Intel B580 graphics card. The system powers on, and the cosmetic lights on the motherboard and GPU are illuminated. The GPU has its 8-pin PCIe power connector attached, and the monitor is connected to the GPU via HDMI, but there is no video signal. I suspect the motherboard BIOS may be too old to support the Ryzen 5 5500, but without display output I'm not sure how to update it. What should I try?
3 Answers
A cheap older compatible Ryzen chip could be the most practical option if you want to update it yourself. Install the older CPU, update the BIOS, then swap back to the Ryzen 5 5500. Just make sure the temporary processor is supported by the board and has a usable video setup if needed.
The Ryzen 5 5500 was released after many B450 boards, so this motherboard may need a BIOS update before it can boot with that CPU. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t appear to have BIOS Flashback, meaning it can’t update without a supported processor installed. You’ll need an older compatible Ryzen CPU, or have a repair shop update the BIOS for you.
The pulsing orange light is likely just the motherboard’s power-status indicator, not an error code. Still, it’s worth checking the monitor’s input selection and confirming the HDMI cable is connected to the B580 rather than the motherboard’s video output. The Ryzen 5 5500 has no integrated graphics, so the motherboard video ports would not produce an image.
That sounds like the most likely explanation. I’ll look for an inexpensive compatible CPU, since it may cost about the same as having a shop perform the update.