I assembled a new PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT, Gigabyte Z890 EAGLE UD WiFi 6E motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6400 memory, an 850W ATX 3.1 power supply, and a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler. The fans and GPU lighting turn on, but the monitor remains black and the system does not reach the BIOS. The DRAM debug LED stays lit, while the CPU LED sometimes flashes, and the PC occasionally restarts. The display cable has been tested and connected to both the graphics card and motherboard outputs. What should I check next?
3 Answers
The DRAM debug light is the most useful clue here. Remove and reinstall the RAM firmly, verify the slots, and try a single module in A2. You can also clear the CMOS before testing again. If one stick works but the other does not, or the system only boots at default settings, the memory kit may need lower settings before enabling its advertised speed.
Start by giving the motherboard time to complete DDR5 memory training. On a first boot, especially with high-speed RAM, it can take several minutes and may restart during the process. Make sure the two memory sticks are installed in the recommended A2 and B2 slots. If it never progresses and the DRAM light remains on, try booting with one stick at a time and reseat the modules.
Confirm that the BIOS version supports the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. If the board was manufactured with an older BIOS, use the motherboard's Q-Flash Plus feature to update it with the correct file and follow the USB and power requirements exactly. Also test another monitor input and cable, and try the motherboard video output only if the CPU provides integrated graphics. The system must reach POST before Windows or the graphics driver can matter.
I already used Q-Flash Plus and tested an HDMI cable that works with my laptop. I also tried the motherboard display output, but the PC still restarts and does not show the BIOS.
The RAM is installed correctly, but the system still behaves the same. The DRAM LED stays on and the CPU LED occasionally flashes while it restarts.