I recently upgraded my PC with a 7800x3d CPU, Klevv Cras V RGB DDR5 RAM, and an ASRock B850 Steel Legend motherboard, using my old 4080 GPU and 850W PSU. Now I'm noticing a solid red light for the CPU and a blinking yellow light for the DRAM. Can anyone suggest what steps to take before I start taking everything apart to re-seat the CPU? I've already checked the RAM and power connections, and all the fans are running and lights are on. I did buy the motherboard second-hand from Amazon, and I suspect it might have been returned for a reason.
2 Answers
When you see a solid CPU light along with a blinking DRAM light, it's usually indicating a memory training process. This can happen especially when first booting with new RAM or after clearing the CMOS. For a configuration like yours with 2x16GB, ASRock mentions it can take up to 90 seconds and longer for 2x32GB. If the light continues to blink, give it some time—waiting 5-10 minutes could be beneficial!
It sounds like your ASRock motherboard might be part of a batch that had issues with 7800x3d CPUs earlier this year. If that's the case, it's possible your board may not have the necessary BIOS update that fixes it. This could be why it was returned. You might want to check if your version is the newest or flash it even if it means taking the risk of the board being defective. Better safe than sorry!
Great point! If you can, look up the BIOS version and see if there are updates available that address the issue.
I think you're right! I didn't know the solid red could just be normal memory training. Still, if the board is overall sketchy, flashing the BIOS could help, especially since some ASRock boards have had startup issues.