DRAM light issue

[mithun_aer14c402cc]

I built a new PC with following system configuration where am facing the EZ Debug "DRAM Light" on and not able to boot the system for installing OS

MSI PRO H610M-G WiFi Motherboard – Micro-ATX​

Intel Core I5 12400F 12 Gen Generation Desktop Pc Processor 6, CPU with 18Mb Cache and Up to 4.40 Ghz Clock Speed Ddr5 and Ddr4 Ram Support Lga 1700 Socket, Micro ATX​

CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB RAM (1x16GB) DDR5 DRAM 5200MHz
Western Digital WD Blue SN580 NVMe 1TB, Upto 4150MB/s, PCIe Gen 4 NVMe M.2, SSD

Am I received a faulty board or RAM or Compatible issue?
Any insight would be greatly helpful to resolve it.

 

[citay]

First i'd try both slots on the board, if you don't already have. Just a single module? So performance is secondary?

 

[mithun_aer14c402cc]

It has two slots in the motherboard, One is core boost and another one is memory boast. Right now, I inserted RAM in core boost and getting debug DRAM light on and I swapped the RAM with memory boost the issue remains the same.
Should I need to do anything differently to make it function?
And also I am thinking that DDR5 is compatible with MSI PRO H610M-G WiFi Motherboard?

 

[citay]

It has two slots in the motherboard, One is core boost and another one is memory boast.

No, they just print some marketing features of the board there, it has nothing to do with the slots.
Your slots are called DIMM (Dual inline memory module) A1 and B1,

On such a two-slot board, the left slot is to be populated first. But it's good to try both slots, if you only have a single module anyway.

Now, as to the performance issue of using a single module, which i alluded to. Always use a kit of two modules on a platform with dual-channel RAM (which means, on all current desktop motherboards), unless this is meant purely as an office PC where performance is irrelevant. If you use a single RAM module and thus only single-channel, the RAM bandwidth is cut in half. So your DDR5-5200 effectively turns into the performance of DDR5-2600, compared to using two modules.

So you see how this isn't the best solution to begin with. But of course, it should not cause the DRAM LED.

First of all, make sure you are waiting an ample amount of time for the initial memory training to complete, at least two minutes or so (but i take it that you have waited for quite some time already). Secondly, it can take a surprisingly large amount of force to properly insert a DDR5 module into the slot, see here, here, and here. So make sure the module is really pressed well into the slot and the plastic latches on both sides have engaged. Note that you cannot put a DDR4 module into a DDR5 board and vice versa, because the notch placement is different:

What you can do, check the CPU socket for bent pins. For that you would take off the CPU cooler, take out the CPU, and check for bent pins inside the CPU socket, which can easily happen from some mistake during CPU installation. Also see here and the following posts. While they are technically all bent, the pins all have to look completely uniform under light, the tips of the pins have to line up in a perfect pattern, with none visually sticking out from the rest. So if you have some pins that don't look like the others, then you really have some bent pins. Ideally take some photos of the socket, upload to an image hoster and link them here, even if you don't think there are bent pins (sometimes they are not that easy to spot for the untrained eye).

Lastly, i'm curious, what's your PSU and your CPU cooler?

 

[rkiran154a02de]

No, they just print some marketing features of the board there, it has nothing to do with the slots.
Your slots are called DIMM (Dual inline memory module) A1 and B1,

View attachment 194636

On such a two-slot board, the left slot is to be populated first. But it's good to try both slots, if you only have a single module anyway.

Now, as to the performance issue of using a single module, which i alluded to. Always use a kit of two modules on a platform with dual-channel RAM (which means, on all current desktop motherboards), unless this is meant purely as an office PC where performance is irrelevant. If you use a single RAM module and thus only single-channel, the RAM bandwidth is cut in half. So your DDR5-5200 effectively turns into the performance of DDR5-2600, compared to using two modules.

So you see how this isn't the best solution to begin with. But of course, it should not cause the DRAM LED.

First of all, make sure you are waiting an ample amount of time for the initial memory training to complete, at least two minutes or so (but i take it that you have waited for quite some time already). Secondly, it can take a surprisingly large amount of force to properly insert a DDR5 module into the slot, see here, here, and here. So make sure the module is really pressed well into the slot and the plastic latches on both sides have engaged. Note that you cannot put a DDR4 module into a DDR5 board and vice versa, because the notch placement is different:

What you can do, check the CPU socket for bent pins. For that you would take off the CPU cooler, take out the CPU, and check for bent pins inside the CPU socket, which can easily happen from some mistake during CPU installation. Also see here and the following posts. While they are technically all bent, the pins all have to look completely uniform under light, the tips of the pins have to line up in a perfect pattern, with none visually sticking out from the rest. So if you have some pins that don't look like the others, then you really have some bent pins. Ideally take some photos of the socket, upload to an image hoster and link them here, even if you don't think there are bent pins (sometimes they are not that easy to spot for the untrained eye).

Lastly, i'm curious, what's your PSU and your CPU cooler?

here are photos and video of my CPU. Is the CPU pins bent or is it re-usable?

here are the photos of the motherboard socket

https://imgur.com/a/D6EkDTe

[1]https://i.sstatic.net/pzwiV9rf.jpg

[enter image description here][2]H3bwQvAO.jpg

videos here:

Or is it possible that the motherboard CPU socket is konked?

 

[citay]

Did you make a new account? Were you @mithun_aer14c402cc before?

here are the photos of the motherboard socket

https://imgur.com/a/D6EkDTe

No, that's the underside of the CPU, the contact pads. The thing you've taken the CPU out of, that is the socket, with its 1700 delicate socket pins. The CPU underside, it's just a bit dirty from thermal paste. It would have to be cleaned with Isopropanol (high-purity alcohol, you can get that at a pharmacy) and a lint-free cloth.

videos here:

Holy smokes, that socket is a battlefield. Bent pins and thermal paste, even some hair (maybe you have pets). Yeah, this board is pretty much toast. It will never work properly until everything is cleaned and the pins are fixed (all looking the same). Which would be quite a difficult job here, by the looks of it. You're lucky that it's not such an expensive board. But what on earth happened during CPU installation, i rarely ever see thermal paste get in between the CPU and the socket.

Normally, for installing the CPU, you focus your attention (because this is the most critical moment of building a PC). You open the lever, leaving the plastic socket protection cover in place, don't take it out by hand. You grip the CPU from the sides with two or three fingers, then gently lower it flat into the socket, making sure not to "bounce" it on the pins in any way. Then you'd close the lever to make the plastic socket protection cover pop off. Then you can apply a drop, a vertical line, or an "X" of thermal paste onto the CPU, enough to cover most of the CPU later, but not so much that it squeezes out from all sides when you mount the cooler.

There clearly have been some mistakes made during CPU installation here, so it's important that you learn how to do it right. This was a costly learning experience. Your only way to reduce the losses is either to make the socket look brand new again (a bit unlikely), or to sell the board as defective, stating it has socket pins damage. Some people buy such boards for donor parts and whatnot, to repair other boards with where some component failed. Then you'll have to buy a new board.

 

[rkiran154a02de]

I started using the forum today after the issue surfaced

No pets. I tried to remove paste with the cleaning wipe from noctua paste. Cooler master 360 atmos was a pain to install and less said about the tiny msi z790 lga 1700 motherboard, the better. It is very brittle. 360 atmos is very heavy and for sometime none of ram cards worked in any slot. 1 of the slots worked when cooler was loosened


Board is pretty expensive z790 msi lga 1700. Do you think I can salvage the board by straightening with toothpick/needle or just give up?

 

[citay]

I started using the forum today after the issue surfaced

Oh, yeah, i've just seen your other thread. See, that's why it's not good to hijack this thread like that. I assumed you were the original poster from this thread, it just confuses things. I would've seen your other thread later anyway. But that's ok, i'll answer here now anyway.

This is one of the more demanding cases of bent pins and socket contaminations to fix. I mean, some people out there can fix this, i'm pretty sure, but as a novice, it's a tough ask. First you would need to see how well the thermal paste could be cleaned, probably using Isopropanol and a soft paintbrush or something. If you exert too much pressure on the pins with a stiff paintbrush or whatever else, you might bend more pins. It's enough to clean the thermal paste off the tips of the pins. If there's some left in between the pins, it shouldn't matter too much. Clean the CPU too. The CPU usually has no damage, it's just flat golden contact pads underneath, which are quite easy to clean.

Then as for the bent pins, see here and the following posts. Try with the easiest ones first, see how you get along. If it becomes quite clear that you can't salvage it, or if a pin even breaks off, then you probably have to admit defeat and try to sell the board as defective with bent pins, obviously taking a huge loss. And you have to really research how to properly do the CPU installation, i explain it a bit more in the thread i linked as well.

 

[rkiran154a02de]

I cleaned socket and here is video of bent pins. Is it salvageable?

Too many bent pins. If there were 1 or 2, I could have salvaged. I think I hv to get a new motherboard. This is konked surely

Seems like very brittle pins and got damaged during cpu installation first and second when I tried to remove excess paste from cpu

 

[mithun_aer14c402cc]

here are photos and video of my CPU. Is the CPU pins bent or is it re-usable?

here are the photos of the motherboard socket

https://imgur.com/a/D6EkDTe

[1]https://i.sstatic.net/pzwiV9rf.jpg

[enter image description here][2]H3bwQvAO.jpg

videos here:

Or is it possible that the motherboard CPU socket is konked?

kiran154a02de.1012249/ Why you are creating confusion in my thread? Please step away

 

[citay]

This is game over for that socket. Too much damage.

 

[rkiran154a02de]

That was not my intention.

 

[mithun_aer14c402cc]

No, they just print some marketing features of the board there, it has nothing to do with the slots.
Your slots are called DIMM (Dual inline memory module) A1 and B1,

View attachment 194636

On such a two-slot board, the left slot is to be populated first. But it's good to try both slots, if you only have a single module anyway.

Now, as to the performance issue of using a single module, which i alluded to. Always use a kit of two modules on a platform with dual-channel RAM (which means, on all current desktop motherboards), unless this is meant purely as an office PC where performance is irrelevant. If you use a single RAM module and thus only single-channel, the RAM bandwidth is cut in half. So your DDR5-5200 effectively turns into the performance of DDR5-2600, compared to using two modules.

So you see how this isn't the best solution to begin with. But of course, it should not cause the DRAM LED.

First of all, make sure you are waiting an ample amount of time for the initial memory training to complete, at least two minutes or so (but i take it that you have waited for quite some time already). Secondly, it can take a surprisingly large amount of force to properly insert a DDR5 module into the slot, see here, here, and here. So make sure the module is really pressed well into the slot and the plastic latches on both sides have engaged. Note that you cannot put a DDR4 module into a DDR5 board and vice versa, because the notch placement is different:

What you can do, check the CPU socket for bent pins. For that you would take off the CPU cooler, take out the CPU, and check for bent pins inside the CPU socket, which can easily happen from some mistake during CPU installation. Also see here and the following posts. While they are technically all bent, the pins all have to look completely uniform under light, the tips of the pins have to line up in a perfect pattern, with none visually sticking out from the rest. So if you have some pins that don't look like the others, then you really have some bent pins. Ideally take some photos of the socket, upload to an image hoster and link them here, even if you don't think there are bent pins (sometimes they are not that easy to spot for the untrained eye).

Lastly, i'm curious, what's your PSU and your CPU cooler?

My PSU is Ant Esports VS600L 600 watts
CPU cooler that comes with Intel i5 - 12400F. Do you think, is that any problem with compactibility?

 

[rkiran154a02de]

This is game over for that socket. Too much damage.

Done. Junking this motherboard

 

[rkiran154a02de]

My PSU is Ant Esports VS600L 600 watts
CPU cooler that comes with Intel i5 - 12400F. Do you think, is that any problem with compactibility?

I think you may have a problem similar to mine regarding bent pins. Psu and cooler will not hv such issues

 

[citay]

Done. Junking this CPU

Not the CPU, the CPU is fine! It's just the socket on the board that has the damage. Also, you can offer the motherboard for sale, instead of putting it to electronics recycling. There are valuable components on the board that could serve as donor parts, to repair other boards with. Some people buy such damaged boards, you'd be surprised.

My PSU is Ant Esports VS600L 600 watts
CPU cooler that comes with Intel i5 - 12400F. Do you think, is that any problem with compactibility?

I have only heard of the brand "Ant Esports" less than a handful of times, and only on this forum. They seem to be India-only (meaning, they cannot compete on the worldwide market, they only sell cheap PSUs in a price-sensitive local market). They are not listed on the 80PLUS website either with any model. There are no professional reviews to be found anywhere. Therefore i don't trust this PSU. Looking at this model, it is a low-end one with a very short warranty (one or two years, depending what website you believe).

If you go by my Guide: How to find a good PSU, this PSU would be completely disqualified in all points, personally i would replace it immediately. As well as replace the RAM with two modules. But i will be honest, both those things should normally not cause the DRAM LED. I mean, it's certainly worth a test, if you have a better PSU available, to try with that instead. But DRAM LED is a bit unusual to come from a bad PSU, although still theoretically possible.

I think you may have a problem similar to mine regarding bent pins. Psu and cooler will not hv such issues

Yes, as i already wrote in the reply he quoted. This should be checked early on. The cooler will not cause anything. The boxed cooler may be weak and noisy under load, but it has nothing to do with the DRAM LED if it was mounted correctly.

 

[mithun_aer14c402cc]

Can some please provide some guidance. Is that the issue with motherboard pins or CPU pins

 

[citay]

Pins look ok. The CPU underside, i've never really seen something wrong with its contact pads, so it's enough to show the socket pins. The most that can happen with the CPU's underside is maybe some thermal paste getting onto it somehow, then you'd clean it off with Isopropanol and some Q-tips.

So, with the socket pins looking fine, the focus goes back onto the RAM itself for now. It would be good if you could borrow different RAM for a test. Or, seeing how you use a single module, maybe you want to return that and get a kit of two modules, from a different brand for example.

 

[mithun_aer14c402cc]

Now DRAM light issue gone but getting VGA white light on motherboard and I am not using graphics card. Does it because of that if not how I can rectify it?

 

[citay]

Yes, an -F CPU like your model does not have a working iGPU, so you need a graphics card.