Brand new Z390 Aorus Master & 9900KF wont boot - Flicking PSU switch blinks mobo lights once than turning pc on does nothing no debug lights or codes.

AJ84763

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Apr 29, 2020
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Hi All,

Just wanted to see if I'm missing something. I bought a new Z390 Aorus Master and a 9900KF on Monday to do a new build, being stuck at home for 4 weeks has suddenly given me the itch to go back into water cooling.
I'll get the basics out of the way first, yes all the cables are plugged in correctly, no nothing seems damaged and all the CPU pins seem fine.There's nothing physically visible which should stop this from working.
Firstly I should probably check one thing, should you need RAM in the system to boot? I've never had any issues with RAM so I've never had to worry about it, but trying to go down to the lowest common denominator, and googling and getting a yes and a no answer I'm not sure.
I've tried both with and without my corsair vengance pro RGB white RAM, can't remember the speed specs but neither with or without makes any difference.Only thing that changes the behavior is if I remove the CPU, then I get the CPU red light on the debug light. If the CPU is installed I get jack, no codes, no lights, I can't even see the LED that indicates whether your on BIOS one or BIOS two lighting up.

Experience has taught me to ALWAYS test the board and cpu on the box, don't build then have to rip everything out and start again. So I did this and I'm glad I did, upon powering the board for the first time I see the LEDs behind the Aorus logo on the chipset heatsink, and also on the ESS Saber logo covering the audio section, flash white for a split second then stay off. There's the first issue, aren't the lights suppose to stay on? Originally I thought nothing of it, tried to turn the board on with the power switch at the back and bubkus, nothing happened.No debug LEDs, no RGB rainbow puke, no Q LED post codes, no beeps, nothing.

I reduced down components, clearing the CMOS and removing the battery for 10 minutes after removing each component but unfortunately that changed nothing. Switching the BIOS switch to the backup BIOS also unfortunately changed nothing. I got down to only the CPU, both EPS cables, and the 24 pin, nothing else connected (no storage, no RAM, no GPU, nothing bar board and CPU). I tried removing the CPU and then got the red LED on the board above CPU, but re connecting brought me back to square one.

Since my power supply was a little old, a RM1000i, I decided I should try get a new PSU. Today I picked up a new AX850 (unfortunately everyone locally is sold out of the 1000 and I'm stuck to either the AX or HX as my custom cable mod cables only support those otherwise I would of moved to Seasonic). Hooked it up and this time I at least got the rainbow puke on my RAM but that sadly was the only thing to change. Just to make sure there's nothing wrong with the PSU I tried to boot my old i3 2100 system with both the old and new PSU and both worked fine.

I checked the masters CPU page and noticed that you need F7 or F8 for the 9900KF anyone know which one is required? The table has two lines with the exact same entries but different stepping and different bios minimums, but I'm not sure which stepping I would have. A few questions/clarifications I was looking for:

1: My board has the serial number starting sn2001500. My interpretation of SNs is the first lot should be the DOM which should work out to is it was made in the 1st week of 2020. Is that correct? If it is then I should already be on the latest BIOS so that should not be the issue.

2: The master does not support Q-Flash Plus does it? Obviously since the board wont boot the only way to update the bios would be with that, but AFAIK, and since the manual makes no mention of it, this board does not support it.

3: Is there anything else I can try to diagnose where the issue lies? I have already submitted a online ticket with support and am waiting their response, but was hoping here would be able to provide a speedier resolution. I've exhausted all me usual steps, normally removing a component or clearing CMOS resolves the issue but it seems like I've just gotten a dead out of the box board. Which unfortunately would be the third time this has happened EeK2FQVh3Ae7YoVg0RdQ.png

What worries me is this is exactly the same behavior I was experiencing with my Z170 formula when I built my last PC. Well kinda, the lights were staying on but when I hit the power button nothing would happen like the power button was not working or something. Turned out the CPU was dead and had to send it back to intel for replacement. With the whole human malware thing going on at the moment god knows how long that will take! And initially I had my 2080ti strix connected as well, if that's gone as well oh dear I'm going to need a straight jacket or something.....
 
System will not boot without a video card since the KF doesn't have an IGP and no boot without RAM. Regardless, it sounds like a defective board or one without the proper BIOS version. Can you borrow a different gen Intel chip from someone to try it out?

Anyway, did you buy the board online or at a B&M store? I would exchange the board if able.
 
No I was using both stock cables for their respective PSU. Unfortunately the store I bought the board from isn't taking returns at the moment thanks to this whole human malware thing.

Might see if I can find a store that's open and grab a g5400, the product page says that should work on the launch bios and will tell me if it's the board or cpu. Kinda expensive way to confirm that though, I don't have any other z390 boards so I wouldn't be able to use it once I'm done.
 
Sounds like mobo might be DOA. The LEDs are supposed to stay on once PSU is switched on and no power button pressed. Then you would get qcodes once the power button is pressed. You've ruled out the PSU so it's likely the mobo.
 
No I was using both stock cables for their respective PSU.
OK, it's just odd that you had different symptoms with each PSU you tested. You said, on the first power on using the old PSU, the LEDs flashed white for a second and then went out. You bought a new PSU and on first turn on with it, you saw rainbow puke on the RAM. That's weird. If the MB is dead, the results should be the same no matter which PSU is powering it. Something doesn't add up.
 
OK, it's just odd that you had different symptoms with each PSU you tested. You said, on the first power on using the old PSU, the LEDs flashed white for a second and then went out. You bought a new PSU and on first turn on with it, you saw rainbow puke on the RAM. That's weird. If the MB is dead, the results should be the same no matter which PSU is powering it. Something doesn't add up.

I think my original RM1000i was faulty hence why I got a different result. Well it was working on my old board but when connecting it to the master it would not work then connecting it to my old board it again would not work despite lighting up the board Leds. I even tried the pin in pin 4 and 5 to see if the fan spins and it did not spin. Hence why i bought the new AX850.
 
Im starting to think that its the cpu as when i remive it then i at least get the cpu debug led to light up. Im assuming the cpu needs to be installed for the post codes to show up? The last time i had these symptoms it was indeed a dead 7700k hence why i suspect its the cpu not the board. If it was the board you wouldn't see it turn on at all would you?
 
Im starting to think that its the cpu as when i remive it then i at least get the cpu debug led to light up. Im assuming the cpu needs to be installed for the post codes to show up? The last time i had these symptoms it was indeed a dead 7700k hence why i suspect its the cpu not the board. If it was the board you wouldn't see it turn on at all would you?

You can get a variety of symptoms on busted mobos. But it's rare to get a DOA cpu, certainly not impossible though. Can you post a pic of the cpu socket pins? I could easily tell you if there's problem there.
 
CPU sockets fine none of the pins are bent.

Just re connected the whole system with only obe RAM stick in slot A1 and it seems nothing has changed. Plugged the cmos battery back in (took it out last night before going to bed) flicked the psu on, tje rgb effects on the board flashed white once then turned off. Turned the board on and the ram lit up but nothing else happened.

Im thinking the CPU is stuffed, my understanding is a board should power up which it kinda is doing powering the ram and my mouse and keyboard, than run a self test which when the cpu is in it's not doing. If i remove the cpu then it does that and lights up the cpu debug led so its getting a step further without the cpu hence why im suspecting it as the culprit.

One other thing i just noticed there seems to be a missing trace on the second last PCIE finger on my 2080ti. Is that normal? Ive attached a pic, apologies for the noisieness never understood why android phones always take such noisy photos never had that problem on iOS.
 

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thats normal

you had a dead 7700k and now you think you have a dead 9900kf? the odds on two faulty CPUs to the same user are extremely low.
i bet its a bios issue. your board has a socketed bios chip. contact gigabyte and have them send you a new bios chip with the latest bios.

i had to do that for my 10980xe and x299dark. its easy to do, and MUCH FASTER that a RMA. it should be a really painless process

you need bios f8 since you cant ell what stepping your CPU is. and no it doesnt appear to support qflash plus. which is bullshit on a board that expensive. socketed bios but no flash plus? thats a joke
 
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thats normal

you had a dead 7700k and now you think you have a dead 9900kf? the odds on two faulty CPUs to the same user are extremely low.
i bet its a bios issue. your board has a socketed bios chip. contact gigabyte and have them send you a new bios chip with the latest bios.

i had to do that for my 10980xe and x299dark. its easy to do, and MUCH FASTER that a RMA. it should be a really painless process

you need bios f8 since you cant ell what stepping your CPU is. and no it doesnt appear to support qflash plus. which is bullshit on a board that expensive. socketed bios but no flash plus? thats a joke

Unfortunately Gigabyte are not that easy to deal with when it comes to customer support. They want me to return it to the reseller for return to them for testing, after explaining that there closed at the moment and are not processing returns they don't seem to care.
This is exactly why I stopped buying their products, wish I stuck with my policy but unfortunately there boards were the only ones in stock here, everyone else have stopped selling Z390 in preparation for Z490s launch.
 
I would bet it's an incompatible bios. Could be the newer stepping KF that works with bios F8 or you might have the older F4 bios on board. Either way, you very likely don't have a bad CPU.
 
It's not the BIOS, Gigabyte confirmed any board with a SN20 starting serial already has the latest F8 out of the box.
 
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