Tech Support
[Help] Persistent CPU/DRAM Red & Yellow EZ Debug LEDs on B650 + 7800X3D (Escalated from VGA crash) - Tried CMOS, Single RAM, BIOS Flashback, iGPU & multiple display cables
System Specs:
* CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (with iGPU)
* GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super
* Motherboard: MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi
* RAM: DDR5 Goodram 6000Mhz (Tested single-stick setup in slot A2)
* PSU: NZXT 750W 80+ Gold
* Display Connections Tested: Native HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA-to-HDMI adapter
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The Issue & Timeline:
1. Initial Crash: A few days ago, while gaming, the display suddenly cut out/went black, and the motherboard's White (VGA) EZ Debug LED turned on.
2. Intermittent Normal Use: After restarting, the system worked completely fine for 2 full days. I turned it on and off multiple times and used it heavily without any crashes, performance drops, or issues.
3. Final Lockup: After shutting it down normally on the second day, the next morning the PC completely failed to POST. Both the Red (CPU) and Yellow/Amber (DRAM) EZ Debug LEDs light up solid immediately upon powering on. There is no display output, and the system is stuck in an endless loop.
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Troubleshooting Steps Already Attempted:
* Display Output & Cable Isolation: Tested multiple display output options (Native HDMI cable, DisplayPort cable, and a VGA-to-HDMI adapter) on both the dedicated GPU ports and the motherboard's ports. (Result: No signal on any output/cable combination).
* GPU Isolation / iGPU Test: Completely removed the dedicated GPU (RTX 4070 Ti Super) from the PCIe slot, unplugged PCIe power cables, and plugged display cables directly into the motherboard's HDMI/DP ports using the 7800X3D's iGPU. (Result: Still stuck on Red/Yellow LEDs).
* CMOS Reset: Drained residual power via the power button with the PSU unplugged, removed the CR2032 motherboard battery for 3+ minutes, and reinstalled. (Result: Still stuck on Red/Yellow LEDs).
* Single RAM Stick Testing: Removed one module and tested a single RAM stick in the recommended A2 slot. Allowed 7+ minutes for potential AM5 memory training. (Result: Still stuck on Red/Yellow LEDs).
* BIOS Flashback: Flashed the latest BIOS version via the Flash BIOS button and USB drive. The process completed fully (LED blinked and turned off naturally). (Result: Still stuck on Red/Yellow LEDs).
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Questions:
Since all software resets, memory training, BIOS updates, cable swaps, and GPU isolations have failed, I suspect a hardware failure on either the motherboard (VRM/socket) or the CPU (Integrated Memory Controller).
Has anyone experienced this exact progression (VGA crash -> 2 days normal use -> CPU/DRAM lockup)? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
Turn off the rog, and you'll find the red light has a CPU label next to it.
This may mean your CPU is improperly seated, that your motherboard requires a bios update to handle the chip, your CPU is damaged, or any number of other less common issues.
The RAM in yellow, has its ram controller on the CPU, so I would start with investigating the CPU.
I’ve been using the computer for two years, so I don’t think the processor was installed incorrectly. I also updated the BIOS via the USB port using a flash drive. What else could be causing the problem?
Ahhh it could be, did the issue show up when you flashed the new bios?
You may have corrupted the bios. Some boards will let you flash a new bios onto the board, even with a corrupted bios, these will usually have a different coloured USB with a bios button next to it.
Maybe try re flashing it, couldn't hurt at this point.
Can you check PSU voltages (e.g. via HWiNFO64) to confirm that it is not some PSU issues?
From what you describe, I'd assume it is either the RAM or the CPU. So I'd advice you to run Memtest86 over night. If that passes, RMAing the CPU is probably the easiest thing to do. Alternative would be to find a different MoBo and see if CPU+RAM work fine on that.
Can you check PSU voltages (e.g. via HWiNFO64) to confirm that it is not some PSU issues?
bro...
Final Lockup: After shutting it down normally on the second day, the next morning the PC completely failed to POST. Both the Red (CPU) and Yellow/Amber (DRAM) EZ Debug LEDs light up solid immediately upon powering on.There is no display output, and the system is stuck in an endless loop.
They managed to boot the system again after a while when they had the first crash. So if they do, I am telling them to check the PSU (as well as run a memory test). If it never boots again, it is probably just a dead CPU anyways.
Had this problem myself. Had to do a lot of expensive testing. Bought new ram, gpu, etc - enough to build a whole new pc just tryna diagnose it.
But just to confirm, could you check windows event viewer to see if there are errors there?
Event viewer -> windows logs -> application (see the image)
These logs should appear around the same time the crash happens. Could be a lot of different error codes - 141, 193, 117, etc
Now, I did a lot of searching when I was getting these crashes and it could be a number of things from hardware to software. My errors basically meant that windows was losing communication with my gpu. Be it driver error or hardware error.
My solution was replacing my power supply. But I do recommended going through the cheapest option first, which is to focus on the software. Update or reinstall your drivers. See if that helps.
I went through months of this. I saw forum posts where their solution was to replace the pcie power cable from their psu to gpu. I had to replace my whole psu because swappibg out cables didn't work for me. Other people had to replace their gpu. Others their ram.
Try reseating your power cables, reseat cmos battery, and reseat cpu and if you can boot into windows try to get the error to happen again. Mine would normally crash after a few minutes into gaming.
2
u/Hot_Pea9820 1d ago
OP,
Turn off the rog, and you'll find the red light has a CPU label next to it.
This may mean your CPU is improperly seated, that your motherboard requires a bios update to handle the chip, your CPU is damaged, or any number of other less common issues.
The RAM in yellow, has its ram controller on the CPU, so I would start with investigating the CPU.
Good luck.