ASUS Pro WS X570 Ace won't boot with Micron DDR4-3200 ECC DIMM in slot B

Hardware Hub Motherboards
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Hi all. I’m putting together a new workstation for software development and virtualization and need some help.

  • MB: ASUS Pro WS X570 Ace (bought used from coworker)
  • CPU: Ryzen 3900x (brand new)
  • RAM: 2x Micron MTA18ASF4G72AZ-3G2B1 32GB DDR4-3200 ECC (brand new)

I spent a lot of time over the weekend debugging trying to get this combo to work. The motherboard manual says to populate memory slots. A2 and B2 first. However, no matter what I do it won’t boot with any combination of DIMMs in memory slot B1 or B2. Even if just a single stick of RAM is installed in the motherboard in either B1 or B2, it shows the yellow RAM fault light and there is no display.

The motherboard recognizes the RAM as 3200 MHz and the latency as 22, which matches the spec. It will boot with one stick in A2, or one stick each in A1 and A2 (so 64GB in one channel). However, the maximum frequency setting that will consistently boot is 3000, and sometimes that fails to start up. The maximum stable frequency I’ve found is 2933 for one DIMM or 2 in the A slots.

I’ve updated BIOS to the latest (2206), reset to default settings, cleared the RTC, reduced memory speed in increments all the way down to 2133, swapped a bunch of BIOS variables around, and swapped each DIMM stick between slots in all combinations. But it will never boot dual channel and it’s not stable over 3000 MHz.

Others here have this exact setup working: Anybody seen Samsung/Micron/Hynix 32 GB DDR4-3200 ECC UDIMMs in the wild?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

2

I think it is a motherboard issue. I guess it could also be CPU issue, one full memory channel not working, but I think its less likely.

Here are maybe some things to check:

  • Is there any damage on the cpu? Pins bend?
  • Is there any damage on the motherboard (front and back)? A scratch from a screwdriver can damage the circuit lines.
  • Is there anything that can cause a short circuit on the solder joints on the b memory slots? Maybe an old motherboard height pin (how do you call those?)
  • Did your coworker use the b memory slots? Maybe he had it running in single channel because it wouldn’t boot in the other slots and thought it was normal / didn’t notice?
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3

This unfortunately sounds like a hardware defect (CPU or motherboard).

Is the co-worker you bought the motherboard from a “dick”?

Otherwise you can ask if

  • You could borrow a CPU from him (if it fixes the issues RMA your CPU)
  • He/she/it could do an ASUS RMA with the motherboard, IF ASUS only does warranty service for the original buyer.

I have bricked my ASUS Pro WS X570-ACE with a BIOS setting permanently and already contacted ASUS support.

There you just type in the SN of the motherboard to create a ticket, I guess since the motherboard cannot be older than the warranty period they don’t ask for an invoice from the original buyer.

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Thanks for the suggestions. I was careful in assembling everything.

  • I pulled the CPU back out. No bent pins and everything looks in order
  • I can’t see any damage to the MB
  • I can see the RAM socket solder joints from the back, and they all look normal
  • All the standoffs were in the right place
  • Coworker said they had all 4 slots filled and working (they are not local to me)

I went all over the build again and it looks fine visually.

5

Hmm, swapping parts would be my next move.

Any friend, local tech community/website or levelonetech forum member that lives close by and willing to help you? Or the local computer shop?

On a local second hand website sometimes people offer cpu’s on a loan for other people to flash their bios.

Asking on a tech website in your country might connect you to people willing to help you.

Buying a Ryzen 3100 or 3200g is pretty cheap and you can resell it without much loss.

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6

I may have a little too little faith in humanity left but I wonder if your co-worker dumped the board on you since “fast” memory speeds were impossible to get stable.

I’ve not encountered any X470 or X570 motherboard so far that was unable to boot DDR4-3200 with DDR4-3200 memory modules and a Zen 2 CPU/APU.

My tummy says that some DRAM traces in the multi-layered PCB of your unit might be damaged (either faulty production or it might have happened due to physical stress during transport).

(would be a rather quick warranty replacement case)

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Thanks again for all the suggestions. Ultimately, I decided to give up on this build and send everything back.

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I’m sorry to hear that.

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