I think the computer technician is trying to scam me.
Posted by Distinct-Market-5509@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 75 comments
Guys, my new motherboard and processor arrived. I went to replace the kit and assembled everything correctly, but I got no display (it didn’t even boot into the motherboard BIOS). I took it to a technician, and he said that during the installation I corrupted the BIOS and that he would need to replace the BIOS chip. I did some quick research and talked to a friend, and I couldn’t find anything saying it’s possible to corrupt the BIOS just by assembling the PC. Is he being dishonest? What could be causing the no display issue?
CommandShot1398@reddit
He is scamming you. There is no way you can alter the bios without going into the bios.
1rkella@reddit
Merely assembling a PC will not "corrupt" the BIOS. The most common way to corrupt a BIOS would be losing power in the middle of a BIOS update, but that is a completely manual process you would have to consciously be doing.
If there is an actual problem with the board, it should be replaced under warranty, as replacing the BIOS chip will void the warranty.
Objective-Bike-4292@reddit
Static could fry the bios chip.
1rkella@reddit
If you can find me one person who has "fried" their BIOS chip with static, I will buy you a beer.
davyangel@reddit
Yeah replacing the actual BIOS chip was more common with old hardware or laptops that had no ability to reflash a corrupted bios update like you can nowadays. Pretty hard to destroy a BIOS chip now unless you pull the power plug while updating, which I admit I did once before before I knew better, because the BIOS update was taking too long and thought it was frozen!
Timely_Discussion859@reddit
Una vez cuando quise cambiar el procesador manche el socket de la mother con pasta térmica, en mi caso fue ese el problema pero se limpia
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
[removed]
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AimsLAC@reddit
Have you tested if your motherboard is getting power and not DOA?
I built my first PC last year, and after assembling everything and pressing power nothing happened... i troubleshot everything and it turned out to be a bad mobo. Exchanged for another one, and everything worked fine.
ro3lly@reddit
The only valid reason I can think is that you have a CPU that isnt supported out of the box by the motherboard, and what he really means is that he needs to flash your bios to get the mobo to support the CPU.
If that's not what he means, then there are 200 other reasons for the PC not to boot, and "corrupted bios needing to replace the bios chip" is like reason 199 on the list of things that can go wrong.
Distinct-Market-5509@reddit (OP)
R7 5700x + Soyo B450m
The-Numbertaker@reddit
Yeah in that case it seems likely if not certain that that motherboard won't run a 5000 series Ryzen out of the box, so the BIOS will need to be updated.
Beneficial-Ranger238@reddit
Updated, yes,but this guy is making it sound like surgery. He needs to flash it, not desolder a chip and replace it.
karmapopsicle@reddit
Board like this almost certainly doesn’t have any kind of CPU-less update function, so worst case you’d need a compatible older gen CPU of some sort to flash it. Quoting for desoldering and replacing the BIOS chip is wild though.
KazumaKat@reddit
That is the part that makes me call "scam". Any half-decent tech would have a spare CPU for a bios flash at least.
llmusicgear@reddit
Absolutely. I haven't been a tech in 15 years and I have dozens of cpus lol
cheap-meta-rider@reddit
Doesn't even have to have old processor, you can flash a bios directly to chip, there is a clip thing you put on chip and it connects it to a working PC.
k0ffiemolen@reddit
Yes, and sometimes you don't even need an adapter. My motherboard has a pin header for flashing the Bios. I was able to flash my Bios using an old Arduino, and a laptop running a flashrom utility, following this guide: https://tomvanveen.eu/flashing-bios-chip-arduino/
All I had to do was figure out the layout of that pin header on my motherboard, and how to connect it to the SPI interface of the Arduino.
Phoenix-190@reddit
I would say it's more likely they would have an SOIC8 clip and a flasher so they would be able to do most BIOS reprogramming on most mobos without needing a range of CPUs, or requiring a desolder. Shit, I've got the kit and I'm not a professional.
DJ_Sk8Nite@reddit
Well depending on how you can flash the board. I’ve actually had to flash a bios off board to update for CPU compatibility. Granted this was probably 2 times in 13 years.
Aim4_Falcon@reddit
Yeah, a b450 won't run 5000 series CPU, you need to get the bios updated
klibs@reddit
I used to own a B450 and had looked int this a bit.
B450 is older architecture that may not support newer chips. AMD claimed that they would support newer chips on B450 to some extent but may require bios update to do so. You should be able to find what is compatible with your specific motherboard / bios version via research.
If this is the case and you need to upgrade the bios you just need to use a supported CPU to boot, update bios, replace with new CPU.
Do some research to see if this is your situation
schaka@reddit
This would be true if this wasn't a Chinese made recent B450 and most certainly supports it out of the box
SexBobomb@reddit
b450 is still generally fine with ryzen 5000 series, but it will likely need a flash
arahman81@reddit
B450 needs to be updated for the 5000 series.
There was a later B450 MAX that came with 5000 support.
1rkella@reddit
Motherboards released before the 5000 series existed, yes. These are budget boards released well after the launch of the 5000 series, usually shipped with a BIOS already supporting the "current" AM4 chips at time of release.
1rkella@reddit
The Soyo B450m claims support from 1st gen all the way to 5th gen, which I would expect to cover the 5700x as an earlier 5th gen CPU.
arahman81@reddit
Any manual? The support on brand-name AM4s list bios updates for 5000 support.
For example.
1rkella@reddit
You're not going to find the sort of support for this board I imagine, but the board is frequently advertised as such on retail pages. (Link)
Although, I did notice that some postings only advertise it as supporting R5 CPUs, which is probably due to a poor VRM.
Manual (For what it's worth...)
prank_mark@reddit
Some motherboards will even let you update the bios without an old cpu
Pekkis2@reddit
When AMD released the 3000 series they had a campaign where you could borrow a basic CPU for the cost of shipping. This would allow you to do this yourself
feed_me_haribo@reddit
People aren't giving you a very clear answer. Go to Soyo's website. Find your mobo. Look at what is supported and confirm it has a bios that supports the 5700X. Download this on a freshly formatted USB drive. Just right click on the drive and format it on another computer. Put the USB drive in your computer and boot it.
Ouaouaron@reddit
Unless it supports a relatively uncommon feature, they're going to need a CPU that works with its current BIOS in order to update it to the BIOS compatible with the 5700X.
feed_me_haribo@reddit
Ah right unless it has a flash method. Mine does but I've never even heard of this brand.
taintedlegend@reddit
If you have any 3000 or older processor, you can use that to start the pc and flash the new bios needed for 5000 chips in the old 450 boards.
llmusicgear@reddit
If those guy couldn't flash a bios he certainly at best doesn't know what hes doing lol
HassanGulzar@reddit
This. And most technicians would do a bios update for free. If it's an AMD cpu, memory training first time may take upto 7 minutes so just leave it on. You can pay a modest fee for using any old cpu he might have to just to boot and update bios to latest and reinstall your cpu and apply thermal and cooling. I built a complete system from scratch including a bios update for 200 AED total.
VoraciousGorak@reddit
Or just ill-informed.
With the lack of substantiative information you've given us, literally anything.
What are your PC specs? Did you check the socket for any bent pins? Any error LEDs or beep codes?
Distinct-Market-5509@reddit (OP)
Specs: Ryzen 7 5700X (brand new, straight out of the box) Soyo B450M (brand new) 16GB RAM from my old setup (working perfectly before) RX 580 8GB from my old setup (also working perfectly) 650W Corsair power supply Additional info: No bent pins No error lights All fans and RGB turn on and work perfectly Just no display at all
windowpuncher@reddit
Remove the GPU for now and use the mobo video output and see if that helps.
mig_f1@reddit
The 5700x does not have iGPU. Their only way to get a display signal is via their GPU.
windowpuncher@reddit
Well shit that makes things super fun.
ucwepn@reddit
Well in laymen terms flashing the bios is like replacing the bios but it’s not replacing the chip, b550 with with 5000 series out of the box, b350 and b450 need to be flashed to run 5000 series.
windowpuncher@reddit
Dude has a new B450m, so who knows which bios it has. Could be either, I'm guessing the non-5000 version.
schaka@reddit
Soyo B450 is a Chinese board made after the 5000,series was even released
ucwepn@reddit
Edited it lol ikr
schaka@reddit
Since it's a Chinese Soyo, it's possible he determined that the bios on the chip is fucked (rather than lacking 5000 series support).
You didn't do this, but those boards started being produced long after the 5000 series. So it should have worked out of the box
If the bios needs to be flashed, attaching an external clip can be more effort and finnicky than soldering for someone who has the skills and equipment for the latter.
So it's either this specific scenario, or he just needs to flash with an older CPU or needed to reset CMOS and is trying to scam you.
But from what I know about those boards from AliExpress, it shouldn't need a bios update. So if he determined the chip has a corrupt bios, soldering may be required and at least be faster than a clip on
Vivus_Mortuus@reddit
Checked on the specs for that mobo, as the other guys said, the bios need a reflash because is running on bios ver. F50 and it should be F62. Btw you just need a usb with the bios files and it takes like 4 mins or less to update.
Distinct-Market-5509@reddit (OP)
Alright, I’ll try to update the BIOS on Monday since the PC is still with the technician for the weekend. I’ll keep you guys updated
ferretpaint@reddit
Since no one asked yet and the OP hasn't said specifically, Do you have a GPU?
The 5700x doesnt have onboard graphics and requires a discrete gpu.
Distinct-Market-5509@reddit (OP)
As I already mentioned, I have an RX 580 8GB, and I’m aware that the Ryzen 7 5700X doesn’t have integrated graphics.
Suitable_Mix8553@reddit
I had to update my b440 to latest BIOS version to get my 5700x3d going (didn't even try without, just looked at cpu support page said the version needed)
AMD used to have loaner CPUs they will send you to get BIOS flashed, not sure if they still do that or not. Maybe you guy has one, if not some boards can flash with no cpu installed
Distinct-Market-5509@reddit (OP)
I have a Ryzen 5 1600AF — can I use it to update the BIOS? If this really is a case of an outdated BIOS, is it normal for it not to even boot into the BIOS at all?”
daegon@reddit
Yes, this is the correct procedure. If the bios does not support the CPU, you usually get spinning fans and no POST.
aragorn18@reddit
Yes, that's normal
bnelson333@reddit
I'll never understand people who say "I did everything right but it doesn't work". Bro, you didn't do everything right, obviously. Until you know what the problem is, you can never say with any confidence what the problem isn't.
Vloxalion@reddit
what cpu and mobo was it, and what are the two replacements? if it was a 1st gen ryzen being replaced by a 5000 series, you needed to update the bios first because there's a cutoff on older cpus vs newer, depending on what the cpus and mobo is.
that technician has never heard of a programmer? sus. you can directly write to the bios chip with one. plus modern mobos have the bios chip soldered, he'd need to desolder the old and solder in the new, but that's only if its damaged/broken, not just for corrupted firmware.
monitor was plugged into gpu not mobo right? and you waited for the ram to retrain? and everything was plugged in or assembled properly like ram being seated?
Distinct-Market-5509@reddit (OP)
Specs: Ryzen 7 5700X (brand new, straight out of the box) Soyo B450M (brand new) 16GB RAM from my old setup (working perfectly before) RX 580 8GB from my old setup (also working perfectly) 650W Corsair power supply Additional info: No bent pins No error lights All fans and RGB turn on and work perfectly Just no display at all Monitor connected to the GPU Waited around 5–10 minutes and still no display Everything appears to be assembled correctly, including the RAM
novelfanatic@reddit
Since the graphics card is old try plugging the cord into the motherboard itself to get into bios and then change the boot mode to legacy/ compatability mode. I had this as an issue when upgrading my parts and this fixed it for me
Ouaouaron@reddit
AM4 Ryzens don't have onboard graphics unless the product name includes a G. It's incredibly inconvenient when trying to help friends troubleshoot.
Vloxalion@reddit
was looking on soyo's website, there's two b450m boards, the black one definitely supports the 5700x since the board came out in 2023 which was the next year after the cpu came out, can't find info on the white one though the driver/bios option doesn't pop up the information like the other one, but i assume that one it is also good there.
try clearing cmos is the only other thing i can think of, unless one or the other is defective somehow, but no error lights... can't be that your gpu is one of the ones incompatible with uefi bios? unlikely.
klibs@reddit
Do your own research on if these are compatible. You should be able to see exactly what bios version your new motherboard came with. Look up docs on this mobo to confirm support with your CPU and if you need a later bios version
Blazie151@reddit
And this is why I still own a 1500x... Why sell it for $15 when it can save me time in case I need to update an old BIOS?
Interesting_Cut_4769@reddit
Yes it's a scam, you should have researched your motherboard compatibility first or bought a motherboard with USB flashback. Your only option at this point is hope a friend owns a 3000 series cpu or return the board and get a b550 one. Bios flashers exist but if you didn't check to see if the board supports the cpu I doubt you'll be using one
WizardMoose@reddit
Corrupted BIOS? Not really a thing for a fresh build.
I'm assuming you're on AM4, using a B450 motherboard, and tried putting a Ryzen 5000 chip in it. The technician, I imagine has an old 2000 or 3000 Ryzen chip they can throw in, download the newest BIOS for the mobo, update it, then put your chip back in, and have it working.
The fact that they're using the term "Corrupted BIOS" is a huge red flag.
Bad_Company_Sr@reddit
Inspect the motherboard very closely, it is possible that the board has markings telling you the version of the BIOS installed.
globaldu@reddit
While I'm sure you're sure, we all make mistakes. Check you've got all cables fitted correctly. Strip it and rebuild it, taking the board out of the case to check for a motherboard riser or stray screw that could be shorting.
Why have you got a new motherboard and cpu? What are you upgrading from? Are you using the old memory? What PSU?
Assuming it's a BIOS issue, because the tech guy said it is...
Perhaps you misheard and thought he said "BIOS chip" when really he only said "BIOS" ?
Regardless, it'll cost you more to get the BIOS flashed/replaced than it would to return/replace the board.
Does the description on the vendor's website say the board supports that processor?
Contact the company and tell them that you think the BIOS version doesn't support the processor out of the box and ask them what they suggest... they'll likely have a similar spec board in stock which they'll swap.
acomputertech2@reddit
ask him to create a video of him replacing the bios chip.
dc_IV@reddit
De-soldering a BIOS chip and putting a new one on is a really big hammer to use when the shop should have a tray of test CPU. They should have a 3000 Series, that they can then temp install and update the BIOS to the Soyo version that added 5000 Series support. As a matter of fact, if the shop is a bit unethical, I could see a charge for a full BIOS Chip replacement, but then all that was done was a BIOS update. The shop still spent time, but not as long as a heat gun to flow the solder balls so they could swap a BIOS chip. Also, does the shop even have an external programmer? Anyways, hope it works out.
bizdady@reddit
I'm here for the update. I'm thinking either bio update or try a cmos clear, maybe different GPU?
Saywhuuuuuut@reddit
Did you try to update the bios with an USB drive by any chance?
HaLo2FrEeEk@reddit
When I built my PC, my motherboard was slightly out of date compared to the CPU, so it wouldn't POST. It needed a BIOS update in order to support the newer CPU, but without a compliant CPU I couldn't do the BIOS update...
I ended up having to RMA it back to the manufacturer and they did the BIOS update for me.
This is likely the issue you're having.
Accomplished_Emu_658@reddit
Shouldn’t need a bios chip. Trying to rip you off. Bios needs to be updated sure. Thats probably all they will do. And claim they replaced chip
spyder81@reddit
It’s possibly a scam, but more likely he is misinformed. Both are reasons to find another tech.
Find one that can look up the specs and suggest whether a bios update would fix the issue, then apply the update.
RumbleTheCassette@reddit
Do not pay anyone to do maintenance on your system. If there's an issue, return it for a refund. If you need to pay the guy to assemble it or update the BIOS (read: update the BIOS not install a new BIOS chip) that's fine, but if a new chip were needed you just need to return it.