If there is a solid dram light on motherboard during my first boot What should I do?

[charlesrich]

I have just finished assembling my new pc, but when I hit the power button everything lights up except the monitor is black, and has a red dram light on motherboard. I've tried reseating the RAM sticks as well as just sticking one of the sticks in different sockets, and I cannot get it to do anything. is this a compatibility issue with the CPU, or a possibility of having a dead RAM and/or I'm using a DDR5 kit and I've heard they can take a long time to "train" on the first boot answered by M.R. incurred 2 Passwords, Mageson, December 6 its normal to wait more than 5 minutes for the light to go off? Any troubleshooting steps that I may not have been able to do will be highly appreciated.

 

[rebeccareed]

It is actually true that DDR5 memory training exists particularly on AM5 platforms. It is also not uncommon to have to spend 2-5 minutes to boot up on a first boot. You may be just interrupting the process in case you have been turning of the power after 60 seconds. At least do not touch it in 10 minutes. Also, consult your motherboard manual specifically on the slots that are recommended; in most cases, with two sticks, it would be slots A2 and B2 (2nd and 4th slots).

 

[AngieMacal]

You are in the DDR5 Waiting Simulator. You have just wasted thousands of dollars on an expensive machine only to sit there and stare at a little red light ten minutes like it is a campfire. It takes more than fifteen minutes to boot; then, you are a successful creator of an extremely expensive space heater.

 

[Ghausmakin]

When the training of the memory is not the problem, the solid DRAM light may be the actual symptom of the problem in the mounting of the CPU. The memory controller is an inseparable part of the CPU; in case of uneven mounting pressure or when there are curved pins in the LGA socket, the CPU will not be able to communicate with the RAM DIMMs. I would suggest to relax the CPU cooler a bit or the last option which is pulling out the CPU which would examine the socket to identify any misaligned pins.

 

[captainghost]

the early boot is always the most difficult "will it/won't it" of your life. That red light is merely a motherboard telling you that she is thinking and you should leave her alone. Take a coffee break, go and watch a YouTube video, and cease hovering over the power button. It senses your fear.

 

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

Have you checked to make sure that the RAM is in place? The DDR5 slots are also infamous and sometimes individuals fear to press enough until they hear the second click. The pins are not making contact in case the clips on the top and bottom are not perfectly aligned. Poke it with your finger, till you think you are going to break the board--then it is in, all right.

 

[jameswill8520]

I was as panicked with my new build as well! My BIOS took almost 7 minutes to appear. After the initial training of the memory, the next pair of boots will be much quicker. Don't give up yet! as well, find out whether your motherboard has the Flash BIOS button on the back; in some cases, a BIOS update will be necessary merely to allow the board to work with the newer faster DDR5 kits.

 

[TaylorTravels]

Reset CMOS. Remove the coin battery and set it aside 30s and replace it and attempt to boot again with 1 stick in the second slot. Wait 10 mins.

 

[Lugwig]

I understand your pitifulness. My initial construction had a defective RAM stick immediately and it made me insane during the two day period. In case you have tried the individual sticks in each of the individual slots and it fails to POST after 10 minutes of waiting, it is most likely that you have a Dead on Arrival (DOA) kit. Do you know one of your friends that has a DDR5 system that you can test your sticks?

 

[AnnP111966]

Wait until you have training, but when that light is not blinking and is RED all the way up, and you have waited more than five minutes then it probably is not training. In most cases, the light will be flickering or shifting colors throughout the training. A hard failure is known as a solid red hang. Test the CPU power cables (EPS 8-pin) in the upper-left of the board; they should be slipped into position or the memory controller will not have any power.

 

[HeatherMun]

Building a PC is the test of time. The digital creation has a long way to go but the first hurdle is the DRAM light. It could be a malfunction in hardware or it could be mere learning of the silicon to communicate with the memory but either way this is a rite of passage to any builder. We learn the most where the silence of a non-POSTing machine is concerned.