Source
r/buildapc•
Resounding

Is my B450 Tomahawk bricked?

Solved!

Last night I was setting up my first PC build. Here are the specs:

TypeItem
CPUAMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor
MotherboardMSI - B450 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard
MemoryADATA - XPG GAMMIX D10 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory
StorageWestern Digital - Blue 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
StorageSeagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video CardSapphire - Radeon RX VEGA 64 8 GB NITRO+ Video Card
CasePhanteks - Eclipse P300 Tempered Glass (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power SupplySeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
MonitorNixeus - NX-EDG27 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor

I set everything up yesterday for the first time, and after limited troubleshooting (RAM not well-seated), I was able to boot up into the B450 Tomahawk BIOS with all components showing up without any apparent issues. Note: my mobo was ordered about three weeks ago.

Per the recommendation on the Paul's Hardware PC Build video, at this time I went to the B450 Tomahawk support page and downloaded the latest BIOS version. Version 7C02v17 at this link is exactly what I downloaded. I put the unzipped version of the file on a usb thumb drive, plugged it into the mobo, rebooted into the M-flash, navigated to the BIOS update file on the usb thumb drive, and began the update. The update process was working at first, but at around 20% progress, the computer just abruptly died. I did not lose power in my apartment or anything, so I'm led to believe that something related to the mobo just messed up supremely.

Obviously now, my mobo is a zombie. It powers on all the GPU and system fans and CPU fans, but won't post.

What are my options from here? Is the mobo recoverable in anyway (e.g., using BIOS flashback)?

Posted Apr 13, 2019, 12:05 PM UTC

27
svenge•

Try following the steps on page 41 of the manual for BIOS flashback.

2
ResoundingOP•

The steps are a little Engrish-y so there are some things that are unclear.

  1. Is it OK if I try this while everything is still hooked up? Aka the mobo is still hooked up to all the power, GPU, case LEDs/switches, monitor, and keyboard. I have disconnected from HDDs/SSDs though.
  2. Should the mobo be powered up or not during this process?
  3. How long do I have to press the FLASHBACK+ button? Wait until the associated LED starts flashing?
1
svenge•

  1. I would disconnect everything but the power supply, CPU, and RAM.

  2. I believe that you begin the process with the motherboard not being powered on. It makes the most sense given the context involved.

  3. That sounds right, but it's not like I've ever undertaken such a procedure.

1
ResoundingOP•

Just as an update, this did not work. I tried this method with the v14 (the BIOS that my mobo shipped with), v15, and v17 BIOS versions. Each time the FLASHBACK+ LED would blink three times, but never more than that. I also tried each version from both powered-on and unpowered states. And I removed literally everything from the mobo (including the CPU). The only items connected were the ATX power, CPU power, and I tried both with and without the case power switch connect to the appropriate JFP1 pins. Pictures for those who may be curious.

The usb drive used was a FAT32 8gb, with filename changed to MSI.ROM as well.

1
ResoundingOP•

Final update: It is fixed. I went to Walmart and got another usb thumb drive for the BIOS flashback; followed the same process and this time it worked. I guess the mobo didn't like the first one I was using. Note: this was still with everything disconnected from the board except for the 24pin and additional CPU 8pin power, and the power switch. Thanks to all. So if you have a b450 Tomahawk, rest assured that even if you manage to fuck up as bad as having a shutdown mid-BIOS-update, it can still be salvaged without RMA.

2
hiwhiwhiw•

The thing about BIOS is, you don't update if everything works perfectly

1
ResoundingOP•

Yeah, really wish it wasn't recommended in the guide I watched. I didn't know any better.

1