# MSI 970A-G43 and FX-6300 Problem



## LFaWolf (Jul 2, 2018)

Recently I did a build for a loaner machine with an MSI 970A-G43 and and AMD FX-6300. After plugging all the components in, the machine booted up and had no video. I tested all the components one by one and they all worked fine. I figured it was the motherboard so I swapped the CPU with another spare FX-6300 and the machine booted right up. So I thought a dead CPU then. But then I put the CPU in 2 other boards, a Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P FX and ASRock Fatal1ty970 Performance, and both boards booted up. Okay, put the CPU back into the MSI 970A-G43 and once again, booted with no video. I am quite puzzled. Could a particular CPU be incompatible with a board? I always thought a CPU is just a CPU. It should work everywhere. 

It is a loaner machine that I loan out to others when they get virus or other problems. It would hardly get used so I don't care much about how poor the VRM of the 970A-G43, but still, that is a strange problem.


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## eidairaman1 (Jul 2, 2018)

LFaWolf said:


> Recently I did a build for a loaner machine with an MSI 970A-G43 and and AMD FX-6300. After plugging all the components in, the machine booted up and had no video. I tested all the components one by one and they all worked fine. I figured it was the motherboard so I swapped the CPU with another spare FX-6300 and the machine booted right up. So I thought a dead CPU then. But then I put the CPU in 2 other boards, a Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P FX and ASRock Fatal1ty970 Performance, and both boards booted up. Okay, put the CPU back into the MSI 970A-G43 and once again, booted with no video. I am quite puzzled. Could a particular CPU be incompatible with a board? I always thought a CPU is just a CPU. It should work everywhere.
> 
> It is a loaner machine that I loan out to others when they get virus or other problems. It would hardly get used so I don't care much about how poor the VRM of the 970A-G43, but still, that is a strange problem.



It's possible but not likely, just bios update the mobo in question.

And use what works in the board.
It could just be a temperment.

Iirc 6300s were considered oem parts so possible steppings or revisions could be different.


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## AlwaysHope (Jul 2, 2018)

Is that 6300 a black edition? 
Use to have one of those, cheap & fun to OC. 
My suggestion in any case is be sure to clear the cmos properly between each cpu swap.


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## LFaWolf (Jul 2, 2018)

The board is running latest bios, yes the 6300 is a black edition and both of them are retail sku with the heat sink and retail boxes. I clear cmos as part of the troubleshooting and to no avail


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## eidairaman1 (Jul 2, 2018)

Well i would say the msi board is picky then. I would just use it as is and be done with it...


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## AlwaysHope (Jul 5, 2018)

LFaWolf said:


> The board is running latest bios, yes the 6300 is a black edition and both of them are retail sku with the heat sink and retail boxes. I clear cmos as part of the troubleshooting and to no avail



Take the cmos battery out & enable clear cmos jumper, leave it for 10 mins at least. then re enable everything & see if that helps. Sometimes you just have be VERY sure the cmos is utterly cleared.


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## eidairaman1 (Jul 5, 2018)

AlwaysHope said:


> Take the cmos battery out & enable clear cmos jumper, leave it for 10 mins at least. then re enable everything & see if that helps. Sometimes you just have be VERY sure the cmos is utterly cleared.



Msi and GA boards tend to be very finnicky compared to Asus/AsRock...


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## LFaWolf (Jul 5, 2018)

AlwaysHope said:


> Take the cmos battery out & enable clear cmos jumper, leave it for 10 mins at least. then re enable everything & see if that helps. Sometimes you just have be VERY sure the cmos is utterly cleared.



I actually replaced the CMOS battery. First I took it out and left it out, then looked for the replacement battery. Pretty sure at least an hour went by when I get home. Anyway it is working but it is something that I will never figure out.


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## eidairaman1 (Jul 5, 2018)

LFaWolf said:


> I actually replaced the CMOS battery. First I took it out and left it out, then looked for the replacement battery. Pretty sure at least an hour went by when I get home. Anyway it is working but it is something that I will never figure out.



Might have to contact msi on it


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## AlwaysHope (Jul 5, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> Msi and GA boards tend to be very finnicky compared to Asus/AsRock...



Only ever used MSI & Giga on intel platforms. My Asus AMD platforms & older intel performs very well & reliable.  But I'm fussy with PSU quality too, so who knows!


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## Flyordie (Jul 5, 2018)

LFaWolf said:


> I actually replaced the CMOS battery. First I took it out and left it out, then looked for the replacement battery. Pretty sure at least an hour went by when I get home. Anyway it is working but it is something that I will never figure out.



Whats the RAM and whats it set at by default?  Sounds like the CPU doesn't like the RAM to me.  These FX CPUs are known for being finicky with RAM.


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## eidairaman1 (Jul 5, 2018)

Flyordie said:


> Whats the RAM and whats it set at by default?  Sounds like the CPU doesn't like the RAM to me.  These FX CPUs are known for being finicky with RAM.


Hmm never had a problem with mine, id say its the msi board being flaky.


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## Thimblewad (Jul 5, 2018)

I had a similar problem on a Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P where I wasn't able to boot (no video) on 1866 MHz sticks of RAM. Well, actually the RAM had to be set to 1600 MHz manually to get it to work. I was using an FX 8350.


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## Vya Domus (Jul 5, 2018)

LFaWolf said:


> I actually replaced the CMOS battery. First I took it out and left it out, then looked for the replacement battery. Pretty sure at least an hour went by when I get home. Anyway it is working but it is something that I will never figure out.



Not all 6300 are the same , some are a different stepping that uses lower voltages. That could have been it.


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## LFaWolf (Jul 5, 2018)

Flyordie said:


> Whats the RAM and whats it set at by default?  Sounds like the CPU doesn't like the RAM to me.  These FX CPUs are known for being finicky with RAM.



I started with 2 sticks of Patriot and 2x of Corsair Dominator. When it won't boot I tried with a different single stick of Corsair XMS3 2GB. After I swapped the CPU it booted with the XMS3 2GB, then I put in the original 2x Patriot and 2x Corsair Dominator and it still booted with the swapped CPU.



Vya Domus said:


> Not all 6300 are the same , some are a different stepping that uses lower voltages. That could have been it.


Could be, I forgot to take picture of the CPU to compare stepping. I am not taking the cooler off again. That was a pain.


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