ASRock AB350M Pro4 - Freezing

axemole wrote: vyseark wrote: Congratulations!  How much time without freezes? Too early to call it a win... I ask also, how long without a freeze... leave it on overnight... nothing to do... see if its frozen in the am... My RMA is on its way and would like to see resolved before it arrives... I second the other post... don't let this post die without a definite resolution or ASRock is dead to me as a mobo in the future... which I am planning to build a ThreadRipper 1950x... but if the mobo will be a AsRock or not, depends on their customer support to this little issue here, that is absolutely frustrating... this is my first RMA and first time I have ANY problem with any mobo... bout to happen, but the issue is now tech/customer support... so far AsRock seems to be out of touch.

You had a bad experience with your board, that's ok. But there's enough anecdotal evidence about the latest AGESA update from AMD (even on ASUS boards) to strongly suggest going back to a prior BIOS with AGESA 1.0.0.6b if you have issues with a 1xxx Ryzen. This is exactly what I did and my system has been rock solid since. ASRock never told you to update your BIOS - they even advise against it if your system is running correctly. You take a risk when updating a BIOS or firmware on any hardware, regardless of brand. Same thing if you decide to OC your system or don't follow the QVL list.

I hope you're happy with your new board


Edited by Moba - 26 Mar 2018 at 2:04am

oversite wrote: [QUOTE=Moba][QUOTE=axemole][QUOTE=vyseark] I am happy for you, but as some of you know, i had 5 of these boards, returned 4 of them. I replaced the 4 with 2 asus and 2 gigabyte, all other hardware are the same. They have now been running for 8 days with no freeze. I yesterday flashed my remaining asrock with 3.1, probably the only version i never really tried because i used mostlt 3.00 and 3.3. With the same hardware on it running with 3.1, it froze within 30 minutes. You might have found a way for you, and that's is very good. I still blaim the board because it's in reality impossible to know how to config a stable board, if possible at all. At least for me but i might be to stupid to be able to use them. They are for am4, they should be stable out of the box until you oc them or tweak them. Not the other way around.

Finding a good AM3 board wasn't any better 2 years ago. A few decades ago, AMD wasn't even considered for a stable production system (ATI was also a budget workstation brand before they made gaming cards). Today, AMD works for some of us, but they aren't always plug and play. They are not what I would recommend to anyone who isn't tech inclined or willing to spend time trouble shooting. I built my system accepting possible down time, part swapping and trouble shooting. I also needed to make sure the production software I use ran properly since it's mostly tested with Intel systems. And I was prepared to return everything if it didn't and pay twice as much to go with Intel.

You're not stupid, but IMO expectations have to be adjusted considering price and market share. Brand bashing is just too easy online, but very few users have a sufficient sample size nor the tech experience to have an objective opinion. You get what you pay for and that's why so many creatives use Apple products. Worry free experience out of the box, without having to know anything about computers.

Anyway, I understand your frustration, as I have returned my fair share of personal hardware in my lifetime: ASUS, Gigabyte, ABIT, EVGA, MSI (that's just the motherboards and doesn't include the stuff I fried by pushing it too far ) - even new Intel CPUs that should have been flawless for the price I paid...and all this fun is still part of being a PC DIY enthusiast or small system builder today.

Rant off Enjoy your system - it works now


Edited by Moba - 26 Mar 2018 at 9:54am

christokimbo wrote: So I have had the same issues with the AB350M pro 4 for months and months. For the longest time I blamed the GPU but after testing 4 different GPUs, 2 PSUs, multiple sets of ram, disconnecting hard drives/SSDs, and running memtest86 I am admitting defeat and finally believing it is the motherboard. I plan on opening an RMA request today to replace this thing. Now this is the super weird part for me. When I first built the computer I had an AMD graphics card in it (r9 280). Frozen screens started a few weeks after completing the build. I had suspicions about the graphics card and replaced it with an even older but perfectly working 7770. Same freezing issues. I decided to go even more old school and slapped in an old GTX460. System worked fine for probably at least a month or 2 without freezing but eventually it started again. I finally bought a GTX 1050ti and placed that in the system and again the system ran fine for about 1 month before I started getting frozen screens and reboots. This is the worst the system has ever been now. I get freezes on start up, at log in, 15-30 minutes of up time max. It's infuriating. I've tried everything and I mean everything. Roll back windows updates. Adjust RAM settings, countless fresh reinstalls of windows. Now I see so many people having the same issue with the same motherboard. So frustrating...

In your place, I would also replace the board. Actually, you have been more than patient - I would have replaced it months ago

Maybe look into a X370 board (not sure if ASRock will accept an upgrade for a small fee considering all the trouble you went through, but it never hurts to ask). Those boards usually have better components and more robust power phase designs.

axemole wrote: [QUOTE=Moba][QUOTE=axemole][QUOTE=vyseark] Anecdotal evidence or not the fact is that the AsRock board I bought had the random freeze problem with the BIOS 3.30 that it came with... that is why, I believe, most users with common sense updated their BIOS given that it was a problem that AsRock was trying to find a solution... readying the forums posts, etc.  To update the BIOS is not, and ought not to be, a warranty-breaker unless the mobo is a real POS... I followed all the Upgrade instructions/warnings they provided and STILL freeze, random boot... dialed the BIOS down to 3.30 and the problem NEVER WENT AWAY... replace the board with an ASUS and bang, it works... now do you need to be a genius to know that this particular board or AsRock has dropped the ball somewhere... at best its sloppy... now you do come across as someone that has lots of time in your hands, and savvy enough to be patient and deal with all the time wasting that I went through, but I do not have low expectations... being building PC systems since the 90s... never had a problem I couldn't overcome... by far this has been the weirdest and the sloppiest production I've seen yet.... besides, you can't assume that if it worked for you, it works for everyone... that's a bit arrogant when you think you know better than the rest... perhaps, but maybe not.  They guy you are celebrating, that claims to have gotten it to work... is using BIOS 4.70!!!! worked for you  It definitely didn't worked for me... am waiting for my RMA and hope to get stable one.

I have been fixing my cars for years, but it doesn't make me a mechanic and sometimes I need one because there are things that I just can't fix. It doesn't make me dumb nor stupid. And my car isn't a lemon when it happens.

I don't work for ASRock and you are free to do as you wish. But please don't misquote me about what I wrote. I never wrote anywhere that doing what I did would fix everyone's issues. However, there's basic steps in trouble shooting PC issues and you have to start at the most obvious point of failure. And sadly, the last AGESA update has been a nightmare for a lot of users and not just ASRock's customers. It is working for many others too.

The board you're bashing has worked for many users according to numerous user reviews. But those users aren't here asking for help, are they? PC building is a lottery and it's always been that way. Part of the fun in building your own PC is learning from the experience no matter what happens or you can pay a professional to do it for you. You also increase your chances of a successful build by not buying the cheapest parts.


Edited by Moba - 27 Mar 2018 at 6:37pm

Moba wrote: axemole wrote: [QUOTE=Moba][QUOTE=axemole][QUOTE=vyseark] Anecdotal evidence or not the fact is that the AsRock board I bought had the random freeze problem with the BIOS 3.30 that it came with... that is why, I believe, most users with common sense updated their BIOS given that it was a problem that AsRock was trying to find a solution... readying the forums posts, etc.  To update the BIOS is not, and ought not to be, a warranty-breaker unless the mobo is a real POS... I followed all the Upgrade instructions/warnings they provided and STILL freeze, random boot... dialed the BIOS down to 3.30 and the problem NEVER WENT AWAY... replace the board with an ASUS and bang, it works... now do you need to be a genius to know that this particular board or AsRock has dropped the ball somewhere... at best its sloppy... now you do come across as someone that has lots of time in your hands, and savvy enough to be patient and deal with all the time wasting that I went through, but I do not have low expectations... being building PC systems since the 90s... never had a problem I couldn't overcome... by far this has been the weirdest and the sloppiest production I've seen yet.... besides, you can't assume that if it worked for you, it works for everyone... that's a bit arrogant when you think you know better than the rest... perhaps, but maybe not.  They guy you are celebrating, that claims to have gotten it to work... is using BIOS 4.70!!!! worked for you  It definitely didn't worked for me... am waiting for my RMA and hope to get stable one. I have been fixing my cars for years, but it doesn't make me a mechanic and sometimes I need one because there are things that I just can't fix. It doesn't make me dumb nor stupid. And my car isn't a lemon when it happens. I don't work for ASRock and you are free to do as you wish. But please don't misquote me about what I wrote. I never wrote anywhere that doing what I did would fix everyone's issues. However, there's basic steps in trouble shooting PC issues and you have to start at the most obvious point of failure. And sadly, the last AGESA update has been a nightmare for a lot of users and not just ASRock's customers. It is working for many others too. The board you're bashing has worked for many users according to numerous user reviews. But those users aren't here asking for help, are they? PC building is a lottery and it's always been that way. Part of the fun in building your own PC is learning from the experience no matter what happens or you can pay a professional to do it for you. You also increase your chances of a successful build by not buying the cheapest parts.