u/FitBit123

I’m troubleshooting a motherboard/CPU swap and could use some advice before I assume the board is dead.

I swapped from a Gigabyte X570 Gaming X to an MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus. During removal, my old AM4 CPU had some bent pins. I straightened them carefully; it eventually dropped into the socket without force, but the MSI board showed a solid CPU debug LED and would not POST.

Thinking the CPU was damaged, I ordered and installed a replacement AM4 CPU. Unfortunately, with the new CPU installed, I still get the same solid CPU debug LED.

Current setup/test config:

- Motherboard: MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus
- Previous board: Gigabyte X570 Gaming X
- CPU: replacement AM4 Ryzen CPU
- Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L V2 RGB AIO
- RAM: tested with one stick in A2
- GPU installed in top PCIe slot with power connected
- 24-pin ATX power connected
- 8-pin CPU/EPS power connected using the CPU/EPS cable, not PCIe/VGA
- AIO pump connected to PUMP_FAN1
- Radiator fan connected to CPU_FAN1
- No SATA drives connected; boot drive is M.2
- Front panel power switch connected and system powers on

What I’ve already tried:

- Reseated CPU
- Installed a new CPU
- Checked CPU/EPS 8-pin power cable
- Tried minimal boot config
- Tried one RAM stick in A2
- Cleared CMOS
- Slightly loosened AIO mounting pressure in case of socket pressure issue
- Checked for broken CPU pins stuck in the socket — I don’t see any
- Checked for obvious socket debris or thermal paste — nothing obvious

The only thing I have not tried yet is flashing/updating the BIOS using the MSI Flash BIOS button.

Questions:

1. Is a BIOS flash the next obvious step here?
2. If the CPU debug LED remains on after a BIOS flash, is the motherboard likely faulty?
3. Could the previous bent-pin CPU have damaged the AM4 socket even if no pin broke off?
4. Are there any MSI B550-specific gotchas I should check before RMA/replacing the board?

Any advice appreciated. I’m trying to avoid replacing more parts blindly.

Computer Type: Desktop

GPU: RX EDIT: 9070 XT

CPU: Ryzen 7 5800X

Motherboard: x570 gaming x

BIOS Version: unknown 

RAM: 64GB DDR4

PSU: 750watt corsair something 

Operating System & Version: Windows 11

GPU Drivers: Adrenalin 26.3.1

Chipset Drivers: 26.3.1

Background applications: Discord, Steam (overlays disabled)

Description of Original Problem:
Severe stuttering and frame pacing spikes in Battlefield 6.
Latency icon in-game shows ~300ms during gameplay, especially in combat/high action scenes.
Performance feels worse with frame generation enabled.

Troubleshooting:

• Clean driver install using DDU
• Disabled overlays
• Verified game files
• Tested lower graphics settings
• Disabled frame generation
• Capped FPS
• Running GPU at stock (no OC/undervolt)

Has anyone with a 9070XT experienced similar stuttering or found a consistent fix?

edit: I fat thumbed the numbers and it's actually a 9070 xt

edit2:

The issue was traced to a failed/unstable B memory channel: both RAM sticks work individually in A2, but B1/B2 fail even with XMP disabled and memory set to 2400MHz. This means the system was effectively running single-channel 32GB instead of 64GB dual-channel, likely causing the CPU-bound stutter/Time Nudge symptoms in Battlefield.