Riser PCIe 4.0 + motherboard Rog Strix B760-I Gaming wifi + white LED issue + Rtx 5070

[Ferouch]

Hi everyone,

I’m having some issues with my build:

1. -ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi
2. -RTX 5070 Asus Prime + PCIe 4.0 riser (20cm)
3. -Intel i5-14600KF
4. -Corsair 2x16GB DDR5 6000 MHz
5. -Kingston SSD PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2

I was getting black screens at boot when using the riser (no issues when the GPU is directly plugged into the motherboard). I fixed it by forcing PCIe x16 to Gen 4 in the BIOS. Since then, no more black screens, but the white VGA debug LED on the motherboard sometimes lights up randomly, although everything seems to work fine. Should I be worried? Would switching to a PCIe 5.0 riser help?

Second issue: I’ve been getting occasional full system freezes. Not sure if it's still riser-related. I disabled XMP in the BIOS and haven’t had any crashes since. Could this be a memory instability issue?

Everything is up to date (BIOS and drivers).

Thanks in advance for any insights!

[Jiaszzz_ROG · Accepted solution]

Hello @Ferouch 

Thank you for reaching out to us.
Regarding the first question, we recommend installing the GPU directly into the motherboard’s PCIe slot, as using an extension or adapter may lead to compatibility or stability issues.
If the VGA Q-LED indicator remains lit and there is no display output, this may suggest a display-related issue during the boot process. For further troubleshooting, please refer to [Motherboard] ASUS motherboard troubleshooting via Q-LED indicators. However, if the Q-LED remains on but the system can still boot and function normally, we recommend continuing to use the system and observing its behavior during regular operation.

As for system instability after enabling XMP, which resolves when XMP is disabled, please note that XMP is an overclocking feature for memory and may lead to instability depending on the memory module and configuration. 
We recommend reviewing the memory QVL for the ROG STRIX B760-I GAMING WIFI, as well as the "purchasing and installation guide" available on the same page, for compatibility and setup recommendations. Please also refer to the relevant forum thread: Memory Kits - Overclocking and What You May Not Know

Thank you.