Z790 Hero and GSkill RAM Behavior and Lighting

[GrandTheftAudio]

Hey there, I've been seeing some weird behavior that I thought I'd share here hoping for some feedback. In general, my pc (Z790 Hero, 13900k, gskill dr5 6000) works well unless it wakes from sleep. I've now reset Windows twice hoping for a bad install of either Armory Crate or Windows. One or more of the below issues appear only after having waking from sleep, but without consistency:

• Mb/ram lighting unresponsive (restart required to get working)
• Unresponsive pc with Q-code 54 (restart required)
• Responsive pc with Q-code 30
• Eventual freezing (typically during gaming, but sometimes on desktop while troubleshooting)

For the RGB lighting, more often than not does not reflect the setting that it should be in Armory Crate. When trying to change it, there are often long delays in redoing the selection in Armory Crate and restarting the LightingService in Task Manager does not appear to work. Usually a restart is required to get this squared away.

I mentioned wake from sleep (i.e. sleep before heading for bed, it's awake in the morning). The system is on and running, but Q-code 30 is still displayed on the mb. I also have seen a couple of instances where the pc did not successfully wake and was on Q-code 54. I've ran a mem test and everything passed. 

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello, @GrandTheftAudio.

According to your description, it is possible that the cause of the issue is the system's failure to properly recover to its normal operating state after being in sleep mode.
Please confirm that the hardware-related drivers have been installed with the latest version and that they are compatible with the OS. If necessary, please update the BIOS to the latest version, 0904.
Please check the connections for the motherboard and other hardware components to ensure they are securely connected and not loose or damaged as well.

Meanwhile, please go to Armory Crate > Settings > Update Center to confirm whether all items on this page have been updated to the latest version first.
If the RGB problem persists, it is recommended that you try using the Armoury Crate uninstall tool to uninstall it and reinstall via the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO support page, finish the update again, and reboot.

Thank you.

[GrandTheftAudio]

Hey Jiaszzz_ROG, thank you for your response. Firstly, I had previously upgraded to 0904 bios hoping for a solve, but issue persisted. I've checked connections and everything seems to be in order. I've also now uninstalled Armory Crate using the uninstall tool and reinstalled from ASUS MB website support page. 

One thing I did not mention previously thinking it might not be related, but could be mistaken. I am unable to update the Intel Thunderbolt Driver. It has persistently been listed as Outdated in Armory Crate. Current version is 1.41.823.0 and I've never been able to update to 1.41.1340.0. I've manually downloaded the drivers from the MB Support page, extracted, and ran as administrator without success. I've also located Thunderbolt(TM) Controller - 1137 with that exact firmware in Device Manager. I've tried searching for an update, disabling and updating, and uninstalling and updating. Each time the manually downloaded drivers appear to launch then eventually disappear without any apparent impact.

[GrandTheftAudio]

Hey Jiaszzz_ROG, thank you for your reply. For some reason my earlier response does not appear for me so I'm retyping it. I had already updated to bios 0904 prior to posting and ensured everything is securely installed. I've also since uninstalled/reinstalled Armory Crate as you suggested and leveraging the MB Support page for that effort.

One thing that strikes me that I did not mention previously. In Armory Crate, the Intel Thunderbolt Driver is outdated at 1.41.823.0 and will not update. I've also tried downloading from Support and manually installing without any apparent success (i.e. it launches, but eventually fades and never confirms success, requires restart,etc.) In Device Manager, I've located the Thunderbolt(TM) Controller - 1137 that has the matching driver version. Disabling or Uninstalling is not changing success of the new driver version. I suppose this could be unrelated, but felt it worth mentioning since you referenced updating all drivers.

[GrandTheftAudio]

Screen shot for reference

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello, @GrandTheftAudio .

May I ask if the memory you are currently using is on the QVL list for the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO?
Also, are the 2 modules connected to DIMM_A2 and B2 slots?
In addition, please enter BIOS > Advanced mode > Onboard Devices Configuration and make the necessary settings for the "When system is in sleep, hibernate, or soft off states" item.

Thank you.

[GrandTheftAudio]

Thanks again @Jiaszzz_ROG for your response. I've confirmed the following:

Memory is F5-6000J4040F16G and that part number appears on the QVL list. The Onboard Device Config is currently set to All On. My observations from this settings are that last night when I set the pc to sleep, the ram lighting remained on, unanimated and the mb followed Armory Crate's Shutdown effect's setting per the manual. But this morning I found all lights had turned off. I've now tried putting the pc to sleep twice and in this instances the ram lighting turns off and the mb's light matches Armory Crate's setting. 

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello, @GrandTheftAudio .

According to your description, it is recommended that you cross-test the memory on other QVL lists or install a single module of memory in the DIMM_A2 slot first to further confirm the problem.

Thank you.