I decided to clean out my CPU fan as it was clogged, when I assembled everything again it won’t turn on 🙁
It’s an old desktop PC. There are no lights glowing on the motherboard at all, though there is none specifically labelled “power”. Just CPU, RAM, BOOT. None of these light up, not even a flash when it starts.
I have reseated the RAM, CPU, power cables. Removed the GPU to check.
The cord leading in to the PSU works but I don’t have a way to test the PSU itself or the out cables, but I have reseated them at each end.
This PC was working fine before. But with no lights on the motherboard I suspect either the mobo or PSU?
Mobo is asrock x570 PSU is silverstone 650w strider gold S series
Any help appreciated!
Edit: I made a new post asking for hardware recommendations.
Edit 2: I managed to get a light on the motherboard, going to buy some more thermal paste and keep tinkering to see if I can get it started!
Edit 3: I never got that light to go again. In the end the comments on the other post convinced me that I had all that I needed for what I wanted (no upgrade needed), so I changed tack to seeing how to fix it. I had suspicions about the power connection still, so I bought a cheap PSU and tested it, no change. Then I bought a new motherboard (also a pretty cheap one, the cheapest that had what I needed and was also in a local store) and in the end that was the issue. Everything is up and running again now! Thanks for all the help everyone, you can now settle your bets.
You mentioned a buzzing in another reply. That sounds like a grounding issue to me. Any chance you blew something under the board that is causing a short? At this point it would be wise to do a full tear down.
I’m almost at my train stop, so one final question before disappearing for the day: when resocketing the CPU did you put it in correctly and was there damage when you removed it initially?
Yeah I will probably do an out of case, mobo, RAM, CPU, PSU only at some stage tonight to test.
Yes on the CPU damage, some bent pins on a corner, but I straightened them and it went back in fine. I had assumed the CPU light would be glowing (or not glowing) if that were the issue, but I’m no expert. Maybe it is the CPU. Expensive to buy one just to test though!
Edit: oh and the buzzing is from the PSU, when off, and not connected to the PC at all.
These lights and beep sequences aren’t 100% reliable. So I wouln’t take it for granted. But it’s a bit suspicious in my eyes that none of the LEDs light up. Maybe it’s the PSU, then? I mean it could be anything. And in my experiences it’s most likely a cable that got unseated accidentally by the vacuum… But you mentioned it’s a server… And I’ve had PSUs fail after being online 24/7 for years, and then one day you turn off the power and they won’t ever come back. And with the bent CPU pins I’m not sure. Most of the times straightening them works, but sometimes they break off after doing that.
These kinds of diagnostics are next to impossible without some spare parts, to swap one at a time and see which is at fault. If you don’t figure it out by chance, you’d need to borrow some.
I’ve done a paperclip test, PSU fan starts up, but doesn’t when plugged into the mobo.
I have now done an out of case test, with CPU, RAM, mobo, PSU, and no luck.
I guess that means mobo or CPU is the issue. I would think if it were RAM the symptoms would be different.
I took the CPU out yet again, all the pins look fine. They didn’t get munched being inserted the last time, so it seems they straightened OK. But at this point it has to be CPU or mobo, surely.
Agreed. And I’d say the mobo is more likely, as it has more different components like capacitors and whatnot. So just by volume.
As a final test you could rip out RAM, GPU etc disconnect all unnecessary cables and run just mobo + CPU + PSU. See if it beeps/lights up or changes anything. That’ll rule out a short in some other component being the issue.
I mean we’re not 100% sure, but looks like you’re in for a new mobo (+CPU).
I already removed all cables and extras when I did the out of case test, didn’t think to try without the RAM. I will give that a go tomorrow, I’ve had enough for tonight,
It looks like I can still get a mobo that supports the socket, so in theory I should be able to just swap the mobo. But then if it doesn’t work I’ll have to get a new CPU next and then I’ll wish I didn’t get the mobo because I’ll probably get a more recent CPU. Hard choices!
For the moment, I have requisitioned a laptop and booted from the server hard drive, and things are back up and running. So I don’t have to rush, I’ll try some more tomorrow, have a think about what I’d like. Maybe I’ll just get something new, and auction off the mobo, CPU, RAM online $1 reserve and someone else can work out what does or doesn’t work . 😆
It does seem like that.
(Be sure to thank the kit for its years of service)
And if you triggered any failsafes they would have reset by now.
The mobo button battery can rarely make seem the mobo dead, but usually still does at least something.
(I’m not saying it’s likely, just that it’s the last thing I can think of)
It wasn’t that many years, I checked and I got the whole setup in 2019. A little over 5 years. It hasn’t been running as a server for that long, perhaps only 6 months. Seems like a premature failure. I probably messed it up by doing something wrong when cleaning. Static maybe? There isn’t anything obvious on the board that l can see, no burn marks, no ozone smell. I guess I’ll look at ordering a new mobo and then new CPU if the mobo doesn’t work. Annoying though, because if I have to get a new CPU I probably want an upgrade, but if it’s just the mobo probably not.
Thanks for the help 🙂