Checking for issues with the motherboard or processor.
Checking for issues with the motherboard or processor.
Hi, after roughly five years of use, my old gaming PC stopped working and wouldn’t boot. By then, I’d already upgraded to a new system, but now I want to repurpose my old machine as a Linux server. I’m unsure whether the CPU or motherboard is faulty. I notice two steady red warning lights for the CPU and DRAM when the power is turned on. Turning off the CPU power turns off the DRAM light, but the CPU light stays lit. I’ve gone through all the instructions in the README. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Have you tried booting with each RAM DIMM one at a time? If you remove the CPU power connector, the POST status will stop at CPU because it won't work without the additional CPU power available. Typically, where your POST LEDs stop is where there is a problem, in your case, the problem seems to be memory related. So try with each stick at a time to see if anything changes.
I attempted all the steps mentioned in the README, testing each DRAM stick/slot individually. The note about disconnecting the CPU power was included to demonstrate that the motherboard recognized the RAM issue once the CPU stopped working.
Check the motherboard's user guide for extra details on the LED functions.
Yes I did, for reference it’s the MSI B350 Tomahawk, but no there is no extra meaning to be found.
Could you provide the system configuration of that computer that is not posting properly? (Not just the motherboard model. This was in the READme). If there is no extra meaning to be found, than you may need to contact your motherboard manufacturer (MSI) for further assistance.
The details are listed below: MSI B350 Tomahawk Ryzen 5 1600 Stock cooler with Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 memory, 2x8GB, EVGA 1070 SC, and a 650GQ. It runs at 80+ Gold with a 650W WD Blue 1TB drive and a 250GB SSD. Clarification needed—whether the issue is with the motherboard or CPU, so I can replace it. It’s unlikely both RAM sticks would fail at once, though it’s not impossible.
It seems challenging to proceed without exchanging components. Perhaps consult a technician to check for an available spare low-end AM4 CPU and borrow it. This should resolve the issue.