CPU indicator illuminated, no output or screen visibility. Power cuts off after brief pause.
CPU indicator illuminated, no output or screen visibility. Power cuts off after brief pause.
No space for bins at the socket. My initial BIOS update got cut off, restarted back to BIOS and completed the update, but after about two minutes I crashed again when I booted into the new BIOS. I haven’t been able to power it on or use it since. I’ve been attempting a QFLASH following the motherboard guide, but progress is slow. I’m also concerned it might be the CPU issue. I’ll try a different BIOS version after work, though it doesn’t seem to recognize the USB after 10-15 seconds. I’m searching for an affordable low-end LGA 1151 socket board to see if I can get it to boot elsewhere, but they’re hard to find—only a few high-end Asus boards remain. If the CPU is faulty, buying one would be a real hassle. Edited September 24, 2023 by SeRo1338
CPUs typically remain reliable, the quality control involved is far superior to other parts. Most issues appear on the motherboard, where failure rates are significantly higher. The only CPU failures I've encountered were linked to motherboard problems (that i7 4820K incident). Swapping out a motherboard rarely justifies the cost, as demand for older models usually drives prices up over time. With the huge differences between recent Intel and AMD generations, it's usually smarter to opt for a fresh CPU and motherboard.
I need to wait a week before placing my order for the components. I recently noticed someone offering essentially the same configuration at a reasonable price—same Asus board, identical core, plus 32GB RAM. Usually I wouldn’t look at used items, but this local “eBay” vibe is quick and offers a solid 14-day return policy. If I manage to secure that, I can instantly confirm whether it’s the CPU or the motherboard. And if it’s just the motherboard, I could easily build a second PC with an extra board, spare PSUs, and a GPU. If it’s sold out before payment, I’d probably upgrade to an LGA 1700 from 9th gen, since it costs about the same as an older i9. I’ve heard boards for those older models are hard to find here. Hopefully it’s just the motherboard; this i9 9900k still delivers at 5GHz. Even if I switch to a newer generation later, I’ll probably test the current core and use it in a secondary machine or sell it. Right now I’ve tried every troubleshooting method but can’t get past this CPU issue.