Have a question about your gaming rig hardware?
Have a question about your gaming rig hardware?
I recently assembled a new gaming setup a few months ago. So far, everything has worked perfectly, though I only get to play for every couple of weeks because of my work schedule. I’ve observed that when the PC powers up, there’s a noticeable “click” sound, like something is clicking as everything gets ready. It hasn’t caused any problems. Additionally, I’ve noticed that both the memory and the motherboard undergo a test each time they start up. This results in slower boot times until the test completes and the system finally boots. It appears to be a setting that can be adjusted in the BIOS, but I haven’t changed it yet since it only adds a few extra seconds during startup and everything ran smoothly before.
It’s been about two weeks since I first turned it on, and whenever I turn it off, I shut down the power supply to prevent any potential damage—especially since we’re in a region prone to lightning. I also connect it to a robust surge protector with battery backup.
That said, today when I tried to power it up, I heard a loud “pop” and saw a bright light coming from inside the case, near the motherboard or exhaust fans. It was hard to see how quickly it happened. Since then, the PC won’t turn on at all. When I press the power button, the motherboard lights flicker, but nothing happens. Sometimes the GPU and case fans spin briefly before stopping, and it doesn’t continue.
I have no idea where to start troubleshooting. All my components are under warranty (hopefully), so the challenge is figuring out what’s wrong and replacing the faulty part. I’m hoping the loud pop and flashing light aren’t signs of a surge, but if they are, I’ll just assume the hardware is fine.
Before spending hundreds on someone to diagnose this, could you help me understand where to begin and how to test for faults? I’ve looked online, but nothing seems to resolve it.
Here’s the configuration:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
- Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X670E-A Gaming
- PSU: MSI MOG A1000G PCIE 5.0 80 Gold Full Modular
- GPU: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 White OC Edition Gaming
- RAM: G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR5 6000 (PC5 48000)
- CPU Cooler: DeepCool LS720 Premium 360mm AIO
- Memory: 2 WD Black SN850X 2TB / 1 Samsung 990Pro 2TB
- Case: LIAN LI Lancool III RGB White Aluminum / SECC / Tempered Glass ATX
- Extra Fans: LIAN LI UNI Fan AL120 V2 RGB White 3x 120mm Fan Pack with Controller - UF-AL120V2-3W
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Video of the issue