HPZ420 tailored configuration – no post setup, highest fan rates allowed
HPZ420 tailored configuration – no post setup, highest fan rates allowed
Hey everyone. I tried to replicate Linus’ $69 gaming PC setup. Everything was assembled and I powered it on, but I got a black screen with no POST or display signal. After a minute the fans started spinning fast. There’s no operating system yet, and I can’t even reach BIOS. I’ve checked the CPU, GPU, cables, and even tried reseating components. The CMOS battery was removed briefly to see if that helped. I’m now testing the RAM sticks individually, wondering if they might be the issue. Help would be really appreciated!
Max CPU fan speed usually means the CPU is getting hot or there’s a related problem. Make sure your CPU works with this board. If it’s a newer CPU than the board, a BIOS update could help. Try using a single memory module as well. The PC should still function even with cooling problems, which suggests a possible support issue between the CPU and board. The board can monitor temperatures from the CPU, or some boards automatically increase fan speed when a CPU fault is detected to protect the system. It’s tough to fix step by step without knowing exactly where the failures occur.
Documentation confirms CPU support is available. Likely requires a BIOS update. I used a FAT32 USB with the correct BIOS file, but no change in performance—silent operation for about a minute, then full fan speeds engaged. Single RAM test also failed consistently. I was told the PC booted at purchase with boot screen images, but I didn’t plug it in before removing parts. After replacing CPU, GPU, RAM, and adding an SSD, fans still functioned properly. Any additional details would help.
It mentions you put it together? But the previous owner had it working? I’d re-arrange everything just in case there are loose parts (memory is often the issue). Verify your CPU pins, ensuring none are damaged. If it’s running a XEON chip on a server board, they usually have an extra status LCD to show faults—use a serial port or terminal to check failures. This might be a bit advanced. But if it was functioning before and now not, confirm all connections are secure—look for extra screws behind the board or metal spacers that could cause grounding issues or arcing. Make sure you have the correct 4-pin power connection to the CPU. Yes, a RAM stick will prevent booting. If you test one at a time and they behave similarly, it’s likely not RAM. Still worth trying as you suggested. Please send a photo of the board and all connections, maybe we can identify something together. Also, share the CPU pin layout if you plan to re-seat.
PC was purchased with the case, motherboard, old CPU, power supply, graphics card, and previous RAM. No hard drive found. Listing indicates the system is booting. The CPU uses a pinless design—connections are on the motherboard. I didn’t notice any bent pins after reinserting it. I’ll take it apart and test again. I’ve included some photos of the internal parts to help. Plans to rebuild everything and verify boot functionality. More details: removed RAM, observed 5 red LEDs and beeps; added RAM, GPU detected, blue LED on, no beeps (no video or bootable media); added GPU, still no video output or boot logo.
I’m reviewing the board closely now. The only thing missing is a 4 PIN extra plug for the CPU. It seems this unit could be 75 watts and powered through the socket, or it might be concealed under the fan cover (if any). Your comments about the red vs blue were helpful—they suggest the motherboard is solid, and if no RAM shows up after checking the CPU, it might point to an adapter problem. If there’s no display at all, we should investigate the adapter. I’m not sure if this card uses a different PCIe version than the board itself. Most chipsets were backward compatible between PCIe 1 and 2. Do you have another PC you could test to confirm the GPU works? Also, I’m assuming this board doesn’t have built-in graphics—checking the back for VGA or similar would be useful. Some older boards required switching to AGP/PCIe GPUs if the onboard graphics were absent.
Installed the old CPU but it didn’t work. Attempted full fan speed and still failed, only two beeps. Tried updating the BIOS using this link: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-P...619/page/1. No success so far. No power connector available, board should supply enough power. Cannot test GPU on another machine. A second PCIe3 slot exists, but it would be difficult and might not solve the boot issue. Likely an incompatibility problem. Planning to test the old GPU with RAM and remove the SSD to see if it boots. Thanks for your support! I’m still hopeful this can be fixed, fingers crossed!
I purchased 12800U RAM instead of 12800E RAM. Mistake made. It's time to wrap up this messy setup. Thanks for the assistance!