I really can't seem to make sense of this...
I really can't seem to make sense of this...
Hey there,
I was wondering if you could give me some advice on a problem I'm facing. It's been about two weeks since we experienced a power outage in my home. When I tried to restart my PC, it would freeze or enter a repeated boot cycle. I built this system around a year ago and here are the details:
Hardware specs:
- Motherboard: MSI MAG X67E TOMAHAWK WIFI
- CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 7800X3D
- GPU: NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER
- RAM: GSKILL 2X16 32MB
- Power Supply: MSI MAG 850V
- Cooler: DARK ROCK 4
- Operating System: Windows 11
I've tried several fixes—swapping the PSU, replacing the SSD, checking the BIOS, removing the GPU, taking out the CMOS battery—but nothing seems to resolve the issue. I even tried booting with the onboard graphics and the CMOS battery left in. It would start but would freeze or restart during bootup.
Eventually, I took it to Microcenter because of a warranty. The staff told me the board and CPU were technically working, so they couldn't replace them. I was surprised. Then I tried connecting the original SSD and one memory stick at home. It worked fine for a while—booting up and reaching the desktop for 5-10 minutes. After that, it would freeze or restart again.
The strange part is that sometimes it would boot to the desktop screen but then freeze or restart shortly after. Once everything was connected, the front panel fans stopped working, which I thought might be the main issue, though I'm not sure.
I'm really puzzled and would appreciate any guidance you can provide. Thanks a lot!
Might be an inactive channel or the wall's power could be contaminated.
I've checked all four memory stick slots and tried each stick individually, but nothing worked. I've also ordered fresh memory that will arrive tomorrow for testing.
But could the Microcenter reps have started it using your cooler and case fans on the same ports you were using? Is it likely your cooler fan is broken and is leading to an issue? Or could a case fan be damaged during the restart surge and causing a problem? (Also, it's not advisable to start without the cooler.)
No, they didn't. They mentioned I can bring my rig and they'll offer a free consultation to determine the issue. I just want to skip that process. I also bought a new cooler to check if the problem is related to that, which should be here tomorrow. I believe it might be the motherboard or CPU.
The surge protector cannot safeguard against power outages. When the main power supply fails and the bulk capacitor in the ATX PSU's main storage is depleted (usually within 12 to 25 milliseconds), the system ceases functioning. No surge protection can handle a complete loss of electricity.
Unless it's a high-end industrial model, your surge protectors may only include basic components like an MOV for voltage spikes and a small capacitor. Caution is advised when handling surge protectors—unless you're experienced (such as an engineer or technician).
For more details, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzdbHfaTO3A
Better protection would come from a UPS, ideally an always-on version.
If you want to verify your DIMMs, try booting from a USB drive using MemTest86. If errors appear during a full test lasting several hours, rerun the test with each DIMM individually. If Microcenter used their own DIMMs and/or CPU, the motherboard might still be functional.
https://www.memtest86.com/