Is the system restarting itself?
Is the system restarting itself?
Hello everyone, I’m dealing with a friend’s computer that has stopped working. It’s likely three years old, and when he first got it, he could only use it for a few months before needing a power cycle. Now it’s just restarting.
I’m not very tech-savvy, but I built the machine myself and thought it might help. Here are the details:
Motherboard: Gigabyte B365M DS3H
CPU: Intel I3 -1900
GPU: GeForce GTX 1650 Gaming X4
Power Supply: Smart 430W
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8gb (2x4gb) 288-Pin DDR4 2400
HDD: WD10EZEX 1TB
What I did was remove everything and reinstall it. I didn’t replace the thermal paste on the CPU cooler fan, which he said to remove when trying to diagnose. While trying to turn the CPU cooler fan back on, I found one of four screws wasn’t fully broken and didn’t click properly due to a small missing chip. The other three plastic screws worked fine.
After reassembly, the computer failed to boot. All fans were operational, but it would power on briefly and then shut down. I removed one RAM stick, left another in the same slot, and booted up again. I accessed the BIOS and saw a warning about resetting it because the CMOS battery was removed. I replaced the battery, waited 1-10 minutes, and even tried a jumper for the CMOS. Once back in the PC, it started working properly and I could enter the BIOS again.
He mentioned in his settings that the RAM slot was labeled DDR_4, but it was actually DDR_1. I tried loading optimized defaults and exiting/saving, but the PC would restart and turn off repeatedly, sometimes only showing “gigabyte.”
I removed his RAM sticks and connected mine to his system. It booted up correctly. I even used my own RAM sticks on his hardware, and only one slot worked. I was careful not to mix our components.
During the troubleshooting, the CPU emitted “tick” sounds, which made me think something might be wrong. I checked for possible causes like a faulty motherboard, missing thermal paste, or a bad CMOS battery. I tried everything I could, watching YouTube for tips, but nothing resolved the issue.
I’m still unsure if I reached the solution. Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.
Disclaimer; today I can tell you I am inexperience lol, but on we go and learn.
I managed to acquire a Corsair HX620W Modular PSU. Right away I noticed it lacked a 6 pin PCI-E connector, only a 4 pin one. That was a big issue since I couldn't connect it to the GPU. Still, I connected it to the CPU (on the motherboard) and used the 24 pin connector. Eventually, the PC managed to power on, though it shut down a few seconds later.
I’m sorry, but I’m still trying. I also bought a CMOS battery and haven’t swapped it out with the new one I have. It could be the motherboard.
Thanks for the replies and help!
Question? Would I be able to rule out the PSU? Or maybe even try another one?
I'm not certain you can exclude PSU yet. Do you have a suitable PSU with current cables that isn't close to 20 years old?
Lmao, I’d probably use my main PSU first to test, but I’m not sure how confident I’d be. Would replacing the PSU or motherboard actually be necessary? I’m sure it could mean a new PSU or board, but I’d definitely try the PSU first. Any advice?
Alright so my buddy and I went on a mission to hunt for a new PSU and thermal paste while add it. We went to micro-center and picked up a Smart 600w PSU (my buddy is on a budget).
Cleaning the CPU fan and adding thermal paste then plugging in the new PSU. We still got the same results from the PC, turning on and off again.
Maybe next steps is acquiring a new motherboard and possibly a new processor?
Couldn’t have known better. The lady suggested it, even though I wasn’t aware you could do that at MC. Plus my friend is trying to save money… which is frustrating.