Issues with the MSI Pro Z790-P's Wi-Fi and CPU light need attention.
Issues with the MSI Pro Z790-P's Wi-Fi and CPU light need attention.
Here is your system inventory rewritten with varied phrasing while keeping the same length and structure:
The setup includes an MSI Pro Z790-P Wi-Fi model, a Core i9-14900K processor, 128GB of RAM, a MAG A750GL PCIe 5 power supply, a Gigabyte Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics card (installed two weeks prior), and three NVMe drives—two for Linux and one for Windows. A Lian Li 3-fan liquid cooler is present, though the case make and model are unknown, so it was discarded. The machine has been running for approximately seven months. Development and research tasks primarily use Linux, while X-Plane12 is the main Windows application. I avoid excessive over-clocking. The GPU was recently installed two weeks ago specifically for the simulation; I confirmed with the store staff that my 750W power supply was sufficient. Recently, I also added Logitech USB yoke/throttle/rudder pedals for the sim, though their relevance is unclear. Everything functioned normally until about two days ago. I played for several hours in the simulation and shut it down late that night. The following morning, upon restarting, the machine failed to boot, displayed no display, and showed a persistent red CPU light. The next day it booted again. I played for roughly 15 minutes, which was initially unstable but stabilized. I attempted to download Open Hardware Monitor, but when I clicked the link (not installed), the machine powered off immediately—similar to unplugging the power cord—and has remained in that state ever since. The cooler is currently disconnected from the CPU. When I power on the machine, the CPU remains cool, and it only stays on briefly.
I have tried the following steps:
- Removing the GPU card
- Reseating the CPU and checking for bent pins (the CPU appeared slightly sticky but cleaned)
- Cleaning and reseating the memory
- Reconnecting the ATX cable to the motherboard
- Adding an additional 8-pin CPU power cable from the PSU to the motherboard (only one was present before, so I was told that was sufficient)
My current assumption is that since the GPU was recently added and I’ve been running demanding applications, the system may have been overloaded. All voltage readings on the CPU connectors seem normal (around 12.12V).
The next most probable issue appears to be:
- The motherboard has failed
- The CPU itself
No, I'm sorry, but it's not going to work. Perhaps it's time to buy some spare parts, haha.
Would it be acceptable to state: 'Does this sound like a logical hypothesis for you? The GPU generated a brief power spike that overwhelmed the PSU, disrupting the VRM and triggering the CPU light even though the issue might now be in the CPU power delivery system—possibly due to motherboard VRMs rather than the CPU itself. One could therefore consider swapping the motherboard and PSU for something like a Corsair RM-E or an 850W unit. Since the high-end PSU is likely a higher tier, a lower-tier one might work, but a transient spike shouldn’t trigger it. We’d need to test a hypothesis first. Therefore, the best approach would be to replace both the motherboard and PSU. A PSU only would cause the CPU light to stay on because of the motherboard’s VRMs, and swapping them together could lead to more problems if the CPU is damaged. Is there a more concise way to phrase this?'"