No boot, no beep, no video output – have I tried almost every standard solution I could imagine?
No boot, no beep, no video output – have I tried almost every standard solution I could imagine?
Hello everyone. I’ve been facing significant issues with my setup about two weeks ago. After six months of working properly, the system suddenly stopped responding. When I press the power button, all the fans begin to spin and the CPU debug light on my MSI motherboard illuminates (it stays steady, no flashing). There’s no video output, and none of the standard beeps that signal a successful POST appear. As most seasoned troubleshooters know, there are numerous possible reasons behind this problem. PC Specifications Model: MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk Max WiFi Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Slim Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2022) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (using supplied cables) GPU: GeForce RTX 2060 This issue continues even when all other components except the motherboard, CPU, CPU fan, and RAM are removed. If the RAM is unplugged, the CPU debug light briefly appears before shutting down, and the DRAM light turns on instead. No other obvious differences were observed. I have thoroughly reviewed the troubleshooting guide at https://forums. but none of the checklist items I attempted made a significant difference (except breadboarding, which I haven’t tried yet). All necessary standoffs are correctly positioned (both motherboards tested), and all cables are firmly seated in their places. Replacing RAM in different configurations only causes the DRAM light to flash in certain setups. Other attempts I’ve made: - Switching to a completely different PSU that seems to work fine, no change. - Using a different motherboard (MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI) recently bought after mistakenly thinking my motherboard was faulty – no difference. - Performing a MSI flashback to install a new BIOS after resetting CMOS, multiple times across both motherboards, still no change (using the latest non-beta BIOS from MSI). These results suggest the CPU might be the root cause. I’ve carefully examined the CPU pins; none appear missing or bent. I suspect a possible issue with the CPU cooler – my Dark Rock Slim doesn’t fit perfectly into the bracket, which feels tight. I’ve checked all documentation for the cooler, but I’m certain I’m installing it correctly. Still, it’s bothering me, so I included it. See the attached image showing the bracket installation and tightening. There’s a clear gap remaining. https://imgur.com/a/QBS1wAG For reference: https://imgur.com/a/QBS1wAG The only action I haven’t taken is breadboarding – I’ll try again once I receive responses and update this post with any findings. I’m really struggling right now. It’s been a stressful two weeks, and I’ve already visited a repair shop, who quoted $170 for the diagnosis (“we don’t know, it’s probably the motherboard”). If you have any suggestions or insights, please share them – I’m desperate for help.
It might be the iGPU that’s missing. Do you have a GPU ready for testing? A poorly secured cooler could lead to the CPU overheating and shutting down or slowing down significantly. Another choice would be repairing the CPU, though that seems unlikely given the mounting issue.
Pretty confident it's not the GPU, there isn't any difference in the failure to boot whether or not I have the gpu in. As for the RAM, I've tried swapping them around a bunch including nust using one with no results. If it was the RAM, surely both sticks wouldn't have died at the same time right?
I went deep into troubleshooting and had to pay the price for a new CPU after checking nearly all potential issues. The machine is back online now.