PC Boot Loop
PC Boot Loop
Hi Everyone, I have a very old PC currently having boot loop issue and I am not sure if I diagnose it correctly or not and need all of your helps. Let's talk about my PC specs first. PC Specs : CPU: i3 - 3220 CPU Cooler: Intel Stock Cooler for i3 - 3220 Motherboard: ASRock H61M-VS3 Ram: SK Hynix DDR3 8GB 1600 mhz cl11 ram GPU: Asus 750ti 2GB PSU: E-Super Power 500W (I think this is just a generic PSU) Problem : So around 19 of May 2023, when I use that PC, that PC suddenly shut itself off and then restart itself, when it goes to windows and I enter my windows password, it loading for awhile then it boot loop but the 2nd boot and onward I am unable to enter the password because before it able to show me the windows login page, it will boot loop means it stay power on shorter than the first boot loop. I unplug every hard drive, and try again, it boot to BIOS, then wait for awhile, it will boot loop again and this time since there's no hard drive plugged in, it's also like how when hard drive is plugged in, the more boot loop the lesser it stay power on. So for example, if i power off it and wait for awhile, then power on again without hard drive, it will stay in BIOS for longer period of time, then it goes boot loop and stay power on shorter time and cant even show BIOS any more after the first boot loop because it stay power on for a lot shorter period of time than the first time. Then, I power off it for awhile then power on that PC to check if the BIOS setting is all good before it boot loop, I notice my PC boot loop when my CPU hit 65C in BIOS, so i thought it was heating issue that caused it to boot loop since the CPU TCase temp is 65C, i take the cooler off to clean it and buy a new thermal paste to replace it, after do the cleaning and all, the CPU temp drop to 35C but still boot loop. So I remove my CMos battery to reset my BIOS, reseat RAM, test PSU with another working PSU, all those seems not able to find the root cause. Then I remove my GPU and plug my display into onboard display port since the CPU have iGPU, then it even worse, the display black screen cant show anything but the CPU cooler keep boot loop means the CPU fan keep spin stop spin stop etc. Sometime it just black screen and the CPU just spin without any POST. After sometime which is today, I tried to boot it again without drive but with GPU, it also same on first boot it will be able to boot to BIOS, i can do some configuration but i didnt do any changes to BIOS, just let it stay there to see if it will boot loop. Unfortunately, it boot loop again with same behaviour means the 2nd boot and onward, it will stay power on lesser time and unable to do anything or view BIOS, then on 3rd boot loop, i notice 1 issue, i notice my GPU fan like get not enough power, it spin but it cant spin fast and then it stop then the CPU fan will keep spin but nothing will POST. Anyone know is it a CPU issue? Motherboard failuer? Ram Failure? or PSU failure? I have not clue the further I test it. Appreciate anyone who willing to read my long post. Thank you
The issue you're facing might stem from the CPU, motherboard, RAM, or PSU. Any of these components could lead to frequent reboots. This isn't a scientific conclusion, but based on experience, I'd suspect: 1. CPU most often 2. RAM next 3. Motherboard 4. PSU least likely. This is just my perspective, as I've repaired many PCs and followed this testing order.
It's not a common boot loop, just a full loop. Keep the power on longer or shorter depending on the situation. I'm having trouble with this because even if I add more RAM, it works fine, but if I replace the CPU, motherboard, or power supply, the problem persists. Those older components are tough to dispose of since they're outdated. Thanks for your response. Appreciate it.
Regarding the nearby repair shop, I believe they likely have old PC components or not—I’m not sure. I’ll need to confirm with them first. Yes, I’m trying to ask a friend to lend me his PSU and RAM so I can test again. If everything works, I think the problem might be with the motherboard since my uncle says a CPU issue could prevent booting.
I've experienced unstable performance due to faulty CPUs. The issue seems to vary based on the specific problem. Just to be sure, I'm not certain it's always the CPU, but it could be in my view.
I appreciate your update. I'll look into the matter further. Recently, I checked online and noticed others might be facing similar problems, though the discussion has ended without a resolution. After rebooting, I removed the CMOS and tried booting from USB. The PC restarted three times: first it displayed BIOS briefly, then nothing appeared, followed by continuous CPU fan spinning without any visible output. After a brief shutdown and restart, the BIOS appeared again before shutting down. It seems the power supply unit appears to be functioning correctly, as it restarts after each attempt. The issue seems linked to RAM, motherboard, or CPU, based on my observations.
I discovered the real reason behind the reboot loop by testing components like CPU, RAM, PSU, SSD, and GPU. The motherboard turned out to be the main issue. I plan to replace it soon, but I only found a second-hand one, which feels risky because of its age. It might fail like my current board after some time. What are your thoughts?