PC fails to start despite modifications to various components.
PC fails to start despite modifications to various components.
I own an older prebuilt machine (IBP from around 2013) that was still running until recently. I replaced the power supply and graphics card before moving away for a while after setting up a new system. Recently, my son began using it, but it suddenly stopped working completely one day. I could power it on, but only the fans spun and the LEDs lit up without any boot-up or display. I assumed something in the setup failed. I purchased fresh components—new motherboard, CPU, RAM, and storage—and when I tried to boot with them, the same problem occurred. The PSU, GPU, and hard drive stayed the same.
The new parts are:
- Motherboard: MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200 CL16
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core
- PSU: CX600M (bought around 2016)
- Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2 and a very old 1TB HDD WD Blue
- GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1080 Turbo OC 8GB
I’ve gone through all the troubleshooting steps mentioned in the post about diagnosing systems that won’t boot (reassembling, checking pins, stripping components), but the issue remains. Still, with the new motherboard installed, I noticed something new! When I power on the system, a bright white light appears in the EZ Debug CPU LED area of the motherboard.
I’m wondering if the PSU might have failed, but I’m unsure how the motherboard and case could still receive power. Could the CPU power wire be damaged while other connections stayed intact? Should I go ahead and buy a new PSU to test? I believe the BIOS supports the new CPU, though I’m not entirely confident. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Changing all those components makes it equivalent to creating a new system, so it should be handled and executed in the same manner.
Any PSU can become partially faulty, with numerous different voltages and connections; if even one is defective, the entire system won't work. In your case, I would opt for a known good and compatible PSU during the "Breadboard" test, putting parts together separately from the case.
It seems the PSU might be faulty (or at least the power cable for the CPU). If you have a backup CPU power cable from the PSU, swap it in with the current one. Make sure you're using only the cables that came with your PSU, not any third-party ones. Also, check that the CPU cooler is connected to the CPU Fan port—most motherboards won't boot if nothing is plugged there.
Thanks for the updates! The CPU fan is running and the motherboard light is on, which means power should be reaching those components. Even though it's a modular PSU, I'm having trouble locating the spare CPU cable.
🙁
I purchased a replacement today and plan to test it tomorrow. Appreciate your assistance!
I purchased a fresh PSU (MAG A550BN) but the problem continues. Could it be that the BIOS doesn't recognize the CPU? I'm not sure what steps to take next.