F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Question: Is the CPU or motherboard faulty?

Question: Is the CPU or motherboard faulty?

Question: Is the CPU or motherboard faulty?

S
sironip
Member
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191
02-03-2026, 12:34 PM
#1
Yesterday I decided to clean my CPU and heatsink, removed them to dust them off, put them back in and reconnected the fan cable pin. When I restarted the system, the GPU fan was running at full speed and there was no display at all. Any suggestions for a solution?
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S
sironip
02-03-2026, 12:34 PM #1

Yesterday I decided to clean my CPU and heatsink, removed them to dust them off, put them back in and reconnected the fan cable pin. When I restarted the system, the GPU fan was running at full speed and there was no display at all. Any suggestions for a solution?

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K
KH68
Junior Member
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44
02-03-2026, 06:45 PM
#2
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.
Might want to pass on images of what your CPU's socket looks like(if you're on Intel's LGA platform or AMD's AM5 platform).
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K
KH68
02-03-2026, 06:45 PM #2

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.
Might want to pass on images of what your CPU's socket looks like(if you're on Intel's LGA platform or AMD's AM5 platform).

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N
Neverlurn
Junior Member
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11
02-03-2026, 11:37 PM
#3
It's quite an outdated system now, functioning properly until about a week ago when both screens went dark despite all apps running and alt-tabbing to fix the issue. Experienced some error alerts like "GPU was forced to restart," which occasionally caused game crashes.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600
CPU cooler: Standard AMD cooler included with the CPU
Motherboard: B350M Bazooka
RAM: Two 8GB modules of Corsair Vengeance DDR4 at 3200 MHz
Storage: One 1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD, one 240GB Kingston SSD, and a 120GB Kingston SSD
GPU: Evga GTX 980 plus a spare Strix GTX 970
Power supply: OCPZ 600S XT2, approximately ten years old
Chassis: Age is hard to gauge at this stage
Operating System: Windows 10
Display: Benq Gl2450 monitor and Acer KG241Q keyboard
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N
Neverlurn
02-03-2026, 11:37 PM #3

It's quite an outdated system now, functioning properly until about a week ago when both screens went dark despite all apps running and alt-tabbing to fix the issue. Experienced some error alerts like "GPU was forced to restart," which occasionally caused game crashes.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600
CPU cooler: Standard AMD cooler included with the CPU
Motherboard: B350M Bazooka
RAM: Two 8GB modules of Corsair Vengeance DDR4 at 3200 MHz
Storage: One 1TB Seagate Barracuda HDD, one 240GB Kingston SSD, and a 120GB Kingston SSD
GPU: Evga GTX 980 plus a spare Strix GTX 970
Power supply: OCPZ 600S XT2, approximately ten years old
Chassis: Age is hard to gauge at this stage
Operating System: Windows 10
Display: Benq Gl2450 monitor and Acer KG241Q keyboard

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V
VelKioz
Junior Member
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4
02-04-2026, 05:43 AM
#4
The debug LED indicated a CPU issue, so I replaced and reconnected everything, cleared the dust, but it still didn't work. It seems I might need to purchase a new CPU.
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V
VelKioz
02-04-2026, 05:43 AM #4

The debug LED indicated a CPU issue, so I replaced and reconnected everything, cleared the dust, but it still didn't work. It seems I might need to purchase a new CPU.

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E
ElitexWizard
Member
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210
02-07-2026, 12:45 AM
#5
Gently remove the CPU and clean the slot with isopropyl alcohol, ensuring any debris is removed using a small handheld vacuum or pressurized air can. Use a fine brush instead of tissues. Cover thoroughly and allow it to dry completely without dust entering. Then, check for bent pins on the CPU and straighten them using a magnifying glass if needed. For handling the pins, consider using a plastic strip from old medicine pills as an alternative to a needle or tweezers. After that, wipe off the thermal paste from both the cooler and the CPU, letting it dry in a clean area. Replace the CPU and secure the cooler with a new dab of thermal paste before reinstalling everything properly.
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E
ElitexWizard
02-07-2026, 12:45 AM #5

Gently remove the CPU and clean the slot with isopropyl alcohol, ensuring any debris is removed using a small handheld vacuum or pressurized air can. Use a fine brush instead of tissues. Cover thoroughly and allow it to dry completely without dust entering. Then, check for bent pins on the CPU and straighten them using a magnifying glass if needed. For handling the pins, consider using a plastic strip from old medicine pills as an alternative to a needle or tweezers. After that, wipe off the thermal paste from both the cooler and the CPU, letting it dry in a clean area. Replace the CPU and secure the cooler with a new dab of thermal paste before reinstalling everything properly.

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B
BJRockster
Junior Member
Find
5
02-07-2026, 08:47 AM
#6
Sadly, it didn't work as expected. After everything that happened over the past week—black screens, blue screen errors, and various alerts—it seems the device is likely dead now. The debugging tool indicated the CPU was still active, but that doesn't mean it's functioning properly.
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B
BJRockster
02-07-2026, 08:47 AM #6

Sadly, it didn't work as expected. After everything that happened over the past week—black screens, blue screen errors, and various alerts—it seems the device is likely dead now. The debugging tool indicated the CPU was still active, but that doesn't mean it's functioning properly.

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