The computer stopped working and appears to be unresponsive.
The computer stopped working and appears to be unresponsive.
Hey everyone, I'm facing an issue. The PC froze suddenly, the screen went dark, and it didn't respond at all. It happened while editing a CSV file with a browser open. Now nothing functions, it won't power on and there are no beeps or error messages. Only one LED is lit (the MSI LED). I've tried several things: checked the PSU, it seems fine; the MSI LED toggles when PS is connected; shorted the PWR_ON to GND and all rails worked; replaced the CMOS battery and shorted the power button on the headers; removed the graphics card; swapped memory and a new one; unplugged drives and CDs; re-seated the CPU. No debug codes appeared in HEX displays, and the serial monitor showed no data. The scope detected a square wave on some pins, but it didn't look like serial data, so I left it. I'm starting to suspect the motherboard is dead and would appreciate a second opinion. System details: OS - Windows 10 x64 CPU: I7-4790k Graphics: RTX2060 RAM: Kingston hyperx beast hx324c11t3k2/16 Hard drive: Samsung 860 evo 1tb MotherBoard: MSI Z97 Gaming 5 Power Supply: Corsair RM850 Age of system (hardware): about 10 years System Manufacturer: Custom build by a professional, later modified by me.
If the system is unresponsive, it might be a dead CPU before the board itself fails. You could attempt to boot from another device.
Have you changed the CMOS settings? Occasionally, a fast battery replacement can prevent it from being fully cleared.
You're considering swapping the CPU between your PCs to test performance differences. The motherboard includes a jumper for resetting the CMOS—you used it and didn’t reset it. It seems the CMOS might already be in a working state.
otherwise it's not always this way. sometimes you need to take it out for a longer period—about half an hour—and also discharge the capacitors... I had to do this multiple times on my old motherboard. It definitely didn't seem like it would work again before I did this. Just a heads up, it never happened unexpectedly. There was always a specific reason behind it (new RAM, faulty overclock, Ryzen "master" mode...) You never really overclock anything in this setup, even the RAM. Saying "just a minute" isn't very helpful here—it's way too brief. Also, just to be safe, make sure the CMOS jumper isn't left in place; that doesn't drain the capacitors. Also, note that if you're worried about the battery, press the power button for 20-30 seconds while the system is off and not connected to power.
More clues point to a failing motherboard. Swapped CPUs between nearly identical builds, same CPU used, changed from 5 boards to MSI Z97 Gaming 3. Booted working PC using the faulty CPU. Removed graphics cards and kept drives for testing. The only other suspect is the power supply, maybe I’ll replace it soon. If it’s truly the motherboard, I’ll probably get a new one. When upgrading, I aim to build a solid Linux PC/server from the old hardware. Honestly, I’m not sure—I think it’s been around 5 to 6 years. It’s better than nothing; the case cover is gone. This seems completely random. I didn’t open the case for a month and had to reposition the GPU then. The only replacement I’ve made in ten years was swapping the GTX770 for the RTX2060 about three years ago. I never overclocked anything, just wanted longevity. I’m planning to leave the battery out overnight and hope it gets fixed the next day.
It’s probably the power supply unit or mainboard. Just test it: if it smells like something off, you’ve identified the issue.