The desktop PC stopped working abruptly, it can't boot anymore—should it be the motherboard or the CPU?
The desktop PC stopped working abruptly, it can't boot anymore—should it be the motherboard or the CPU?
I recently relocated the internal components of my PC to another case. Initially, everything functioned properly. The system booted, I verified my storage devices, and moved some files to confirm connections were intact. Everything seemed normal. I left it running for a few hours before attempting to launch Baldur’s Gate 3, which almost reached the title screen (my cursor shifted to the game icon), but then the machine crashed. It restarted, returning me to the desktop, only to fail again shortly after and remain unresponsive. No BIOS screens appeared. I suspect the power supply unit is intact. I went through troubleshooting steps—disconnecting everything, including the CPU, fan, and main hard drive (an NVMe, which works fine as it’s housed in an external USB enclosure and was functional on a laptop). The drive is still accessible. It powers on but doesn’t boot, showing no BIOS activity. Only fans and lights are visible. I also attempted to connect it to another outlet in another room without any difference. I believe the motherboard is intact since components power up normally (I removed the battery and briefly touched a CMOS connector pin to reset the BIOS). I removed each RAM stick one by one, testing them individually. The graphics card displays a red warning if the PCIE isn’t connected, but even after complete removal, no response was detected. I think the CPU might be the issue. I tried installing a water cooler during the move, unplugged it, and reinstalled the original CPU fan in that minimal setup. Would adding a fresh layer of thermal paste help? Is there a definitive method for me to determine whether the problem lies with the motherboard or the CPU without external parts or assistance from someone with a similar build?
Because the issue arose after changing the case, it seems connected to that change. Ensure all connections are firmly in place.
Before failing, it was connected to an ARESGAME 500W AGV500. It operated normally. It had been known to work before, so I had already installed it in the case I changed. The initial case, made by ASUS as described, came with an ACBel P2B 500W API 5501BP2. After removing parts, only the fans and lights remained, without any BIOS or boot functionality.