The motherboard isn't powering on the PSU, and the front panel connectors aren't the problem.
The motherboard isn't powering on the PSU, and the front panel connectors aren't the problem.
I asked my friend to test my PSU on his system, but he declined, so little can be done. As I mentioned earlier, I performed the paperclip test on my PSU—it works fine, fans are running, and everything seems normal. The test involves connecting a paperclip between a ground pin and the PSU’s main motherboard cable (check the ATX power pinout guide if needed). This setup should trigger the motherboard to start up properly. I ran the test with two different PSUs, and it strongly suggests the issue lies with the motherboard itself. I didn’t replace any other parts, and I don’t think any of my actions caused damage. The only noticeable scratch was from standoffs during installation, which is all we saw.
It seems like you're trying to figure out what's happening with your PSU test. I'm not entirely sure, but from what you've said, it looks like the test only connects the circuit for powering the fan. I don't know if the PSU is actually starting during this process. It's not a crucial detail, but worth noting. You mentioned using a friend's PSU, but since I can't see their setup, I can't confirm the configuration. Coming from a science background, I won't take this personally and expect detailed explanations. If you look at the information you shared without reading it carefully, it seems possible. It looks like you've spent a lot of time troubleshooting. Without more details or photos, it might be better to try a replacement MOBO for testing. You could also reach out to the manufacturer for a new one, or look for someone who has a compatible MOBO to borrow.
I hadn’t really thought about whether the paperclip test would completely disable the PSU. So I retrieved my RGB controller, which runs on Molex, and connected it to one of my fans for testing. The RGB only activates after the paperclip test, suggesting it also powers up other devices beyond just the fan. At least its "perif" plug comes on, which implies it might power other components too. I apologize if my explanations were brief—mostly we just followed our initial ideas without much detail. There wasn’t a lot of detailed procedure; we mainly considered potential problems and tried to verify if that was the cause. Eventually, we looked at troubleshooting guides for motherboards and PSUs, narrowing it down to two components before deciding to disassemble the whole system in hopes of finding more clues. We ended up rebuilding the PC, hoping to either fix the problem or discover something new until we concluded the issue likely lay in the PSU not being properly activated by the motherboard at startup. We tested with his PSU without the GPU, cooler, and RAM connected, but I’m still convinced it needs those parts to even start (though it will still POST). Based on what we saw, attaching those components shouldn’t block step one. Still, I’ll ask him if he’s okay bringing the PSU back for a full test with all components in place. Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds right now to buy another motherboard, and I don’t know anyone who has a spare I could borrow (my only other builder is my friend, who doesn’t have a backup board). The motherboard is still under warranty, so I’ll try contacting Asus to see if they can send a replacement.
I believe the outcome hinges on the specific pins you're connecting to the power source. If you're connecting pins 15 and 16 as shown, the device should start up. Using a multimeter, set it up to read voltage across pins 7 and 8, then short pins 15 and 16; you should see around 5V within half a second (maximum). If not, it may indicate a power supply problem blocking activation. Pin 8 (PWR_OK) is designed to stop the boot if the power source isn't functioning properly—this could resemble an error message. If you obtain 5V across pins 7 and 8 in under half a second, the MOBO is likely the culprit, but otherwise it points to a PSU issue that you can trace further (if needed). Refer to the Wiki page for voltage expectations; this information came from the image above. Don’t worry, I was just clarifying the details of your setup and troubleshooting approach. It’s tough when things don’t work, and I relate to your situation. If you verify with another PSU or check the power pins, let us know. Same applies if you measure the PSU voltage directly. One final suggestion: make sure nothing in the 24-pin connector or on the back could be causing a short (unlikely but worth checking). Hopefully, if it’s the MOBO, the replacement process will be straightforward. Good luck!