The PC fails to start even when powered down unless the power supply undergoes a power reset?
The PC fails to start even when powered down unless the power supply undergoes a power reset?
Hi all,
I’m experiencing an unusual power problem that began without any obvious cause.
Problem
After turning off the PC:
Pressing the power button does nothing
The system only powers on when I switch off the PSU, wait a short period, then turn it back on
Once it starts normally, I can hear coil whine (video with sound available)
This occurs every time I shut down now.
What I’ve tried
- Reset BIOS to defaults
- Disabled Fast Boot
- No recent hardware modifications
Issue appeared suddenly (the PC worked fine before)
Specifications
Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI
CPU: Ryzen 9 7950X
RAM: G.Skill F5-6000J3040G32GX2-TZ5NR (64 GB, 2×32 GB)
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 3080
PSU: Corsair RM1000x (ATX 3.1)
Based on these symptoms, what do you think is the main cause?
Could it be:
a faulty PSU (standby rail / protection latch problem),
b a GPU-related issue (RTX 3080 causing power state issues or coil whine interaction),
or c a motherboard/AM5 soft-off power state problem
)?
Are there any specific steps I should take next?
The PSU is less than one year old, which makes me doubt it’s the root cause, but the behavior seems power-related.
Video with coil whine: https://streamable.com/g128q2
Thank you for your assistance.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
If you suspect the PSU is the main problem, consider borrowing or purchasing a more stable, higher-wattage PSU similar to your current one before trying it out. Be careful not to reuse cables from your old PSU if you get a modular one from someone else.
For GPU-related concerns (RTX 3080 causing power issues or coil whine), try running the GPU on a system with a strong PSU and see if the problem continues.
Regarding the motherboard, you might be using an ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI or facing an AM5 soft-off power state issue. What BIOS version are you running? Please tell me about your cooling setup and the case model.
Based on these signs, what do you think is causing the issue? It could be a grounding problem—try power cycling the system.
Thank you for your reply, and sorry for the delayed response — I was busy completing some tasks on my PC.
I reviewed the BIOS and it’s currently set to version 3304.
Cooling:
NZXT Kraken 360
Case: NZXT H7 Flow RGB
The build took place in April of last year. At that time, the power supply, case, and cooling components were new; the CPU, GPU, and RAM were from earlier models. Everything has functioned properly until this morning.
When attempting to turn it on today, the power button remained inactive. I switched the PSU off and on, observed the keyboard lights returning, then pressed the power button right away — the PC started successfully.
Concerning the coil whine:
It used to be a noticeable sound during cold starts, similar to what I’m hearing now. However, after a full shutdown and restarting the system, the noise diminished or disappeared. Interestingly, using a restart instead of shutdown reduced the whine.
Currently, the whine is consistently audible after startup, and since the system now requires a PSU power cycle after every shutdown, this behavior seems different from before. I haven’t been able to clearly determine if the source is the PSU or the GPU.
I haven’t modified any hardware or settings recently.
Regrettably, I don’t have access to a spare PSU at the moment, making it difficult to test with another unit. However, I could remove the RTX 3080 and attempt to boot using the integrated GPU on the 7950X if that would help clarify the issue.
I found another discussion about this issue occurring frequently with ASUS motherboards. They recommended turning on a feature called "ErP" in the BIOS. When I leave work, I plan to enable it and check if it resolves the problem. If not, I’ll attempt to replace my CMOS battery.
This has started happening to me too. Last week I began facing problems where clicking the power button didn’t do anything. Even after resetting my PC, nothing happened. My motherboard still receives power but the button remains unresponsive, and the computer won’t boot at all until I turn off the PSU and then back on.
I’ve had similar experiences with my current setup: CPU 7950X, GPU MSI Suprim X Air Cooled 4090, motherboard Asus X670E-E GAMING WIFI, PSU Corsair HX1000I 1000W Platinum, CPU cooler Artic Liquid Freezer III Pro 420mm. I don’t think the power supply is the issue since I’ve replaced it and had no problems before.
It wasn’t until this past week that I noticed the power button on my case stopped working entirely when I powered off the PC. The motherboard still gets power, but nothing happens. The PC won’t boot unless I shut down the PSU and then turn it back on. Additionally, my second M.2 SSD fails to detect until the system warms up to 40°C during a game, after which I have to restart and only then will it recognize the SSD. Other problems include USB ports losing power or flashing lights on the mouse, keyboard, and soundboard when the PC is warm.
I suspect this might be related to the motherboard and am hoping someone can help. If you have any solutions, please share. This situation is really frustrating for me.
I completed a bios update and the issue stopped, then I reset to expo 1 and eco mode yesterday. Today I’m experiencing the same problem again. Could it be related to eco mode? It worked for two days before today’s noise issue, and the power button only functions after turning off and turning on the PSU.
Clear CMOS and refrain from reactivating Eco mode during testing.