The process might need a reformat depending on the specific changes made to the motherboard.
The process might need a reformat depending on the specific changes made to the motherboard.
In short, you're facing a tricky situation. It seems the top PCIe slot might be faulty, possibly due to the CPU cooler replacement. You’re leaning toward the GPU rather than the CPU, which makes sense since it works fine elsewhere. If you decide to go for a refund, the cost of a new board might exceed what you could get back, especially since prices have likely risen. The Wi-Fi model is cheaper, but you’ll need to check compatibility—mainly whether it supports the same chipset and IO. For a replacement, consider models similar to your current one, like another MSI Pro Z690 or a comparable brand. If you do swap boards, reformatting might be necessary depending on the new board’s features. DDR4 or DDR5 options are available; look for ones with good undervolting support and matching performance. Your existing components (i5-13600k, RX 6800 XT, NVMe SSD) should work well with a compatible board.
You checked the system for any issues before proceeding with the replacement.
After installing the new CPU cooler, I reconnected everything and turned on the PC. My GPU still wasn’t showing up in Device Manager. I tried reseating it, but the system kept looping without any graphics output. I reached out to the /r/techsupport community for advice. I performed several checks—testing each RAM slot and individual drives—without encountering any error messages. I removed the GPU entirely. Once I reinstalled all RAM and placed the GPU in a lower slot, I regained access to Windows with proper graphics output. Eventually, I reinserted the RAM completely and installed the GPU in the top slot. At that stage, I was able to view its output. The support team later suggested it might be a faulty top PCIe slot, which confirmed when I moved the GPU back up. They noted no error codes appeared and the motherboard LEDs stayed off. It’s possible the PC was only partially detecting the GPU at first, or it might have been entering Windows without proper recognition. I noticed nothing unusual in my Device Manager, though I’m still unsure if this is connected. I attached a photo for reference, hoping it helps. It seems the issue likely stems from the PCIe slot itself, even though everything else functioned normally. Personally, I’m still relying on integrated graphics temporarily.
It's strange when a lane stops abruptly—it seems like the CPU or its socket pin is involved. I'm going to reset it again just to confirm. I'll also inspect the socket closely. Since the PCI controller is built into the CPU, that strengthens my belief it's the CPU issue.