Which part of your system is preventing the PC from starting?
Which part of your system is preventing the PC from starting?
Hello there! This is my initial post in the forum. I’m facing a challenge with my new PC that I assembled towards the end of 2021. It stopped working just one day after six months of use. The last time it functioned properly was at the end of March 2022.
I’ve swapped out the motherboard and power supply for brand new ones, but it only powered on briefly before shutting down again. No improvements have been made so far. I also replaced the GPU with another new one, yet the issue persists. Everything seems to be fine except for the fact that none of these components are working together as expected.
I’ve tried three different motherboards now. When checking the PSU using a paper clip test, the fan spins, indicating the power supply is still operational. However, my system fails to turn on at all. I’m unsure which part is causing this problem and what steps to take next.
This is the third motherboard I’ve purchased. The PSU passed the test, but the build itself isn’t functioning correctly. I’m at a loss and really need advice from everyone here. Thank you all for your help!
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
Using the paper clip method, I checked the PSU and see that the fan spins, which means it's working fine.
The paperclip test only confirms power output, not the actual amount of power delivered.
MSI B450M MORTAR MAX
Your motherboard includes a Flash BIOS button on the back, as detailed on page 40 of your manual:
https://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe...89v1.1.pdf
Try flashing the BIOS without the CPU, RAM, and discrete GPU to see if it works.
Hi, just attempted a re-flash of the BIOS and managed to complete it successfully. Following that, I performed a basic setup with a bare minimum components—motherboard, CPU, cooler, graphics card, and RAM—placed inside the motherboard case, but still couldn’t boot or post. No fans were spinning on the power supply or the CPU cooler. I tried removing all two RAM sticks one by one, inserting each at a time, and even after replacing the RAM, the process failed consistently. Each time I reset the CMOS battery and reverted the BIOS before testing again, it still didn’t work. Since the RAM units were new, it’s unlikely they’re the issue. Could it be the CPU itself? Is there a possibility that a dead CPU is preventing the system from starting? What’s the most probable cause? Previously, I was able to revive the same motherboard and flash the BIOS using an external USB and the back panel flash button. It completed the cycle fully, confirming the board was fixed. However, the bench test still didn’t succeed. Please help me figure this out.
During the BIOS flashing, the PSU was connected and functioned properly as a new unit. However, after flashing the BIOS, the PSU fans spun continuously, which was normal. The only problem arose when attempting minimal boot during the bench test, where it failed to start.
I swapped the gt710 for a new RX-580 since I thought it might be a problematic component. I only replaced the parts I suspected were causing issues, so I’m no longer using the gt710. The RX-580 should work fine.