Question 990FXA-GD80 won't POST, no discernible error code.

[Amaroq]

I just bought some old new parts for a computer. Pretty much all used or refurbished.

Board: MSI 990FXA-GD80 (First version, no revisions.)
CPU: AMD FX-8350 BE
GPU: XFX Radeon R9 285 Double Dissipation
RAM: Ballistix Sport 4x8gb (advertised as a kit, but arrived as four separately packaged sticks. :/)
PSU: CORSAIR RM750e 750 watts.

The lights turn on, it makes whirring sounds like a computer starting up, the fans (including GPU fans) spin, but the monitor never receives a signal.

Additionally, I cannot reset it by pressing or holding any power or reset buttons. Once it's on, it's stuck on until I turn the power supply off.

I tried putting just one ram stick in, wiggling the sticks, and taking out the daisy chain power cable from the GPU and using two power cables instead.

The LED has no discernible error code. It just has a backwards L on the first digit, like this: ⅃ The manual has no such error code listed.

I bought the motherboard from an e-bay seller in Indonesia who had only 1 review for a cheap item.

I'm worried I got scammed by someone offloading their broken motherboard.

But I've also read that the 990FXA-GD80 doesn't support FX processors without a BIOS firmware update. And in order to do that, you need to put in a compatible CPU to update it.

So I've ordered an $8 used processor (an Athlon II X2) from ebay (from a reputable seller with thousands of positive reviews this time) and now I'm waiting for it to arrive.

But on the other hand, I've had this problem with a motherboard before: black screen and can't reset it or power it off. That motherboard was dead too.

Do you think I have a dead motherboard? Or is it still worthwhile trying another CPU in it?

Thank you. For now I'm waiting on that processor to arrive.

 

[Misgar]

Do you think I have a dead motherboard? Or is it still worthwhile trying another CPU in it?

If the mobo needs a BIOS update to run the FX, there's no way to tell if you've been scammed until you try the Athlon. If the BIOS isn't compatible with the FX, you're unlikely to see anything on the monitor screen.

Most of the second hand boards I've bought on eBay have working fine. I tend to buy from people with good feedback, but I took a chance on a mobo + CPU for $8 from someone with negative feedback and it worked perfectly.

If the worst comes to the worst, provided the seller described the board as "working" and not "parts or spares only", you can get your money refunded by the seller or eBay.