[SOLVED] Admitting I screwed up.

[Grant Cole]

I bought a Ryzen 5 3600 with a MSI B450 Tomahawk Max. However, I feel I botched the install. However, I dont feel too mad, as I realized mistakes like these are part of the game.

My EVGA PSU is a bit of older model that only uses 4 pin connector but it is 750 watts so in theory it should run the pc just fine. However the motherboard has an 8 pin, I noticed on the wire there were two 4pin connectors and just figured you attached both. They fit in so easily I assumed it was a successful setup. That is until I realized the shapes of these things. The 2nd 4 pin were +12 volt connector and no ground. I must have fried the entire build.

So I must ask, are any of these salvageable or should I send it all back and hope the short term warranty covers them or am I possibly out a few hundred dollars and more with this poor poor mistake?

Next time I know I'll have to buy an 8 pin connector separately, but this time, I admit I may have ruined every single part in my computer because electricity causes a chain reaction.

Either way, before I packed up the cpu and motherboard, the display stopped showing, also the computer also sometimes does a repeated 2 beep pattern. Also a red light would show up on the motherboard for a few sections that indicated there was something wrong with the cpu.

Either way, is any of this salvageable or is it time to send it back?

 

[Eximo]

Which PSU?

Only 4-pin connectors you should find on a power supply, oh say, less then ten years old, are for the CPU (excluding the 4 in a row style of older hardware). So unless you forced them in, should be the right ones.

You generally find 4+4 or only a single 4-pin. If you have two separate 4-pins, not sure what that might be.

Confusingly you will have 8-pin PCIe power connectors that are not to be used for CPU power. But usually 6+2 pin configurations to make it more clear.

 

[Grant Cole]

 

[drea.drechsler]

Please list complete system configuration. As Eximo said, you might could have done nothing wrong even though you thought you did.

Two beeps usually (or used to) mean a memory error. It could be you have something bad with RAM. I'd suggest making sure they're firmly inserted in the right sockets, swapping them and single sticks to see if it works better.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Did you measure voltages on the pins with a voltmeter?

I have to say, if you managed to connect +12V to ground the PSU would have shut down straight away, if it's a quality unit.

Or smoked pretty quickly if not.

 

[Grant Cole]

It's an 80+ brownse or whatever. Now I believe when I removed and reinserted the ram it may have stopped the blinking. But there was still no display and whenever you turn on the pc a red light comes on for a few seconds with CPU listed beside it. Anybody familiar with this motherboard would know this is an error light.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Did you measure voltages on the pins with a voltmeter?

It's an 80+ brownse or whatever. Now I believe when I removed and reinserted the ram it may have stopped the blinking. But there was still no display and whenever you turn on the pc a red light comes on for a few seconds with CPU listed beside it. Anybody familiar with this motherboard would know this is an error light.

Nobody's saying it's perfect. It just looks like your PSU has a 4+4 CPU power connector which is as it should be so that doesn't sound like it would be a problem.

If memory's not in right, if CPU's not in right, if the GPU's not in right, if the 24+4 pin's not in right, if you didn't have a spacer in the case and the motherboard shorted to the case bottom. It goes on and on, so many ways a new-build could have problems. They all have to be reviewed and corrected as found.

 

[Grant Cole]

All spaces were in case. Whay is weird is that this pc worked all night, and the next day. I turned it off so I can pick my son up from school, came back, and then no display.

 

[Grant Cole]

I dont have a voltometre, though I probably should have. Also I'm pretty sure everything else was secure.

 

[drea.drechsler]

I dont have a voltometre, though I probably should have. Also I'm pretty sure everything else was secure.

since you have it disassembled (if I understood), it might be best to troubleshoot with a breadboard build:

How To - Breadboarding, stripping it down to the basics for troubleshooting

If you have to read this, something is very wrong with your PC such that you need to fully troubleshoot your system at the most basic hardware level, Breadboarding. A little background: breadboards were what we called our lab equipment in electronics school. I don't know why they started...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Grant Cole]

Usinging the beeadboarding method i was able to determine the pc turns on and display functions properly (but only from the graphics card.)

Red CPU light still comes on at startup but it now displays something on a monitor.

 

[CountMike]

Usinging the beeadboarding method i was able to determine the pc turns on and display functions properly (but only from the graphics card.)

Red CPU light still comes on at startup but it now displays something on a monitor.

Considering the CPU, only video output you can get is from dedicated GPU. It's iluzory to even try from MB.

 

[Grant Cole]

Problem seems solved for now. Thank goodness. I have more questions but I'll make a dedicated post for it.