Can't enter bios or boot, 9c error displayed

[xGordon]

New build old parts, getting 9c error with no USB device attached
SPECS: (all 2nd hand parts except the Mobo)
MSI 970A mobo
Gskill ripjaws ddr3 1600mhz
Nvidia 660TI
AMD FX 6300 (stock heatsink)

The problem:
I can't boot, or get into bios. when I power it up the cpu and gpu fans spin, my keyboard(s) flash that they have power, and the screen gets a signal (black screen), and 9c is visible on the bottom right of the screen. One of the boots I did had it change to 9D, other than that, it's always 9c. Online i have found that 9c is usually a usb fault, but not having any usb device connected, and resetting cmos (brand new board, did it anyway) didn't fix it.

What I have tried:
resetting CMOS by removing battery
GPU in both slots
All ram slots, with several different sticks of ram, one at a time (and without any ram in)
using a PS/2 port keyboard (and no keyboard/device connected at all)\

The build is currently benched, so nothing is plugged into the usb hubs.

 

[The Paladin]

disconnect the usb connectors from the motherboard.
try again.
could be a port in case

 

[xGordon]

disconnect the usb connectors from the motherboard.
try again.
could be a port in case

I don't have any usb connectors, hubs, or devices connected as far as I can tell, and I still get the error

 

[xGordon]

update: just tried another boot, and the 9c turned into an A2 error, and the speaker beeped 5 times. 5 beeps apparently means dead cpu, but I had that with a previous cpu, and subbed in one that was almost the same. and I think a2 means faulty connection to ssd or something similar, and I have no sata connections at all. still can't get into bios

 

[The Paladin]

pull cpu and check for bent pins in socket

 

[ko888]

Since the motherboard uses an AMI UEFI BIOS:

5 Beeps = No Console Input or Output Devices are found

Is there a keyboard plugged into the motherboard?

 

[xGordon]

Since the motherboard uses an AMI UEFI BIOS:

5 Beeps = No Console Input or Output Devices are found

Is there a keyboard plugged into the motherboard?

no, nothing plugged into it except ram, power and gpu (no sata connections or usb or even ps/2 when that just happened)

 

[ko888]

Since the motherboard uses an AMI UEFI BIOS:

5 Beeps = No Console Input or Output Devices are found

Is there a keyboard plugged into the motherboard?

no, nothing plugged into it except ram, power and gpu (no sata connections or usb or even ps/2 when that just happened)

It's looking for the presence of a keyboard during the Driver Execution Environment (DXE) phase of the UEFI boot process.

 

[xGordon]

Since the motherboard uses an AMI UEFI BIOS:

5 Beeps = No Console Input or Output Devices are found

Is there a keyboard plugged into the motherboard?

no, nothing plugged into it except ram, power and gpu (no sata connections or usb or even ps/2 when that just happened)

It's looking for the presence of a keyboard during the Driver Execution Environment (DXE) phase of the UEFI boot process.

I tried it with both a usb and ps/2 keyboard once each, and they both made it not beep at all, and swapped the error from a2 back to 9c, which is what I was consisnently getting before (no beeps, black screen with 9c, with the keyboards receiving power, but can't access bios, and no bios logo screen). couldn't access boot menu either

 

[ko888]

9C also occurs during the Driver Execution Environment (DXE) initialization phase of the UEFI boot process.

9C = USB Detect

You won't be able to get into the UEFI setup until all phases of the UEFI boot process complete without errors.