Question Computer crashed, CPU & DRAM red LEDs, display not detected.

[airwickk]

I built this computer just shy of two years ago, and this is my first major issue. I’m no expert, but I did some basic troubleshooting. I’ve browsed through other forums and YouTube videos to try and find a solution - no luck yet.

Here’s what happened: I load up a game on my PC, played for a few hours. All of the sudden, everything blinks out, as if there was an outage. I shrug it off, and boot it back up. As I’m loading into the game again, it blinks out. At this point I figure it could be corrupted game files, so after booting up I did a file integrity check, and run the game again, but it happens again. Only this time, it’s stopped booting back up.

There’s no source detected on my monitor, case fans run for a split second after pressing the power, then stop - but CPU cooler, PSU and GPU fans run constantly - and two solid red LEDs from the motherboard: DRAM and CPU.

Here’s what I’ve done:
- Removed all components other than PSU, CPU, RAM
- Reset CMOS
- Tried booting with only one stick of RAM, tested in every slot individually with each stick. Also tried a working stick from another PC, errors still persist
- Unplugged and replugged everything in the motherboard, ensured connection is secure
- Reseated CPU

Here are my specs:
- Motherboard: ASROCK B560M-C
- CPU: i5 11400F
- GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB
- RAM: 16 GB (2x8) DDR4 3200
- PSU: 600W 80 PLUS Gold

I’m kind of suspecting a motherboard short based on the way the case fans are acting, but I’m unsure if that has any grounds to correlate. If you need any additional info or pictures I would be happy to provide it. I’m kind of at my wit’s end with this one, and I’m hoping someone more knowledgeable might be able to lend a hand. TIA!

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

PSU: 600W 80 PLUS Gold
600W is the advertised wattage of the PSU, while 80+ Gold is the advertised efficiency rating for the unit. What is the make and model of the unit and it's age?

 

[Cestral]

If the motherboard is telling you it's the CPU/RAM and you have already tried switching the RAM and everything else, then it seems most likely that the CPU has failed. Did you overclock it by chance?

However, since the case fans don't spin it sounds like there could be an issue with the PSU, because the case fans should spin even if the CPU is broken. If the unit is not from a reputable brand then I'd be more inclined to believe it is the PSU. Are the case fans connected directly to the PSU or do they go through the motherboard?

 

[airwickk]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

PSU: 600W 80 PLUS Gold
600W is the advertised wattage of the PSU, while 80+ Gold is the advertised efficiency rating for the unit. What is the make and model of the unit and its age?

My apologies! Looks like I went the cheap route and picked up one from High Power, it’s roughly two years old. Model: HP1-J600GD-F12S

 

[airwickk]

If the motherboard is telling you it's the CPU/RAM and you have already tried switching the RAM and everything else, then it seems most likely that the CPU has failed. Did you overclock it by chance?

However, since the case fans don't spin it sounds like there could be an issue with the PSU, because the case fans should spin even if the CPU is broken. If the unit is not from a reputable brand then I'd be more inclined to believe it is the PSU. Are the case fans connected directly to the PSU or do they go through the motherboard?

Great idea to double check where the case fans were plugged into - that totally slipped me.

My case fans are plugged into a fan hub, which has two cables running into the motherboard, and another running into the PSU. Regardless, I’ll test it with a multimeter when I get the chance.

 

[airwickk]

I’ll test it with a multimeter when I get the chance.

Did the paper clip test, and all 24 pins gave accurate readings. I think that eliminates the PSU. Seems like it’s now down to my CPU or motherboard, but I’m not sure how to determine which is causing the actual issue.

My fan hub has two cables that run into each of the chassis fan connectors on my mobo, and judging by how the case fans are acting once the power button is pressed, I’m beginning to suspect it’s the motherboard at the root of the problem. Any advice on how to move forward with testing?

 

[airwickk]

Got another update. I’ve unplugged the fan hub and taken a different, working case fan from another PC, and plugged it directly into the motherboard. Same issue. Spins for half a second, then stops. So the fan hub works fine.

To me, that rules out the CPU being at fault here, since I believe the CPU plays no real part in how case fans operate, and with the PSU reading correctly on the multimeter and the RAM also outruled, I think my best bet is picking up another motherboard.