[SOLVED] Computer Turns On But No Display Signal Or Peripherals

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Odonix

Odonix

Honorable
Oct 1, 2016
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So I have been having this problem for the past few months and it has slowly gotten worse/more frequent.

Sometimes(now it is almost every time) when I start up my computer it will turn on; fans, lights, all that, but I don't get anything on my monitor, and my keyboard and mouse don't light up/work either. If I keep trying, turning it on and off and such, eventually it works, but it has gotten harder over time.

I mostly suspect the power supply as the cause, but maybe the motherboard or processor could be the issue. I actually smelled a burning smell from the power supply a few months ago but it eventually went away, I thought I was just smelling something that wasn't there and Thermaltake was not helping me with my warranty regardless, so ended up just continuing to use it normally.

I tried testing the power supply using a multimeter. I unplugged everything that the PSU was plugged into, bridged start and ground on the 24-pin connector, and then tested the voltages on DC. For some reason on the 24-pin, all the voltages were double. 3.3v would read 7v, 5v was 10v, and the 12v was 27v. I tested the 8-pin CPU connector as well and instead of being 12v, I got 8v and 6v on two different pins. The weird thing is that I checked the Molex connector as well and it was reading perfectly fine; 5v and 12v. I don't think the multimeter is reading wrong either, it is brand new and I tested it on an outlet.

Not sure what this means, and if it is the other components I don't know how I would test them. Once I get the computer running, everything works fine(as far as I know). Currently, I have left the cables disconnected from the computer and I am using my laptop until I fix the issue.

PC Specs:
(Yes, I know it is imbalanced.)

Processor: AMD FX 8350
AIO: NZXT Kraken X72
Motherboard: ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR3-1600 CL9
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 1 TB SSD (Plus some laptop HDD for extra storage.)
Graphics Card: MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6 GB GAMING LE
Case: NZXT Noctis 450
PSU: Thermaltake Smart 650 W 80+ Bronze
 
Solution
Ralston18
Good procedure, double-checked results.....

PSU voltages way out of spec post "burning smell".....

I am left with conclusion that the current Thermaltake PSU has reached its' EOL (End of Life).

Perhaps prematurely based on age and/or overall use: heavy gaming, video editing, even bit-mining to where it supported high wattage loads for long periods of time.

New PSU warranted.

Use the connectors/cables that come with the new PSU - do not reuse any connectors/cables from the old Thermaltake PSU.
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Good procedure, double-checked results.....

PSU voltages way out of spec post "burning smell".....

I am left with conclusion that the current Thermaltake PSU has reached its' EOL (End of Life).

Perhaps prematurely based on age and/or overall use: heavy gaming, video editing, even bit-mining to where it supported high wattage loads for long periods of time.

New PSU warranted.

Use the connectors/cables that come with the new PSU - do not reuse any connectors/cables from the old Thermaltake PSU.
 
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Solution
Ralston18 said:
Good procedure, double-checked results.....

PSU voltages way out of spec post "burning smell".....

I am left with conclusion that the current Thermaltake PSU has reached its' EOL (End of Life).

Perhaps prematurely based on age and/or overall use: heavy gaming, video editing, even bit-mining to where it supported high wattage loads for long periods of time.

New PSU warranted.

Use the connectors/cables that come with the new PSU - do not reuse any connectors/cables from the old Thermaltake PSU.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm thinking of just buying a SeaSonic PRIME Ultra so I won't have to worry about having a half-ass PSU.

Are the possibilities of it being anything else completely out of the question?

Thanks
 
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Ralston18 said:
I am hard pressed to suspect anything other than the PSU.

Failed PSU's can take components down with them.

A failing component is not as likely to take out the PSU and if that all does happen the circumstances and results are likely to be quite noticeable....

Just FYI:

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-psus,4229.html
Click to expand...
Well turns out I was using my multimeter wrong. It has multiple voltage settings and I had it on 200 instead of 20. When I put it on 20 the readings were roughly what they are supposed to be. So now I still have no clue as to what is wrong...
 
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Yes: on a scale of 0 -200 volts a voltage of 12 volts (+ or - ) would be more difficult to ascertain than on a scale of 0 - 20 volts.

How "roughly" is roughly? What tolerances?

Calibrate your multi-meter to known, accurate voltages. Digital or analog multi-meter?

I have no problem with being wrong or otherwise honestly or objectively going astray.

For the most part, it has often proved quite educational when I have done so. :)

Key is to eliminate any possible doubts or variables that may be involved., Gremlins not included.
 
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Ralston18 said:
Yes: on a scale of 0 -200 volts a voltage of 12 volts (+ or - ) would be more difficult to ascertain than on a scale of 0 - 20 volts.

How "roughly" is roughly? What tolerances?

Calibrate your multi-meter to known, accurate voltages. Digital or analog multi-meter?

I have no problem with being wrong or otherwise honestly or objectively going astray.

For the most part, it has often proved quite educational when I have done so. :)

Key is to eliminate any possible doubts or variables that may be involved., Gremlins not included.
Click to expand...
I am learning about multimeters and such, a friend who knows more told me to put it on 0-200 (oops lol).

These are the voltages I recorded when testing:
3.82
3.84
5.47
5.47
5.54
12.8
12.81
3.79
3.74
-11.03
5.46
5.44
5.41

They seem slightly above the maximum range values.

The multimeter is digital, I have an old analog one too but I haven't used it.

And yes, I agree it is good to make mistakes sometimes 👍
 
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I can accept, to a certain extent, the voltages all being slightly above maximum range values. Reason: consistency.

Which does appear to be the case....

However, the PSU is not under load and some problem is simply not visible otherwise.

Take another look and list the voltages by pin:

https://www.lifewire.com/atx-24-pin-12v-power-supply-pinout-2624578

Overall, I would not expect any changes in the voltages. However as you are getting more familiar with the multi-meter and testing process your testing will improve and you might discover something not as it should be.

Is the following motherboard link a match to your motherboard?

https://download.asrock.com/Manual/970 Pro3.pdf

Overall, I would replace the PSU - but no harm in probing a bit deeper to gain some additional certainty that the problem is the PSU.
 
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Ralston18 said:
I can accept, to a certain extent, the voltages all being slightly above maximum range values. Reason: consistency.

Which does appear to be the case....

However, the PSU is not under load and some problem is simply not visible otherwise.

Take another look and list the voltages by pin:

https://www.lifewire.com/atx-24-pin-12v-power-supply-pinout-2624578

Overall, I would not expect any changes in the voltages. However as you are getting more familiar with the multi-meter and testing process your testing will improve and you might discover something not as it should be.

Is the following motherboard link a match to your motherboard?

https://download.asrock.com/Manual/970 Pro3.pdf

Overall, I would replace the PSU - but no harm in probing a bit deeper to gain some additional certainty that the problem is the PSU.
Click to expand...

Pins:
1 - 3.82v
2 - 3.84v
4 - 5.47v
6 - 5.47v
9 - 5.54v
10 - 12.8v
11 - 12.81v
12 - 3.79v
13 - 3.74v
14 - (-)11.03v
21 - 5.46v
22 - 5.44v
23 - 5.41v

I'm not sure if it is a good idea to open up the PSU and test the voltage regulator.

The motherboard's manual:
https://download.asrock.com/Manual/970M Pro3.pdf
 
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Do not open the PSU. Dangerous and the test is not likely to prove anything.

Anyway the pins and voltages match as expected.

Remaining option: if possible borrow another known working PSU to test in your system.

Otherwise, again if possible, just purchase a new PSU and install it. Do not reuse any cables from the old PSU.
 
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Ralston18 said:
Do not open the PSU. Dangerous and the test is not likely to prove anything.

Anyway the pins and voltages match as expected.

Remaining option: if possible borrow another known working PSU to test in your system.

Otherwise, again if possible, just purchase a new PSU and install it. Do not reuse any cables from the old PSU.
Click to expand...

Okay, I've decided I am going to buy the SeaSonic PRIME TX 750w PSU and see if the problem is still there after I install it.
 
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The new power supply arrived yesterday.

The thing is, after I plugged all the cables back into their designated places about a week and a half ago, I've been using the computer and I have not had any problems with it's startup.

I am probably just going to install the new power supply anyway. It has a better efficiency than my current PSU and I can re-use it for when I build my next computer.

If you have any idea what the problem could be/could've been, please don't hesitate to comment here or message me.
If I have the problem again, I will post here, or if this forum is closed I'll make a new one. Thanks for all the help 👍
 
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