Computer won't boot

[melhi97]

Hello,
so yesterday my cousin was playing minecraft on my pc but sometimes the pc overheates and the screen freezes. He shut down the pc and didn't tell me about it until I tried to start it a few hours later.
I've had issues with the cpu for overheating a couple years ago but it mostly was fixed since I bought the Artic freezer Xtreme. Now the pc won't load the Bios and also doesn't make a peep sound when I press the power button. I have 2 fans in my pc, one connected directly to the psu and one  to the motherboard, they both start to spin. The fan of my cpu cooler also spins. I have resetted the Cmos multiple times even with a battery from a different pc. I also read that I should try I to start with one ram stick, didn't work either. I also tried to boot it with only cpu, psu, video card connected, no succes either. I think that when my cousin shut down the pc it was very hot inside and no fans were spinning so I think my cpu is damaged. Do I need to buy a new cpu now or do you guys think it could be something else?

My pc specs are:
Antec Sonata case
Amd fx 8150 processor(cpu cooler: Artic Freezer Xtreme)
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 motherboard
Corsair CX600 psu
2x 4gb hyperx ddr3 ram
Ati Sapphire 2gb video card (I dont know the exact name since I cant start my pc)

 

[Steven Ruizzo]

Yea it might be rip have you taken the cpu out of its socket and checked everything including the motherboard for any damaged spots. I would also re apply thermal paste.

 

[T_T]

Hi. You might want to take a look at our troubleshooting guide (click my signature), it covers most of the common suggestions. If after you've tried everything in the guide, post back to this thread with your results/observations. It would be extremely helpful if you used the guide's questions/suggestions with your results.

For example:

1. Did you carefully read the manual?
Yes, I have.

 

[melhi97]

@Steven Ruizzo
Yes I have checked for damage but didn't find anything that looked damaged.
I also took out the processor and checked for bent pins but didn't find those either.
I didn't reapply the thermal paste because it had enough on it to start, so didn't wanted to waste it.



@T_T
I have already read and tried your troubleshooting guide while looking for a solution but it didn't help.
However I will answer the questions the best I can because my uncle and his friend build my pc for me and he lives in another country.

1. Did you carefully read the manual?
I personally haven't read the manual since my uncle build the pc for me 4 years ago.

2. Did you plug in the 4/8-pin CPU power connector located near the CPU socket?
Yes there are 2 cables connected from my psu to the motherboard, one is a 4 pin and the other one is a 8 pin. They haven't been touched and are firmly connected.

3. Did you install the standoffs under the motherboard?
I suspect they are because my pc has no backplate so I can't look behind my motherboard and it has been working fine until now. I also don't hear any screws making any noise in the case.

4. Did you verify that the video card is fully seated?
The video card has not been touched and when I checked it yesterday it was firmly attached.

5. Did you attach ALL the required power connector(s) to the video card?
My video card has only one power connector attached to it and I don't see a place to connect a second one. As I mentioned before the pc and al of its components have been working fine so I think this is not the problem.

6. Have you tried booting with just one stick of RAM installed?
Yes I have, I have 2x 4gb ram sticks and 4 slots to put them in. I have tried each ram stick in a different slot but it didn't boot.

7. Did you verify that all memory modules are fully inserted?
Yes I have, have inserted them multiple times in different slot and I know I have done it correctly because the hooks close themselves when I push the ram sticks in.

8. Did you verify in the owners manual that you're using the correct RAM slots?
I don't have the manual but the ram sticks had one slot in between them and the slot next to the cpu is empty. I have tried to boot it with the ram sticks in different slots but didn't work either.

9. Did you remove the plastic guard over the CPU socket?
Yes, I have multiple times refreshed the thermal paste on the CPU and there is no plastic guard.

10.Did you install the CPU correctly?
Yes the cpu is installed correctly because in the 4 years I haven't removed the cpu until now and when I putted it back I made sure the arrows lined up.

11. Are there any bent pins on the motherboard/CPU?
No there are no bent pins on the motherboard/ CPU. I have checked it yesterday.

12. If using an after market CPU cooler, did you get any thermal paste on the motherboard, CPU socket, or CPU pins?
Yes I have. I used the stock cooler for about 3 years but it was a very bad cooler and didn't cool my cpu well. This caused that my CPU got overheated very easily even when just surfing on the internet. So I bought a Artic freeze Xtreme and Antec formula 6 thermal paste.
I cleaned the CPU and applied a dot in the center of the CPU and attached the cooler. The CPU has had much better temps than it had before and I didn't have any major problems until now. However when I would play a game like BF3 or Far Cry 4 it would sometimes overheat and the computer would freeze.

13. Is the CPU fan plugged in?
Yes it is

14. If using a stock cooler, was the thermal material on the base of the cooler free of foreign material, and did you remove any protective covering?
I don't use a stock cooler but my current cooler (Artic freezer Xtreme) is firmly attached to the motherboard.

15. Are any loose screws laying on the motherboard, or jammed against it? Are there any wires run directly under the motherboard?
No there aren't any screws laying around or jammed and there are no cables running under the motherboard.

16. Did you ensure you discharged all static electricity before touching any of your components?
Yes I always touch a wooden object before I start touching any components and always have a body part touching a metal part of the case.

17. Did you install the system speaker?
It was already installed by my uncle and I have always heard a beep sound when I would start my PC.

18. Did you read the instructions in the manual on how to properly connect the front panel plugs?
No, I don't know if I have a manual but my uncle build this pc and the led lights in front of the case indicating the power is on are working correctly.

19. Did you turn on the power supply switch located on the back of the PSU?
Yes it is turned on.

20. Is your CPU supported by the BIOS revision installed on your motherboard?
I suspect it is because it has been working fine for 4 years.

21. Have you tried resetting the CMOS?
Yes I have tried it multiple times even with the battery of a different PC. I checked before I inserted the battery if they were the same.

22. If you have integrated video and a video card, try the integrated video port.
I don't use a HDMI cable, I have a DVI cable attached from my pc to my monitor.

23. Make certain all cables and components including RAM and expansion cards are tight within their sockets.
I have already done this and didn't find any loose cables, components or srews laying around in my case.


24. I also wanted to add some suggestions that jsc often posts. This is a direct quote from him:
"Pull everything except the CPU and HSF. Boot. You should hear a series of long single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence here indicates, in probable order, a bad PSU, motherboard, or CPU - or a bad installation where something is shorting and shutting down the PSU.

I'm going to try this now but I suspect I won't hear any beeps because I think my cpu is damaged. I also don't have the right equipment and time now to pull my motherboard out of my case and reassemble it on an insulated surface.

I'm no pc expert but I think my PSU is working fine because the fans connected to the psu start spinning so it can't be damaged.
My motherboard is also working I think because the fan of the cooler and another fan in my case which are attached to the motherboard do spin.
My video card is also working because the fans on it also spin.
I have tried to boot it with one ram stick each so they can't be damaged both, even if they are I have tried to start without ram and it didn't work either.
The only thing that remains and which I can't see if it works is my CPU and since I have had problems with it in the past for overheating I think this is the reason it doens't start.

I would like to hear your opinions if I am correct about this before I buy a new CPU. The one I have on my mind is a AMD FX 8320.
Thank you for all your help.

 

[Steven Ruizzo]

Wow well you definitely checked everything get a new cpu and hopefully that should fix it.

 

[melhi97]

Well yes, but I wanted to be sure it couldn't be something else that's why I posted this thread and I don't want to spend €160 on a cpu if my current one is working.

I will wait for T_T his answer and then I will order the CPU and hope my problem is fixed then.
Thanks for the help and a Merry Christmas

 

[T_T]

melhi97,

Thank you for the thorough response; it is very helpful. Allow me to clear up some ambiguity for you. In regards to your PSU assumption, the difficulty for anyone, including veteran builders, is that the only sure way to determine if the PSU is the culprit is to either use the questionable PSU in a known-working computer, or to use a known-working PSU in the computer that doesn't boot. While the troubleshooting guide did cover the paperclip test, also noted is that the test can lead to a false positive. To be clear, the ability for the PSU fans to spin, or even to have case fans spin, doesn't mean the PSU is powering up the GPU properly.

I'm not familiar with your motherboard, but a Google search shows that your motherboard has HDMI port and/or DisplayPort port. If this is correct, I strongly recommend trying the integrated display adapter. If your monitor doesn't support HDMI, you should be able to find an adapter at a local computer shop (like Best Buy, Microcenter, Fry's, etc.)

I also want to point out that the most common reasons for no display are:
1. PSU
2. GPU
3. RAM
4. CPU

That said, here are my recommendations to avoid unnecessary purchases:

1. Test your RAM in another computer - although highly unlikely that both DIMMS went out at the same time, you should still try this to be certain.
2. Test your GPU in another computer - Alternatively, test another GPU in your computer.
3. The absence of beeps (if they previously emitted) suggests that the motherboard may have a problem, as the beep codes would be able to tell if there were a problem with the CPU.

 

[melhi97]

I already did buy a processor (AMD FX 8320) for 160 euro. When I replaced the processor it still didn't boot but then I let it run for like 15 -20 minutes without shutting it down and then when I restarted my pc again it started and now I'm just scanning for virusses and malware but haven't found anything. I guess maybe it needed some time to do some sort of procedure but I don't know for sure. I'm verry happy it starts and want to thank you for all your help. Tomshardware is a very good forum and you guys have helped me multiple times, thanks again.