Question Red CPU LED on the motherboard ?

[LeonForever]

Hi

I had this buzzing noise on my PC, figured I should clean the PC.

Cleaned it, plugged it it, works fine, but I started to hear my AIO pump really loud, and could hear water going around even when away from the computer, buzzing sound was still there as well.

Figured air could have got inside somehow(google + a friend of mine said this)
Tried tilting the PC, while it was working (Mistake, no?(No HDD))

15-20 seconds go by, twitch stream stops on the screen and the PC becomes extremely slow, I reboot it. It takes really long time to boot, and when it finally does, CPU shows 99 degrees on 0% use(i9 12900F), figured my cooling is gone.

Today got new cooling, set it all up (thermaö paste change, clean it even more since now I actually took some parts out, boot my PC, and see this red CPU LED, no display on screens as well.

What I have tried:
1. Took CPU cooling off, and put it on again, with new thermal paste.
2. Tried booting with 1 stick of RAM on slot 2 (I have 2 sticks), tried swapping slots, from 2/4 to 1/3.
3. First time I put the CPU cooling into the SYS_FAN pins on the mobo, switched it to the correct pins, CPU_FAN.
4. Tried entering bios, also no display, no reaction whatsoever
5. Made sure CPU power cables are connected, I did not disconnect them and reconnect, but tried pulling them, they seemed attached well.

Whatever I tried, nothing changed, and recommendations what should I try?

I was also told already, I might have bent some pins on mobo, but I'm not sure since after I put the AIO back for the first and only time, I used force, because I was doing it wrong (figured it out after some time), but PC booted then, AIO did not cool.

Photoes and a video:

https://imgur.com/a/PsC60l9

View: https://imgur.com/a/PsC60l9

 

[triplex1]

Even AIO doesn't tell us who she is.
ALL HARDWARE from your pc

 

[LeonForever]

Even AIO doesn't tell us who she is.
ALL HARDWARE from your pc

Graphics card: GeForce RTX 3080
Processor: i9 12900F
Motherboard: MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Power supply: MSI MPG A1000G 1000W, 135mm
RAM: Kingston Fury Beast, DDR5, 32 GB, 5200 MHz (2 sticks)
SSD: Emtec X300, M.2, 2 TB
Corpus: Silentium PC Signum SG1
Old AIO: Silentium PC Navis F240
New cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Elite

 

[RAIDGoblin]

Hi

I had this buzzing noise on my PC, figured I should clean the PC.

Cleaned it, plugged it it, works fine, but I started to hear my AIO pump really loud, and could hear water going around even when away from the computer, buzzing sound was still there as well.

Figured air could have got inside somehow(google + a friend of mine said this)
Tried tilting the PC, while it was working (Mistake, no?(No HDD))

15-20 seconds go by, twitch stream stops on the screen and the PC becomes extremely slow, I reboot it. It takes really long time to boot, and when it finally does, CPU shows 99 degrees on 0% use(i9 12900F), figured my cooling is gone.

tilting the pc while running so the radiator is on top can quieten down buzzing AIO's sometimes, because air cn be trapped in the pump, it wasn't wring to try it because it shouldn';t really be able to do any harm, but it sounds like doing this killed your AIO because the pump must have been almost broken anyway

I was also told already, I might have bent some pins on mobo, but I'm not sure since after I put the AIO back for the first and only time, I used force, because I was doing it wrong (figured it out after some time), but PC booted then, AIO did not cool.

this is possible, but it's also possible that the CPU just got disturbed in the socket, the red light means CPU not recognized or detected, you have tried re-seating the cooler, have you tried re-seating the CPU, take the cooler off, take the CPU out, inspect the back of the cpu to make sure it's clean etc... and inspect the socket to make sure none of the pins look damaged, put it back in again, re-paste and put the cooler back

 

[LeonForever]

tilting the pc while running so the radiator is on top can quieten down buzzing AIO's sometimes, because air cn be trapped in the pump, it wasn't wring to try it because it shouldn';t really be able to do any harm, but it sounds like doing this killed your AIO because the pump must have been almost broken anyway


this is possible, but it's also possible that the CPU just got disturbed in the socket, the red light means CPU not recognized or detected, you have tried re-seating the cooler, have you tried re-seating the CPU, take the cooler off, take the CPU out, inspect the back of the cpu to make sure it's clean etc... and inspect the socket to make sure none of the pins look damaged, put it back in again, re-paste and put the cooler back

The AIO must have been defected, because I only saw my CPU go to 40% use and 95 degrees.

I reseated the cooler yesterday, after seeing the red light, also I tried to look for damages on the CPU from below, and the socket as well, but didn't notice anything that would immediately give "something is off" vibes. I'll check again today.

What exactly should I put my focus on there?

If by any chance pins are bent or there is thermal paste on them, would it be possible to fix/clean, or would I most likely have to buy new CPU/motherboard?

 

[triplex1]

Take a clear, high-resolution photo with your smartphone of the motherboard and especially the socket (remove the processor) and upload it here so we can see if there's anything.

 

[RAIDGoblin]

What exactly should I put my focus on there?

If by any chance pins are bent or there is thermal paste on them, would it be possible to fix/clean, or would I most likely have to buy new CPU/motherboard?

thermal paste ideally shouldn't get on the socket or under the CPU, but thermal paste should also be non-conductive, so if it gets between the pins it won't short anything out, it's usually better to leave it be than it is to try and clean it

just make sure to check there isn't any thermal paste on the contact surface of the CPU or on the top of the pins because it could get in the way of correct connection

like @triplex1 says, take the best photo you can of the socket and pins, use a torch to light it up

it is also possible but unlikely that overheating could have damaged the CPU, in theory it should have cut out before it got hot enough to damage, but still, if you have an old CPU left over from previous upgrade that will fit the same socket, it might be worth trying that

 

[LeonForever]

Take a clear, high-resolution photo with your smartphone of the motherboard and especially the socket (remove the processor) and upload it here so we can see if there's anything.

https://imgur.com/a/I9eNZI6

View: https://imgur.com/a/I9eNZI6

thermal paste ideally shouldn't get on the socket or under the CPU, but thermal paste should also be non-conductive, so if it gets between the pins it won't short anything out, it's usually better to leave it be than it is to try and clean it

just make sure to check there isn't any thermal paste on the contact surface of the CPU or on the top of the pins because it could get in the way of correct connection

like @triplex1 says, take the best photo you can of the socket and pins, use a torch to light it up

it is also possible but unlikely that overheating could have damaged the CPU, in theory it should have cut out before it got hot enough to damage, but still, if you have an old CPU left over from previous upgrade that will fit the same socket, it might be worth trying that

It looks like there might be a little amount of thermal paste on the CPU, but I'm not sure how do I get rid of it without damaging the Processor?

Unlikely the overheating part, bought every single piece of this PC 2 years ago as new, and it has not been under constant overheating, just when playing heavy CPU games (I'd say 5-10% of all gametime)

 

[triplex1]

I think the B660 TOMAHAWK has a problem, I see that it has changed color (to yellow), I hope I'm wrong but I think you changed the lights with the temperatures.



Clean with isopropyl alcohol and it's good to take the motherboard out (and look from the back if it looks okay)

 

[triplex1]

https://www.amazon.com/ForPro-Profe...words=isopropyl+alcohol&qid=1735661633&sr=8-2

Also, as I see in the photo, is there a crack in the upper left corner of the socket?

 

[LeonForever]

I think the B660 TOMAHAWK has a problem, I see that it has changed color (to yellow), I hope I'm wrong but I think you changed the lights with the temperatures.



Clean with isopropyl alcohol and it's good to take the motherboard out (and look from the back if it looks okay)

I'll try to take better pictures of the yellow thing when I'm home, and will also check if there is a crack, or no.

Should I get the isoprophyl 100, or would the 75/25 be good enough?

 

[LeonForever]

One more thing, what exactly should I use to clean the motherboard? Im reading Q tips might be bad, or should I just spray it on there and wait until it vaporizes?

 

[triplex1]

One more thing, what exactly should I use to clean the motherboard? Im reading Q tips might be bad, or should I just spray it on there and wait until it vaporizes?

100% alcohol, find an empty spray bottle, use qtips too, just be careful not to leave cotton.
Alcohol evaporates quickly
It's good to take the motherboard out on its own so you can see it better.

 

[LeonForever]

https://www.amazon.com/ForPro-Profe...words=isopropyl+alcohol&qid=1735661633&sr=8-2

Also, as I see in the photo, is there a crack in the upper left corner of the socket?

No, it is not a crack, there is just a empty spot by design, looks exactly the same on the diagonal side.
Also poor quality of the camera on my phone.

I think the B660 TOMAHAWK has a problem, I see that it has changed color (to yellow), I hope I'm wrong but I think you changed the lights with the temperatures.



Clean with isopropyl alcohol and it's good to take the motherboard out (and look from the back if it looks okay)

Looks like it is some goofy lighting caused by the flash on my phone, I made a pic from the other angle.

https://imgur.com/a/fI9qwXs

View: https://imgur.com/a/fI9qwXs


You can also see better the thermal paste I meant when I said it was on there, I will clean it of course, but could this have caused any troubles, its not on the pins?

Edit: Also I added a photo of some scratches near the holes that hold the cooler, could this be bad? I took a photo of the worst one, 2 others have no visual scratches, and one has a little bit.

 

[triplex1]

Yes, it looks fine on the pins, find a soft brush and clean it before you pour alcohol.

 

[LeonForever]

Yes, it looks fine on the pins, find a soft brush and clean it before you pour alcohol.

Will have to wait until thursday, since the only store selling isoprophyl alcohol in my city went on holidays🤗
Happy new year by the way

 

[RAIDGoblin]

the yellow spot looks like a lens reflection from the shiny metal on your CPU housing

One more thing, what exactly should I use to clean the motherboard? Im reading Q tips might be bad, or should I just spray it on there and wait until it vaporizes?

please DO NOT clean the pins in the socket with Q tips, the pins will get caught in the cotton and you'll make an unrecoverable mess of things. (you probably know this but got to be sure) You can spray the pins with isopropyl alcohol, or even better proper electrical contact cleaner that's intended to be pure enough to use for this, and let it evaporate

but IMHO the pins on that socket look fine, and the little bits of thermal paste around the edge are not causing a problem, so cleaning the motherboard at all shouldn't be needed

no harm in checking the back of the motherboard (put the CPU in, or the cover plate if you have it, before you move the board to protect the pins) around the socket for signs of overheating damage or anything that could cause a short, also keep an eye out for any signs of dried liquid residue just in case your faulty AIO leaked

your CPU does look like it has a smudge of thermal paste on the contacts

clean that off, using contact cleaner/alcohol wipe (like what you'd use for cleaning thermal paste off the other side), if you have an anti-static mat with a wrist band, wear the wrist band on the hand you do the cleaning with and don't wear static clothing (acrylic jumpers etc...)

are you certain you plugged the cooler into the CPU_FAN1 socket and not the pump fan socket?

^diagram should be your motherboard, if I have done my job correctly

if you haven't already, check that any other power plugs you have disturbed are properly plugged in

just on the off-chance, have you tried a CMOS reset?

 

[LeonForever]

the yellow spot looks like a lens reflection from the shiny metal on your CPU housing

please DO NOT clean the pins in the socket with Q tips, the pins will get caught in the cotton and you'll make an unrecoverable mess of things. (you probably know this but got to be sure) You can spray the pins with isopropyl alcohol, or even better proper electrical contact cleaner that's intended to be pure enough to use for this, and let it evaporate

but IMHO the pins on that socket look fine, and the little bits of thermal paste around the edge are not causing a problem, so cleaning the motherboard at all shouldn't be needed

no harm in checking the back of the motherboard (put the CPU in, or the cover plate if you have it, before you move the board to protect the pins) around the socket for signs of overheating damage or anything that could cause a short, also keep an eye out for any signs of dried liquid residue just in case your faulty AIO leaked

your CPU does look like it has a smudge of thermal paste on the contacts

clean that off, using contact cleaner/alcohol wipe (like what you'd use for cleaning thermal paste off the other side), if you have an anti-static mat with a wrist band, wear the wrist band on the hand you do the cleaning with and don't wear static clothing (acrylic jumpers etc...)

are you certain you plugged the cooler into the CPU_FAN1 socket and not the pump fan socket?

^diagram should be your motherboard, if I have done my job correctly

if you haven't already, check that any other power plugs you have disturbed are properly plugged in

just on the off-chance, have you tried a CMOS reset?

I've been looking for signs of a leak everywhere, 99.9% sure it didn't leak.

I will probably not even try to clean the pins on the motherboard, will leave that as last resort thing (I'm an amateur and afraid to break it)

I saw that thermal paste on the CPU as well, I'm not sure how to exactly clean it, because my friend that helped me choose the parts and also built the PC (Person with IT papers) said it is ok to clean the thermal paste off the CPU with paper towels + vodka, so I will try to not do that anymore and find something else for the backside🤷‍♂️

About where the fan was plugged in, yes 100% sure, I was hating on MSI for the pins placement, since my corpus is a little bit small for this cooler (Gonna have to get a new one), it was a pain in the ass to reach these pins.

I actually have not tried a CMOS reset, I read about people recommending it, but it was never the solution on the threads I read so I never did that, might give a shot (I hope there is a instruction on youtube/google, since I'm clueless)

 

[RAIDGoblin]

I've been looking for signs of a leak everywhere, 99.9% sure it didn't leak.

usually it's obvious because the coolant leaves a white powdery residue so it probably hasn't leaked

I saw that thermal paste on the CPU as well, I'm not sure how to exactly clean it, because my friend that helped me choose the parts and also built the PC (Person with IT papers) said it is ok to clean the thermal paste off the CPU with paper towels + vodka, so I will try to not do that anymore and find something else for the backside🤷‍♂️

there's no exact science to this, I usually use paper towels and contact cleaner. Paper towels is fine so long as you make sure you don't leave paper dust. Vodka is probably not recommended because it's only 40%ish alcohol, the rest is mostly water, you would be better off using any pure alcohol or methylated spirits, or alcohol wipes (sometimes you can get them from pharmacists), or lens cleaning wipes/spray, just make sure it says it's alcohol based

but for what it's worth you'd get away with using vodka because it's not on the motherboard so there's nowhere for water to spill and get under components

I actually have not tried a CMOS reset, I read about people recommending it, but it was never the solution on the threads I read so I never did that, might give a shot (I hope there is a instruction on youtube/google, since I'm clueless)

it can work sometimes, and it can do no harm so it's worth a try, here's your mobo manual:

https://download-2.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MAGB660TOMAHAWKWIFIDDR4.pdf

follow the procedure on pg. 31