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Question I think a PSU screwed up my motherboard

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tarogmats

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Nov 22, 2015
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Basically I bought a new PSU (cooler master MWE 750 gold full-modular).
Popped it into the system, ensured all cables were connected and I hit power.
The first time the system spun up, but the screen and peripherals were dead. The fans didn't "rev" like a normal boot, they just lightly spun.
Powered off and back on, same thing. Popped out the CMOS battery, went again same thing.
Said alright, maybe it's something else.
Changed the RAM, reseated the CPU,
Powered button, nothing happened. Tried with one RAM stick, no RAM, different slots, no PSU. You name it. This isn't my first rodeo.

No light spinning, nada.
I know the board is getting power because it's has RGB lighting, and it comes out when I turn on the PSU.
It doesn't even start though.

I called the store I bought it in, slightly livid, because I'm worried I fried my system.

The guy says that they can't compensate me if the system is dead, because they can't prove that the system was damaged by their PSU, but he agreed to test the system free of charge.

I went, waited eventually they called me in the back room to show me the system in the bios screen, I didn't even think too hard I was just happy to see my fans and everything on.

I asked what it was I did wrong, they said they're not sure. I asked if one of the power switch cables was loose, was it the RAM, what? They said everything was fine, they just cleaned it up with some contact cleaner. I said alright. Asked whether he had it plugged into the socket directly, or a ups, and he said they just had it plugged into their voltage regulator.

No lights went off in my head, I was just so happy the system seemed to be working, I said Thanks and I'm sorry I was so upset and said I owe them some beers the next time I pass through the mall.

The tech said he had to screw back on my GPU, and he brought out the PC and I walked out happier than a mofo. I didn't think to ask them to restart it. Or to power off and show me it coming back up. Nothing. It was just in the bios screen, and that was it.

I get home, plug the system up, hit the power button. The exact same goddamn issue I was having that made me take it to them.
Nothing was happening. I practically mashed the power button to bits and got nothing.

So now warning lights started to go off in my head, it feels like I had the wool pulled over my eyes somewhat.

Why would they have needed a voltage regulator if the system was working?
Why did they call me in only when it was in the bios, and didn't restart it.
So now I open the tower and I realize the sata cables for the hard drive were disconnected from the PSU, so it's like, what's really happening here?

So I'm posting this to get opinions, because I want to know what my damage is here. Like, how badly did I screw up.

I don't think I broke anything. Been doing this for a bit now, and I didn't do anything out of the norm, and the fact they got it on but I can't. Why'd they need a voltage regulator?

System specs are

Asus b450f rog strix Mobo.
Ryzen 5 2600x.
Corsair vengeance pro RGB 16gb.
3 x 1TB hard drives.
1 ssd (120 gb)
Couple case fans
Fresh windows install

Yeah.

So any advice, any suggestions. Thanks in advance.
 
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DSzymborski said:
What was the old PSU? If the previous PSU was modular, did you re-use any cables? If the old PSU was working, did you try it?

I have no idea what the shop did or even if they were competent.
Click to expand...

The old PSU wasn't modular, but it was an antec 450w no rating, and it was definitely 15+ years old. I'd bummed it off a friend, about 6-7 years ago. So no cables to use, followed the manual, and checked everything before I connected any cables. (I've never had a modular PSU)

Thing is, the old PSU no longer works now. The same thing happens. The board gets power but hitting the power button gives no result.

I'm not 100% sure if they were competent either. They didn't seem to know how power supplies worked. But hey, they worked there. I was just happy to see my system on.

Also, the computer was working this morning I just turned it off to plug up the new PSU and use canned air to blow our any excess dust.
 
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And what was the GPU involved? You reference a GPU but not what it is. And why did you replace the old PSU? Not that it wasn't a bad idea to replace it -- I wouldn't have used such an old, entry-level PSU with new components -- but I'm curious if there were any problems that caused you to replace it.

At this point, I might unbuild the system. Breadboard it and see what happens with just the CPU, one stick of RAM installed. See if it shows any more sign of life and then install the GPU and see if it can POST.
 
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DSzymborski said:
And what was the GPU involved? You reference a GPU but not what it is. And why did you replace the old PSU? Not that it wasn't a bad idea to replace it -- I wouldn't have used such an old, entry-level PSU with new components -- but I'm curious if there were any problems that caused you to replace it.

At this point, I might unbuild the system. Breadboard it and see what happens with just the CPU, one stick of RAM installed. See if it shows any more sign of life and then install the GPU and see if it can POST.
Click to expand...


It's a gtx 1060 6GB.

Thing is the first time I stripped it all down, just bare necessities boot drive, that's it. Went to the old PSU got nothing.
I tried it without the GPU, I tried it without RAM, one stick, just the boot drive. I just wanted to see some sign of life. Nothing.

I decided to swap out the PSU because i could use the system fine, but if I started to play a game the entire system would freeze. I'd hear audio if any was playing, but the video would freeze. It'd run perfectly fine otherwise, I could leave it on for days, but i saw someone with a similar issue who fixed theirs by swapping the PSU, and I felt like mine was close enough. Almost identical.

So after a bit of digging, and time in the forums I landed at the PSU failing. The age of the PSU also added to they opinion. I figured I needed to change it any way at this point, so I figured swap it out deal with anything else after if it wasn't the PSU. Certainly didn't expect to be here after buying a brand new unit lol.
 
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Do you have access to a friend who can test individual parts out? I'd love to see your system tried with a third, different PSU and your GPU tested in someone else's system. It's possible that the old PSU damaged something as well. I kinda wish the shop you brought it do did a better job explaining what they did; any reputable place will clearly go over exactly what they did when troubleshooting.
 
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DSzymborski said:
Do you have access to a friend who can test individual parts out? I'd love to see your system tried with a third, different PSU and your GPU tested in someone else's system. It's possible that the old PSU damaged something as well. I kinda wish the shop you brought it do did a better job explaining what they did; any reputable place will clearly go over exactly what they did when troubleshooting.
Click to expand...

They literally told me they did nothing, they just cleaned off the contacts points with contact cleaner. That's all they said, and it's actually very disappointing. I asked what I'd done wrong and they said everything was connected properly whatever.

It just seems sketchy now. Why'd the plug out the hard drives. Why didn't they show me it coming on.
Something

I can test it, I probably will, but right now I don't want to touch it because I want to leave it exactly as it is, because I plan to call them on Monday and ask if they'd be willing to rectify their fix in front of me. .I just wanted to have additional information before I walked in, if they accepted.

Don't want to get blindsided.
 
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Just make sure to not let them do anything that you can't see. They say they didn't do anything but why were they "screwing your GPU back on?"

I'm just not sure that I'd let them even touch the machine at this point. It might be better to bring it to a different shop and have them diagnose what the issue is.
 
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DSzymborski said:
Just make sure to not let them do anything that you can't see. They say they didn't do anything but why were they "screwing your GPU back on?"

I'm just not sure that I'd let them even touch the machine at this point. It might be better to bring it to a different shop and have them diagnose what the issue is.
Click to expand...

Yeah you're 100% right. I'm going to tell them I couldn't get it to power up I want to bring it back in and see what's up.
Also, it's like, what bothered me more is that they couldn't just tell me the PSU had an issue or whatever, they let me walk out of there thinking I had a working system. .
 
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Vic 40 said:
Was looking at your other thread (is marked as solved to close) and might be possible that the motherboard is acting up as well. But see what that shop has to say and let us know.

They showed the bios, but with the hdd's not attached? Tried that?
Click to expand...

I did try without the HDDs attached that was the state it was when I set it back up, it's only when it got no power and I popped off the side panel I noticed they weren't connected.

Honestly, I'd swap out the Mobo. I just want to know how they got it on but I can't. I'm fine with fixing the system, obviously that's why I was troubleshooting it, but man, I'm definitely not okay with being taken for a ride, and it sorta feels that way.

If the Mobo was acting up though, I mean it showed no real signs to me. No stability issues outside of trying to run intensive games. Like I could play anything outside intesive games. Could still watch stuff at 4k. Multitask.
I mean general stuff to issues, no errors. Nada.

It's just a little annoying.

Like the store isn't far away. I didn't do anything from there to here that would cause it to boot there but not here. I tried it in several different outlets in my house. Plugged directly into the wall, then the ups, power strips, surge protector. Nothing.

I'm not saying I'm infallible, I am saying it just makes no sense to me.
 
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Alright, so here's the update. @Vic 40 @DSzymborski

Took it to a new technician, consulted with the guys at work and the technician said basically what was figured.
The old power supply has a fault, so it runs but when it can push out enough for more demanding situations.

He said my motherboard is dead, so he took everything off the old board and put it on a new one while using a new power supply, and it boots right through to windows.

But when he tries with the cooler master PSU, it doesn't boot past the bios. It gets to the bios and shuts right down entirely. The fans and everything die, so he says even though it tests as fine on the voltage tester, but it doesn't run the system.

Any thoughts?
 
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Vic 40 said:
Well from what i read above that with the new motherboard to test wth it all started fine, so you likely need a new motherboard at this point as well. Why i said that the old psu already likely was a cause there, killing the old motherboard.
Click to expand...

Yeah the new motherboard tests fine with my components and a whole new PSU.
But when using the cooler master PSU on a new board, it fails. So is it possible for a motherboard not damage a PSU? Or can it only go one way?
 
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Vic 40 said:
That is the new cooler master psu? Strange, but psu's can come doa as all parts can.
Click to expand...

No no. I know.
Ah. But I want to know if the PSU potentially damaged the Mobo.
Like, I don't think that the motherboard was failing, Vic. Honestly.

There weren't any signs imo, no damaged capacitors, no burning. Nothing.
Just, died when I put in the new PSU it seems.

Cause the technician said the cooler master PSU (the new one I'd bought), fails to power even new motherboards it spins up, then dies completely.

So he's figuring there's a chance it could've damaged my components. Ah.

It just feels a little screwy.
 
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