Question Is it possible for a faulty CPU to manifest in VGA or BOOT QLEDs?

[Arker]

Assembled a PC 2 years ago (about February 2023):

• Motherboard: ASUS TUF X670E-PLUS WIFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4090
• RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO RGB Series 32GB (2X 16GB)
• M.2 SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
• HDD: WD Red 8TB
• PSU: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1200W
• AIO: be quiet! Silent Loop 2 360
• Case: be quiet! Silent Base 802

Worked without issues until December 2024. At that point I had to move to a different country. Was not able to take the PC with me as it is, so I disassembled it into parts left the case, packed everything, sent the PSU and the AIO as a checked-in luggage on a plane, took the rest with me in my carry-on. The CPU stayed plugged into the motherboard.

But there is some possibility of damage to the components during the trip.

Got the same case at my new place, assembled everything. The PC worked, but had some issues. I assumed at first they were due to me messing my fresh installation of Windows 10 64bit and additional stuff. The issues were that the controls - like the mouse - constantly froze for a few seconds at the start of the OS.

Then some games caused the PC to just abruptly shut down - just turn off completely in an instant - usually almost immediately on lunch. I suspected issues with a badly applied thermal paste on the re-assembly. Tried to monitor the temperature with HWInfo, saw some sudden jumps to, I think, something like 87 Celsius (HWInfo highlighted those values in red). But wasn't able to see anything wrong in the logs at the moment of shutdown. Windows also was just mentioning crash in its logs, but without explanation (can't check now exactly what was there).

I went into BIOS, turned the fans to max - didn't help. Replaced the thermal paste - helped a bit with the temperature spikes, but not with crashes. Refilled AIO with liquid (for the first time since getting it) - not sure that it was even even 10-20 ml, the bubbles in the bottle stopped appearing and the liquid started covering the port on the AIO. That also didn't help with the shutdowns. Finally, I disabled some AI boost or something in BIOS - that stabilized things. So I continued using the PC.

Then, after one shutdown (as in Windows shutdown), the PC didn't turn back on. Can't find my detailed notes, but it was basically resulting in a VGA QLED staying on. Two working (when plugged to my laptop) monitors reported no signal from the PC - neither with DisplayPort nor with HDMI. I tried taking out my GPU and plugging the monitors into the motherboard HDMI and DisplayPort - same effect: VGA QLED and no signal on the monitors.

I suspected an issue with either the motherboard or with the CPU, but had no way to figure out which one. ASUS support was not helpful and also told me that moving to a different country did void their motherboard warranty, so sending it to them didn't make much sense.

I did try replacing the thermal paste again, using just one of two RAM modules in different slots, resetting CMOS by taking out the battery, performing flash BIOS upgrade. Nothing helped.

I ordered a new motherboard - ASRock B650 Pro RS WiFi. The rest of the components stayed the same. This motherboard was starting with something like 20 seconds of the CPU QLED on and the DRAM QLED blinking, then both turning off and the BOOT QLED turning and staying on. Sometimes - looping back to the CPU/DRAM QLED's, like rebooting. Contacted ASRock support, was told to return the motherboard as faulty.

Got ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi. It acts the same as the B650 Pro RS - the BOOT QLED stays on, sometimes loops back to the CPU/DRAM QLEDs. ASRock support tells me again to return the motherboard as faulty.

I understand there is a possibility of 3 different motherboards being faulty for me. And the 2 of them being faulty in the same way. But it feels less and less probable. I am trying to find a repair shop that could test my CPU - to tell me if an otherwise working system boots or not with my CPU, but no luck so far. I have already ordered a new CPU from Amazon, but if the issue is really with the motherboards, if I am just extremely unlucky, then using a new CPU is going to be a very expensive test.

Also I am not sure it is not a result of the PSU getting damaged in transit (despite no visible damaged on its package) and somehow destroying my components.

With all 3 motherboards RGB on the AIO pump, the RAM modules and the motherboards (where present) were lit and cycling colors. With the B650 motherboard, GPU and AIO fans were either working at start and then turning off at about the same time the motherboard was switching to a solid BOOT QLED, or the other way around - starting not working, but then turning on. Do not remember, which way it was, unfortunately. I think - turning off on BOOT QLED. The case fans stayed on all the time. With the X870 motherboard all the fans are on all the time.

I did try unplugging from the motherboards everything other than:

• CPU
• AIO (the pump attached to the CPU, the pump controls to the AIO motherboard header and the fans controls to the CPU FAN header)
• Power - 24-pin and either 2x8 pins (ASUS X670E or ASRock X870) or 1x8 pin (ASRock B650, as that motherboard had 1x8 + 1x4 and my PSU just doesn't seem to have 1x4 pin plug, but the second plug seems to be optional either way)
• RAM
• Power switch from the case

So was even taking out the SSD M.2 drive. Nothing changed - BOOT QLED on and no signal on the monitors.

Tried plugging into the back USB ports a bootable flash drive with a Windows 10 install image. Didn't change anything.

Would appreciate any insights.

Specific questions that I have right now:
- Is it possible for a faulty CPU to manifest as a solid VGA QLED on the ASUS motherboard and a solid BOOT QLED on the ASRock ones?
- Are there any known issues with ASRock - somehow explaining two of their motherboards (different models) having the same issue, resulting in a BOOT QLED staying on? Though I understand that neither answer is going to be definitive for my particular case.
- Is it possible all of this is a result of my PSU being faulty?
- Is it possible that this is a result of my AIO failing in some way, not doing its job, resulting in the CPU overheating and causing this or its controls somehow messing up with the motherboard?

Thank you.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Worked without issues until December 2024. At that point I had to move to a different country.
Where were you located when the system was built and where did you relocate to? Asking to understand your power grid and perhaps a grounding issue.

Sometimes - looping back to the CPU/DRAM QLED's, like rebooting. Contacted ASRock support, was told to return the motherboard as faulty.
This could indicate a BIOS/motherboard issue or the CPU's integrated memory controller issue.

Is it possible for a faulty CPU to manifest as a solid VGA QLED on the ASUS motherboard and a solid BOOT QLED on the ASRock ones?
In order to rule out the CPU as the root cause of all these issues, you might want to drop in your processor onto a known working motherboard with the right BIOS version owned by a friend or neighbor. If it works on their end, then your motherboard's were the root problem, probably.

Are there any known issues with ASRock - somehow explaining two of their motherboards (different models) having the same issue, resulting in a BOOT QLED staying on? Though I understand that neither answer is going to be definitive for my particular case.
Asus have the same story, pretty much all boards will have the same kind of horror story, perhaps a faulty batch of boards.

Is it possible all of this is a result of my PSU being faulty?
Read my first question. If you think it's the PSU, you should be able to power up the system with display using merely the iGPU(no discrete GPU installed on first PCIe slot). Since you will need less power than with the RTX4070, your PSU will allow you to power up and in turn prove that your PSU was incapable of delivering power to the entire build with a discrete GPU installed.

On a side note, did you breadboard the system after your move?

Is it possible that this is a result of my AIO failing in some way, not doing its job, resulting in the CPU overheating and causing this or its controls somehow messing up with the motherboard?
I doubt it but I think you might want to inspect the CPU's socket for any bent or broken pins and when reassembling the system, have the cooling block resting on the IHS instead of mounting it onto the socket. if the latter works, then you've applied too much force in the mounting of the cooler to cause some pins to bent in the socket causing the issue.

 

[Arker]

Worked without issues until December 2024. At that point I had to move to a different country.
Where were you located when the system was built and where did you relocate to? Asking to understand your power grid and perhaps a grounding issue.

Was built in Switzerland, moved to Canada. So - yes, there are power grid differences. But the PSU is supposed to work with both 110V and 220V, so I decided to use the same one. It is also supposed to be a quality model - per Cultist Network. Though, I understand, that doesn't guarantee that my unit is not flawed in some way.

Is it possible all of this is a result of my PSU being faulty?
Read my first question. If you think it's the PSU, you should be able to power up the system with display using merely the iGPU(no discrete GPU installed on first PCIe slot). Since you will need less power than with the RTX4070, your PSU will allow you to power up and in turn prove that your PSU was incapable of delivering power to the entire build with a discrete GPU installed.

I meant more in the sense of a faulty / damaged PSU somehow destroying components, which could somewhat explain me going through 3 motherboards with 2 different problems indicated by QLEDs. This is my attempt to figure out if my issue could be caused by something other than the motherboards or the CPU.

No, removing the GPU doesn't change anything.

On a side note, did you breadboard the system after your move?

5 minutes ago I had no idea about breadboarding being a thing, so - no. I am not even sure why would I do something like that.

Do you mean performing some quick assembly outside of a case - to test if everything works? No, I assembled everything with all 3 motherboards in the case. Yes, it takes more time. But still less than taking out the PSU, the AIO and their cables and then putting them back into the case.

I imagine assembling everything outside of a case might help to eliminate that case as a source of issues. But it is hard for me to imagine the case to be the cause - unless the motherboard or the PSU are already somehow faulty, like lacking some insulation.

If you mean breadboarding as a mean to test voltages and currents easily - no, I was never into that.

Is it possible that this is a result of my AIO failing in some way, not doing its job, resulting in the CPU overheating and causing this or its controls somehow messing up with the motherboard?
I doubt it but I think you might want to inspect the CPU's socket for any bent or broken pins and when reassembling the system, have the cooling block resting on the IHS instead of mounting it onto the socket. if the latter works, then you've applied too much force in the mounting of the cooler to cause some pins to bent in the socket causing the issue.

Ok, will pay attention to that on my next attempt to fix it.

I have been trying to perform the test you are suggesting - putting the CPU into an otherwise working system. Not easy in a new country, without people around willing to disassemble their computers for me. 🙂 Finally found some repair shop able to do that. Planning to check that tomorrow. Will provide an update.