Question Is my Mobo failing? I can't tell anymore...

Mar 27, 2025
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Well I've been trying to figure out what's going on with my rig for now more than a week. My setup is basically 13-14months old , one morning my pc refused to turn on pressed the power button multiple times nothing happened, used another outlet in another room , same thing. So I unplugged everything and took it apart to make sure all connections are good , did and it powered up yet Mobo was stuck on Cpu debug Led. Tried again with the connections and done a CMOS reset , same issue stuck on Cpu led. Idk what worked but somehow I got a normal boot got into windows , ran a couple of benchmarks games all good. Next day same issue stuck on Cpu debug led , so ... Took my rig apart out of the case and plugged on necessary components CPU , one stick of ram ( had 4) , GPU ( don't have an iGpu ) and made sure psu cables are firmly connected. Same issue , mobo kept failing to boot but instead of being stuck on Cpu led it's eithe cpu or vga sometimes or none at all ( all LEDs off yet doesn't post ) .Things I Tried :
-Different ram sticks ( one at a time in different slots )
-Another cpu but nothing
-Getting lucky entering bios and resetting everything back to default including ram speed
-replacing and resetting CMOS battery -Bios Flashback an older and newer bios version
-A brand new PSU

I was so sure it was my Psu since I've seen some bad reviews, replaced it with a really decent one , same issue ... Here's my rig:
MSI mpg b550 gaming plus
Ryzen 7 5700x3D ( tried using my old Ryzen 5 5600 too)
4x16gb ram CL16 3200mhz ( tried each individual stick in different slots without xmp , default bios settings)
RX 7800XT
Rog Strix 750G ( old psu ) replaced with Corsair Rm1000x but same issue

Physically inspected Mobo and found the images above , before and after trying to clean that white patch .

I just wanna make sure my Mobo is dead before buying a new one , since I got a new psu but didn't solve the issue.

Thanks for your time guys!
 
That looked like some oxidation or even mold growth.
Do you have a leaking AIO cpu cooler?
No AIO at all just the base case fans and the CPU air cooler. I really have no idea what caused it . It's also hidden behind the Mobo's heatsinks , either it was there a year ago when I got it and didn't notice else something else caused it that I'm unaware of , kinda afraid that it might just happen again .
 
To me there is a BIG clue in your second photo. In the middle there is a hole in the mobo surrounded by eight "fingers" of metal. Under the hole there appears to be a solid sheet of support material. It is not clear whether this photo was taken with the mobo mounted in your case, or when outside the case. That looks like a mobo mounting hole.

Read my post of July 14/24 in this thread.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...whats-wrong-with-my-pc.3849350/#post-23300248

It details how to check and correct any misplaced stand-offs under your mobo. If there is ANY stand- off in the wrong place (or if there are NO stand-offs installed) you can get a short circuit from the bottom of the mobo to the case mounting plate. This may be intermittent and change when the system is moved. A short circuit may just cause temporary malfunction, or it may cause permanent damage. In the middle of your first photo I see discolouration that might have been from overheating from such an event, or may be from another cause.

Check all your stand-offs thoroughly and correct any that may be wrong.
 
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To me there is a BIG clue in your second photo. In the middle there is a hole in the mobo surrounded by eight "fingers" of metal. Under the hole there appears to be a solid sheet of support material. It is not clear whether this photo was taken with the mobo mounted in your case, or when outside the case. That looks like a mobo mounting hole.

Read my post of July 14/24 in this thread.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...whats-wrong-with-my-pc.3849350/#post-23300248

It details how to check and correct any misplaced stand-offs under your mobo. If there is ANY stand- off in the wrong place (or if there are NO stand-offs installed) you can get a short circuit from the bottom of the mobo to the case mounting plate. This may be intermittent and change when the system is moved. A short circuit may just cause temporary malfunction, or it may cause permanent damage. In the middle of your first photo I see discolouration that might have been from overheating from such an event, or may be from another cause.

Check all your stand-offs thoroughly and correct any that may be wrong.
Appreciate ur reply and to answer you . I took both pictures with my Mobo outside the case , just on top of the MSI Box that's where I was testing only necessary components plugged to avoid any interference in my case but sadly it didn't help. Alot of ppl are saying that the white patch looks like corrosion but idk how would water get inside my case : ') but other than that I just tested another Mobo & it works just fine so my old Motherboard is indeed a goner .
 
Glad to hear you have the problem solved. Too bad it was a faulty mobo.
Appreciate it mate ! tbh idk what caused it actually , I can't recall having anything that would cause any sort of water damage or corrosion . So it was either a Faulty Mobo that actually lasted for 14 months or my old PSU ( Rog strix 750G ) damaged it somehow .