[SOLVED] Is my Motherboard done for?

[chad2584]

Hi!

ASUS Z690-E
Intel 13900k
Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR5
ASUS ROG Thor 1200W PSU

I purchased this motherboard about 2 weeks ago and had it installed with a 13900k and an Air Cooler with no issues, that is, until, I installed a new liquid cooler and I immediately started having problems.

The first issue I started having was the fact that I could no longer use 2 sticks of RAM in slots 2 and 4; I started getting error code 55, indicating the memory is not installed. I was able to get the computer working again with either 1 stick or 2 sticks in slots 3 and/or 4 but it seems like slots 1 and 2 are no longer being detected because I get error code 55 when trying a single stick on either of those slots.

So I tried doing the troubleshooting steps I was able to find online such as reseating the RAM and the CPU, clearing the CMOS, making sure my BIOS is up to date, etc.
After trying to go through these steps, I started getting no display on my monitor and random error codes on the motherboard such as 00, 04, 7f, 0d, 54, 55, 7a, the list goes on. I even tried reinstalling the Air Cooler thinking there might be something wrong with the new cooler I installed, but still no luck.

I decided to try reseating the CPU again, when I noticed the motherboard doesn't quite look right; the pins appear to be bent to me. I'm not an expert on bent pins, so could someone tell me if these pins are damaged and I should look into a return/RMA?

 

[Lutfij]

If you don't have steady hands, a pair of very small needles/tweezers, a credit card and a pair of helping hands(with a magnifying glass attachment), then no there's nothing you can do about the bent pins. If you do have what I've stated in the sentence prior, you could bend them back into place but be wary they could snap off and eventually require a new motherboard.

 

[chad2584]

If you don't have steady hands, a pair of very small needles/tweezers, a credit card and a pair f helping hands(with a magnifying glass attachment, then no there's nothing you can do about the bent pins. if you do have what I've stated in the sentence prior, you could bend them back into place but be wary they could snap off and eventually require a new motherboard.

Thank you for the information. I definitely wouldn't trust my hands trying to fix this and the motherboard is still within its return period, so I think I'll go that route. I just needed confirmation that this was the right step to take.

Would those bent pins cause the issues I explained above?

 

[COLGeek]

Thank you for the information. I definitely wouldn't trust my hands trying to fix this and the motherboard is still within its return period, so I think I'll go that route. I just needed confirmation that this was the right step to take.

Would those bent pins cause the issues I explained above?

Physical damage is often not covered by a typical return policy. Just something to be aware of.

 

[chad2584]

Physical damage is often not covered by a typical return policy. Just something to be aware of.

I've been trying to figure out how I could have possibly bent the pins like that myself. I definitely did not manhandle the board and I don't see how the CPU could have caused the damage given how its shaped.

Should I even bother trying to return it or are you saying this is more of an RMA type issue now? I guess it couldn't hurt to at least try...

 

[Lutfij]

That board didn't come to you that way, they'll figure out you damaged the socket pins yourself...meaning your warranty will be void. Bent pins can cause more than issues, I've had one instance where the CPU was fried.

 

[chad2584]

That board didn't come to you that way, they'll figure out you damaged the socket pins yourself...meaning your warranty will be void. Bent pins can cause more than issues, I've had one instance where the CPU was fried.

You must be right and I can't prove anything because i didnt look at it before working on it.

Oh dang, I didn't know that about the CPU, that's good to know. I'll reach out to them on Monday and see what my options are, if any

Thank you for confirming that the pins are bent.

 

[chad2584]

That board didn't come to you that way, they'll figure out you damaged the socket pins yourself...meaning your warranty will be void. Bent pins can cause more than issues, I've had one instance where the CPU was fried.

So I was able to bend all but one of the pins back into place. One of the pins broke because it was bent 180 degrees in the opposite direction before I even touched it and I don't have very steady hands, but the computer boots now.

The problem now is that the BIOS is no longer detecting my M.2_1 slot, and I think it would be an odd coincidence for it to not be related to that pin, so I think I should get a new board.

I've unplugged the computer because I don't feel comfortable using it with this issue and the fact that I think it's related to the broken pin.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed with troubleshooting this?

Also, should I be starting a new thread for this issue?

 

[Lutfij]

should I be starting a new thread for this issue?
Broken pin = get a new motherboard. No, you don't need to open another thread.

You're wasting your own resources trying to get to the bottom of the issue when the issue is right under your nose.

 

[chad2584]

Broken pin = get a new motherboard.

You're wasting your own resources trying to get to t he bottom of the issue when the issue is right under your nose.

That's exactly what I was thinking so I ordered the new board yesterday. This was definitely an expensive learning lesson...

Thank you for your responses

 

[DRagor]

I've been trying to figure out how I could have possibly bent the pins like that myself.

That's quite easy to answer. Too much pressure on the CPU slot is the most common cause, typically happens during cooler installation. Some coolers are built such way that there is no way to over tighten screws but not all. Then it is also possible to bump into CPU when putting AIO block on it, and even gentle one can be bad. Also if the pins are already bent reinstalling CPU can worsen their condition, so whenever you remove CPU you need to examine the slot to make sure there are no bent pins.

 

[chad2584]

That's quite easy to answer. Too much pressure on the CPU slot is the most common cause, typically happens during cooler installation. Some coolers are built such way that there is no way to over tighten screws but not all. Then it is also possible to bump into CPU when putting AIO block on it, and even gentle one can be bad. Also if the pins are already bent reinstalling CPU can worsen their condition, so whenever you remove CPU you need to examine the slot to make sure there are no bent pins.

I'm almost 100% certain that's what happened at this point after thorough reflection on the situation lol

I think the pins were already bent and I worsened the problem by overtightening the mount when installing the new cooler. Prior to installing this cooler, I had an air cooler that didn't let me overtighten the screws and I obviously wasn't paying attention when installing the new one and I tightened the screws as much as possible

All of these issues started after I installed the new cooler, so your explanation makes perfect sense

I'll make sure to be more careful going forward