My PC won't boot up, died slowly

[jmscrttndn]

Hello,

About a month ago my PC started to develop an issue whereby when I pressed the power button, all the fans would come on, but the peripherals and the monitor wouldn't register anything.

As time went on, the problem starting occurring more and more frequently.

The way around it was to hold the power button until the system shut down, then wait a few seconds, the start it again. Usually it would start correctly the second time, but sometimes it took as many as 10 restart cycles.

Now it won't boot up no matter how many restart cycles (the fans still come on, etc.).

At one point, the post screen said something like this: "Overclock failed, reset to factory defaults".

I was running an OC on my CPU, but nothing too drastic. Maybe 4 GHz

I tried the following without success:
-Pulled battery from mobo for 30 sec... 5 mins... tested battery... cleared CMOS using MSI button
-Pulled RAM and switch slots
-Unplugged all peripherals
-Tried on-board video (while unplugging normal GPU)
-Swapping RAM in every possible config (including none at all)
-Re-seat CPU


My specs are along the following lines:
MOBO - MSI z77A-G45
RAM - ADATA AX3U1866GC4G9B-DG2 (2 sticks)
GPU - Gigabyte GTX 670
CPU - Intel i5 something... (3570k maybe)
PSU - 950W Silencer Mk II

Your thoughts, comments, and solutions are appreciated. Thank you.

 

[ChronoAM]

I would try resetting the cmos again by removing that cmos batter. It can take longer than 30 seconds for the power to drain and the cmos to reset. You could also try using the cmos jumper to reset it, which you can find in your motherboard manual's layout. If none of that works I would try breadboarding the pc, testing it bit by bit. You may have to look up a guide if you're not familiar with the process.

 

[jmscrttndn]

Doing this now, will edit with results. Also Edited main post to reflect further actions/steps.

Ok: Pulling the battery for 5 mins didn't do anything. Also, tested the battery and it is 3.2 V (not dead... it's rated at 3 V). Also, powering on the computer while the battery was pulled out produced the same results... but again, the battery isn't dead.

I would try resetting the cmos again by removing that cmos batter. It can take longer than 30 seconds for the power to drain and the cmos to reset. You could also try using the cmos jumper to reset it, which you can find in your motherboard manual's layout. If none of that works I would try breadboarding the pc, testing it bit by bit. You may have to look up a guide if you're not familiar with the process.

 

[ChronoAM]

Doing this now, will edit with results. Also Edited main post to reflect further actions/steps.

Ok: Pulling the battery for 5 mins didn't do anything. Also, tested the battery and it is 3.2 V (not dead... it's rated at 3 V). Also, powering on the computer while the battery was pulled out produced the same results... but again, the battery isn't dead.

I would try resetting the cmos again by removing that cmos batter. It can take longer than 30 seconds for the power to drain and the cmos to reset. You could also try using the cmos jumper to reset it, which you can find in your motherboard manual's layout. If none of that works I would try breadboarding the pc, testing it bit by bit. You may have to look up a guide if you're not familiar with the process.

Alright, well good luck with the breadboarding, if you go that route. Just make sure you use some cardboard below the mobo and only use 1 stick of RAM. Also make sure you're in a good environment for it and that you're grounded.

 

[jmscrttndn]

The board is less than 3 yr old and may have a 3 yr warranty. I am not going to get into breadboarding just yet. Thanks for the help. Other thoughts?

Alright, well good luck with the breadboarding, if you go that route. Just make sure you use some cardboard below the mobo and only use 1 stick of RAM. Also make sure you're in a good environment for it and that you're grounded.

 

[jmscrttndn]

My buddy said it could be the power supply. Anyone have tips on how to verify this? Just try a different PSU and see?

 

[ChronoAM]

My buddy said it could be the power supply. Anyone have tips on how to verify this? Just try a different PSU and see?

You could use a voltage tester if you have one available, but that's not going to give you a 100% answer. So yes, your best bet is to try and use a different PSU for testing if you have one available. I still recommend breadboarding if you haven't already. It's the easiest way to rule out different possibilities.

 

[MasterDell]

I can almost guarantee it is not that PSU. That is an extremely good unit which was running at half of it's output rating for almost entire life (I am guessing you have always had the 670 in it). But it's still worth a shot I suppose. Volt meter won't do much for joe blows like us haha