Question NAS build suddenly wont post.

[flashbdx]

I recently built a truenas nas for my home, and it was working perfectly for about a month. Now suddenly it won't post.

I have tried removing each component 1 by 1 and attempting to boot with no luck. I have tried removing the cmos battery as well, but nothing seems to be working.

It's MSI B550 mobo
Rysen 3600 cpu
64gb teamgroup ddr4 ram in 16gb sticks

 

[Darkbreeze]

If you reinstall the OS for the NAS, is that going to cause you any problems? I'd say start with a reinstall of the truenas OS but there are considerations if you don't have or already know all of your configuration requirements.

 

[flashbdx]

If you reinstall the OS for the NAS, is that going to cause you any problems? I'd say start with a reinstall of the truenas OS but there are considerations if you don't have or already know all of your configuration requirements.

The system wont post so I can't install anything at the moment.

 

[Darkbreeze]

What, exactly, do you mean by "won't POST"?

Does it try to post, but fails to, and simply restarts over and over?

Does it power up and everything runs but nothing at all comes up on the screen yet it keeps running and seems normal otherwise?

Does it actually POST, and you can get into the BIOS etc. but simply can't boot to the OS because it freezes or restarts?

What, exactly, is it that it is or is not doing?

 

[flashbdx]

What, exactly, do you mean by "won't POST"?

Does it try to post, but fails to, and simply restarts over and over?

Does it power up and everything runs but nothing at all comes up on the screen yet it keeps running and seems normal otherwise?

Does it actually POST, and you can get into the BIOS etc. but simply can't boot to the OS because it freezes or restarts?

What, exactly, is it that it is or is not doing?

It powers on but nothing ever appears on the screen, it will initially activate the monitor to think it wants to display something but the monitor turns back to standby mode, and nothing ever appearsrs

 

[flashbdx]

To clarify everything stays on and APPEARS to be running, but nothing ever appears on the monitor.

 

[Darkbreeze]

What is the model of the graphics card you are using and how old is it? What is the EXACT model of the power supply being used with it and how old is THAT?

Have you tried a different graphics card? You do know that the Ryzen 3600 has no internal graphics so connecting the display cable to the motherboard will never do anything with that CPU installed if you've tried that.

 

[flashbdx]

What is the model of the graphics card you are using and how old is it? What is the EXACT model of the power supply being used with it and how old is THAT?

Have you tried a different graphics card? You do know that the Ryzen 3600 has no internal graphics so connecting the display cable to the motherboard will never do anything with that CPU installed if you've tried that.

The GPU is a Gigabyte GTX 2070 that is about 4 years old and was used in another system. The power supply is an RMX850x and is maybe 2 years old but was never used prior to being placed in the nas. I don't have a different GPU to use as my only available card is a 3080ti that is too long for the case.

The nas was working for about a month straight and just suddenly stopped working.

 

[35below0]

Sounds like a dead PSU, MoBo or CPU. I'd try a different PSU. If it still doesn't POST, then replace the motherboard. Since the PSU has never been used before, it could have been a dud unit you never knew about. Not unheard of for electronics to fail extremly early in their life.

On second thought, it could also be a dead graphics card. Check that before trying another PSU.

 

[USAFRet]

Sounds like a dead PSU, MoBo or CPU. I'd try a different PSU. If it still doesn't POST, then replace the motherboard. Since the PSU has never been used before, it could have been a dud unit you never knew about. Not unheard of for electronics to fail extremly early in their life.

On second thought, it could also be a dead graphics card. Check that before trying another PSU.

So...it could be a dead anything?

 

[35below0]

So...it could be a dead anything?

Yes... Since the CPU doesn't have on board graphics it unfortunately doesn't eliminate the GPU. The motherboard is the most likely culprit, but it's sensible to check the PSU before the motherboard. Also easier.
CPUs don't die very often, so that's the last possibility.
Afterall, the PC did work fine for a month before dying suddenly.

RAM is probably ok. Case thumbscrews too.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Actually, none of those things are likely since it DOES run, and most likely DOES POST, and there is simply nothing on the screen. If it wasn't able to POST it would either loop continuously trying to POST, which you'd be able to determine by the behavior of the lights, fans, beeps, etc. or would shut down. Since it isn't doing those things from what I am understanding and simply doesn't display to the screen, then none of those things is "likely" even if one of them is possible.

And since I already indicated the probability of it being a graphics card issue by asking about it, I would certainly agree that there is a good chance this is the issue and would recommend trying ANY other graphics card. Even a super low end card would be fine or you could certainly find a used Ryzen that has onboard graphics like the 5600G and try that with no graphics card installed at all. Or simply go with a new 4600G or 5600G, something along those lines, that eliminates the possibility that it's a CPU issue, eliminates the possibility that it's a graphics card issue AND gives you a decent bump in CPU performance over your 3600. Just a thought. Certainly a cheap graphics card if you can't borrow one somewhere is the least costly option but then again if it isn't the problem then it's 50-75 bucks you could have put towards a 110-135 dollar Ryzen CPU with onboard graphics that would have had some additional benefits.

Additionally, since it's an NAS box and the graphics aren't terribly important the onboard Radeon graphics should be more than capable enough for the needs of the device.

Just a thought. Eliminating the graphics card though is probably the primary consideration.

 

[35below0]

I agree. I couldn't really tell if it was just idling without the display working. For all we know it could be a broken adapter which is certainly cheap to replace.

Though if it was purely the case of display not working, there would be some sign that the machine was working, booting to OS, etc.

Anyway, the idea of buying a 4600G or 5600G is a good one.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I couldn't really tell if it was just idling without the display working. if it was purely the case of display not working, there would be some sign that the machine was working, booting to OS, etc.

To clarify everything stays on and APPEARS to be running, but nothing ever appears on the monitor.

 

[flashbdx]

So, I was able to install a new GPU and still get nothing. I reinstalled the os on to a thumbdrive so it SHOULD be displaying SOMETHING because you need to work through to gui to install unraid.

 

[flashbdx]

So, I was able to install a new GPU and still get nothing. I reinstalled the os on to a thumbdrive so it SHOULD be displaying SOMETHING because you need to work through to gui to install unraid.

I've requested an RMA on the board as I feel that is the only piece that I haven't been able to confirm is in working order. I pulled all the ram and tried it one stick at a time and even that gave me nothing.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Seems like the appropriate next step given the circumstances and what's already been eliminated. Of course it COULD be the CPU, but the motherboard is far more likely since it was running fine and then, just wasn't. CPU failures happen, but aside from user caused damage, they are pretty rare.

 

[flashbdx]

Seems like the appropriate next step given the circumstances and what's already been eliminated. Of course it COULD be the CPU, but the motherboard is far more likely since it was running fine and then, just wasn't. CPU failures happen, but aside from user caused damage, they are pretty rare.

I dont think it was user caused, I wasn't even in the room when it shut off. I was only alerted to it beause I was trying to connect to my plex server and it was down.

 

[flashbdx]

As an update to this, I RMA'd the board and got it back. Reinstalled all the hardware and still nothing.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, then I guess RMA the CPU is the next logical step. Are you SURE they replaced the board, because VERY often I've had them send the same board back without explanation, and still turned out it WAS the board. More than twenty times on various machines.

 

[Niklas_13]

So...it could be a dead anything?

+1