[SOLVED] PC randomly shut off during boot and wont turn back on.

Jan 23, 2021
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I built my pc around 2 months ago and have had absolutely zero issues until I went to turn it on this morning and it turned off about 10 seconds into the boot. I have tried disconnecting/reconnecting all psu cables, loosening mobo screws to rule out a case short, and tried with and without the gpu but now I can't even to get it to turn on at all. Any other tips/tricks I can try without having to rma my psu? Thanks!

System:
Cpu- I9-9900k
GPU- Zotac Amp Holo RTX 3080
Mobo- Asus Prime Z390a
Ram- 2x8 GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3200 mhz
PSU- Thermaltake Tough Power Grand 850W 80+ Gold
Cooler- Corsair H110i Platinum
Case- Corsair 570x White
 
Solution
Motherboard screws have nothing at all to do with any possibility of shorting to the case (Or grounding for that matter, since they are isolated from the rest of the board) unless there is a standoff installed in the case under the board in a location that does not directly line up with one of the mounting holes in your motherboard. If there is, then that obviously is a big problem. If there is not, then this can't be a problem (Unless maybe you are using fasteners with extremely large heads that weren't meant for this usage, and probably not even then.) and you should tighten them back down. Look for the problem to be elsewhere, like having a standoff that doesn't belong, screw or other object trapped between the board and the case...
Motherboard screws have nothing at all to do with any possibility of shorting to the case (Or grounding for that matter, since they are isolated from the rest of the board) unless there is a standoff installed in the case under the board in a location that does not directly line up with one of the mounting holes in your motherboard. If there is, then that obviously is a big problem. If there is not, then this can't be a problem (Unless maybe you are using fasteners with extremely large heads that weren't meant for this usage, and probably not even then.) and you should tighten them back down. Look for the problem to be elsewhere, like having a standoff that doesn't belong, screw or other object trapped between the board and the case, etc. IF it is even related to this kind of thing, which it probably isn't since it was running fine previously.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you remove it ALL from the case, and using the box the motherboard came in (Or a piece of flat cardboard) try bench testing it using my guide.


Obviously the power supply and motherboard are the primary culprits here, but bench testing might turn something else up. I also would not rule out the possibility of a bent pin on the motherboard under the CPU. We've seen a lot of systems with one or more bent pins that worked fine for a while, and then suddenly didn't anymore. It is always worth checking for that when none of the more obviously common problems turn anything up.
 
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Solution
Jan 23, 2021
3
0
10
Motherboard screws have nothing at all to do with any possibility of shorting to the case (Or grounding for that matter, since they are isolated from the rest of the board) unless there is a standoff installed in the case under the board in a location that does not directly line up with one of the mounting holes in your motherboard. If there is, then that obviously is a big problem. If there is not, then this can't be a problem (Unless maybe you are using fasteners with extremely large heads that weren't meant for this usage, and probably not even then.) and you should tighten them back down. Look for the problem to be elsewhere, like having a standoff that doesn't belong, screw or other object trapped between the board and the case, etc. IF it is even related to this kind of thing, which it probably isn't since it was running fine previously.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you remove it ALL from the case, and using the box the motherboard came in (Or a piece of flat cardboard) try bench testing it using my guide.


Obviously the power supply and motherboard are the primary culprits here, but bench testing might turn something else up. I also would not rule out the possibility of a bent pin on the motherboard under the CPU. We've seen a lot of systems with one or more bent pins that worked fine for a while, and then suddenly didn't anymore. It is always worth checking for that when none of the more obviously common problems turn anything up.

Awesome, will do! I am taking it to my buddies later tonight to troubleshoot and will update once I try to bench test it. He also has an extra known good PSU so we will be able to test that aspect of it as well. Thanks for the response!
 
Obviously, ANY power supply can be bad, even the best of them. I would be somewhat surprised though if THAT one was bad, unless it has a lot more miles on it than the rest of your hardware, as that was a pretty good model when new based on reviews. In fact, all of the Toughpower grand units are pretty good. That does not in any way mean it can't be the problem though so trying a new PSU, one that is both good quality and known good, really should be the first order of business in most cases like this.
 
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if you completely disconnect all drives (power and SATA data), remove the GPU (run from integrated graphics output from mainboard), drop down to a single RAM stick (test each alternately if needed), you are now left with just mainboard, CPU, a single RAM stick and the PSU.

*if/when you get around to testing with another PSU, do NOT mix modular cables between PSUs, as these cables often have different pinouts at respective PSU insertion connectors.
 
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Jan 23, 2021
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Welp, looks like the psu was the culprit. Plugged in the known good psu and she booted up completely normal. Super weird as my Thermaltake is only 2 months old too but RMA time it is. Thanks for yall's help!