[SOLVED] PC won't boot. Lights on motherboard and ram turn on.

[Bodden]

I just installed a new motherboard, cpu and ram set the other week. I have been playing on it and everything has been working fine. Last night I turned off the pc to go to bed and after class today when I went to turn it on and it didn't boot. I have case fans that glow blue when they are on and on boot those start for nearly a second and then turn off immediately. My cpu cooler and two attached fans are working perfectly fine. Yet still no boot. I was worried that my power supply was failing so I used a backup 850w that I have from an old build and it gave me the same lights but no boot. Anything helps, thank you

Mobo- Asus Prime Z390-A
CPU- i-7 9700k
Ram 2x8 GSkill TridentZ
GPU- EVGA GTX 1080
Power Supply- Ultra X4 1050W ATX power supply

 

[Darkbreeze]

That is maybe one of the ABSOLUTE worst power supply brands you could ever have. Ultra, which is tiger direct's old house brand, is horrible quality. I am not joking, at ALL, when I say to throw that PSU away and do not use it in any system that you value at all.

What is the model of the 850w power supply you used?

I SERIOUSLY recommend that you find a MUCH better quality power supply, before you do anything else, because IF that power supply wasn't the source of your problems to begin with, it most assuredly contributed to them or at the very least is LIKELY to cause OTHER problems, once you sort the current problem out. Please, do yourself a BIG favor, and actually READ both of these:

https://www.corsair.com/eu/es/blog/why-does-a-better-power-supply-mean-a-better-computer-experience

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

I will wait to offer further instructions until I know what the model of the 850w unit is, and it would be REALLY helpful to get some idea of how long both those power supplies have previously been in service, even if some of that time has involved only sitting on a shelf in your closet. Capacitors tend to degrade even when not in constant use.

If that other unit is an Ultra unit as well, then both those units had HORRIBLE reviews when it comes to soldering quality and could not pass their efficiency testing, and when the guy who used to be the product manager for Ultra says they aren't good, then you know, they are really not good, but we knew that already since practically every Ultra power supply we've come across in a thread was responsible for whatever was going on. To be sure, there is always a good chance of it being something else, but you really can't legitimately even try to find a problem elsewhere when you know you have an Ultra product installed. It needs to be eliminated as a potential problem before it makes any sense to go looking elsewhere.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?6394-Ultra-X4-850W-and-1050W-Review-at-H

 

[Bodden]

That is maybe one of the ABSOLUTE worst power supply brands you could ever have. Ultra, which is tiger direct's old house brand, is horrible quality. I am not joking, at ALL, when I say to throw that PSU away and do not use it in any system that you value at all.

What is the model of the 850w power supply you used?

I SERIOUSLY recommend that you find a MUCH better quality power supply, before you do anything else, because IF that power supply wasn't the source of your problems to begin with, it most assuredly contributed to them or at the very least is LIKELY to cause OTHER problems, once you sort the current problem out. Please, do yourself a BIG favor, and actually READ both of these:

https://www.corsair.com/eu/es/blog/why-does-a-better-power-supply-mean-a-better-computer-experience

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

I will wait to offer further instructions until I know what the model of the 850w unit is, and it would be REALLY helpful to get some idea of how long both those power supplies have previously been in service, even if some of that time has involved only sitting on a shelf in your closet. Capacitors tend to degrade even when not in constant use.

Thank you for responding. The 850W was a Thermaltake Toughpower. It came in a prebuilt that I got like 3-4 years ago. So from the sounds of it, this is definitely a PSU problem over anything else? I have been googling and digging through different forums about what could be wrong and like usual I have just assumed the worst in that I shorted my MOBO and rendered it completely useless through something dumb.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That, would not surprise me, coming from an Ultra power supply known to have poor internal build quality.

I wouldn't be willing to say that for sure, that's the deal, but I sure wouldn't rule it out either.

Thermaltake isn't much better, on a LOT of their power supply models, BUT the Toughpower series models are generally anywhere from decent to very good. The Toughpower grand units especially are generally really good. Coming in a prebuilt, I'd probably assume it's not a toughpower grand model, but one of the lesser Toughpower models. Any chance you can take a look at the label and find the exact model of that unit?

Being as you recently built this, I have to ask, are you 100% positive that when you installed it there were ONLY the exact number of motherboard standoffs installed in motherboard tray on the case that were needed for that ATX form factor? Previously you didn't have a micro ATX motherboard, or some other form factor, and that all standoffs that were installed lined exactly up with the mounting holes in your motherboard. Every last one? With no extras or any that seemed out of place? Because that's a pretty common problem for inexperienced builders and I've even seen experienced builders good up there and short the board out on a standoff in the wrong place OR forget entirely to use standoffs and short out the board on the case itself.

Also, no chance of any bent pins on the CPU?

I think it would be a good idea to read my guide on motherboard bench testing, and follow the steps there, but again, I would not use that Ultra PSU, at all. Use the Thermaltake while testing. Even if it's not a great model, and it might be, it's got to be better than that Ultra.

How To - Motherboard bench testing

Finding the problem through bench testing If you are here then it’s likely you have encountered a serious hardware issue and have been unable to resolve it using the standard no-POST troubleshooting procedures. If you have not yet attempted to resolve your issues using the no-POST...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Bodden]

That, would not surprise me, coming from an Ultra power supply known to have poor internal build quality.

I wouldn't be willing to say that for sure, that's the deal, but I sure wouldn't rule it out either.

Thermaltake isn't much better, on a LOT of their power supply models, BUT the Toughpower series models are generally anywhere from decent to very good. The Toughpower grand units especially are generally really good. Coming in a prebuilt, I'd probably assume it's not a toughpower grand model, but one of the lesser Toughpower models. Any chance you can take a look at the label and find the exact model of that unit?

Being as you recently built this, I have to ask, are you 100% positive that when you installed it there were ONLY the exact number of motherboard standoffs installed in motherboard tray on the case that were needed for that ATX form factor? Previously you didn't have a micro ATX motherboard, or some other form factor, and that all standoffs that were installed lined exactly up with the mounting holes in your motherboard. Every last one? With no extras or any that seemed out of place? Because that's a pretty common problem for inexperienced builders and I've even seen experienced builders good up there and short the board out on a standoff in the wrong place OR forget entirely to use standoffs and short out the board on the case itself.

Also, no chance of any bent pins on the CPU?

I think it would be a good idea to read my guide on motherboard bench testing, and follow the steps there, but again, I would not use that Ultra PSU, at all. Use the Thermaltake while testing. Even if it's not a great model, and it might be, it's got to be better than that Ultra.

How To - Motherboard bench testing

Finding the problem through bench testing If you are here then it’s likely you have encountered a serious hardware issue and have been unable to resolve it using the standard no-POST troubleshooting procedures. If you have not yet attempted to resolve your issues using the no-POST...

forums.tomshardware.com

The exact model # for the Thermaltake is a TP XT-850AH3NCB. There is definitely no chance of bent pins on the CPU since it was working fine two days ago, I was playing Rouge Company with all of my friends. I'm not sure about the MOBO standoffs, I had a ASUS Rampage III Extreme installed previously with a AMD Phenom xii 1100T and the motherboard completely died, My USB Ports were randomly turning off and it kept blue screening (this was an old and heavily used motherboard from a family member) I used the same case and motherboard screws that came from that board configuration

 

[Darkbreeze]

There is definitely no chance of bent pins on the CPU since it was working fine two days ago

LOL. Yeah, right. You'd do this,


if you knew how many people on this same forum said that same thing, and turned out to have bent pins on a system that had been in use anywhere from days to months before they started having problems. Systems can run just fine with bent pins, depending on WHICH pins are bent, because some are redundant, but can also at some point STOP working just fine if one of them finally either breaks contact or shorts on something it shouldn't make contact with because the pressure of the heatsink and the vibration of the system running finally hammered it out of position enough to cause a problem. That certainly does not mean that that is YOUR problem, but don't ever make the mistake of thinking that just because a system is running that ANY given "thing" can't be the problem. No matter what it is.

As far as the power supply goes, that Toughpower unit has to be at least 9 years old, and is more likely even older, because the only reviews for I can see are from 2009, 11 years ago. Whoever sold you that prebuilt, either ripped you off outright or used VERY old stock, or it was just a very, very old prebuilt. Either way, that unit wasn't in manufacturing after 2011 from what I can see so at best it has to be about 9 years old and could be as much as 11 years old. Reviews say that was an excellent unit, when it was new, but Thermaltake only gave it a five year warranty, which was pretty standard for a "good" unit back then, but it also means that they felt like it wasn't going to be terribly reliable beyond five years, and if the manufacturer believes that I'm not going to argue with them.

That means it is like about four to six years PAST the warranty date, in which case (Even if it sat on a shelf for some of those years before it found it's way into your system, those capacitors were still sitting there in the box degrading away over time) it's probably a coin flip whether it's shot or not, or in any way reliable at all. Well, certainly not "reliable" at that age. If it were my hardware or the hardware of any customer of mine, it would get replaced before I went any further. Whether it was the source of the problem or not.

My guess is that it's a power issue, but at this point it could be anything. Bench testing it as outlined is probably your best next step.

 

[Bodden]

LOL. Yeah, right. You'd do this,


if you knew how many people on this same forum said that same thing, and turned out to have bent pins on a system that had been in use anywhere from days to months before they started having problems. Systems can run just fine with bent pins, depending on WHICH pins are bent, because some are redundant, but can also at some point STOP working just fine if one of them finally either breaks contact or shorts on something it shouldn't make contact with because the pressure of the heatsink and the vibration of the system running finally hammered it out of position enough to cause a problem. That certainly does not mean that that is YOUR problem, but don't ever make the mistake of thinking that just because a system is running that ANY given "thing" can't be the problem. No matter what it is.

As far as the power supply goes, that Toughpower unit has to be at least 9 years old, and is more likely even older, because the only reviews for I can see are from 2009, 11 years ago. Whoever sold you that prebuilt, either ripped you off outright or used VERY old stock, or it was just a very, very old prebuilt. Either way, that unit wasn't in manufacturing after 2011 from what I can see so at best it has to be about 9 years old and could be as much as 11 years old. Reviews say that was an excellent unit, when it was new, but Thermaltake only gave it a five year warranty, which was pretty standard for a "good" unit back then, but it also means that they felt like it wasn't going to be terribly reliable beyond five years, and if the manufacturer believes that I'm not going to argue with them.

That means it is like about four to six years PAST the warranty date, in which case (Even if it sat on a shelf for some of those years before it found it's way into your system, those capacitors were still sitting there in the box degrading away over time) it's probably a coin flip whether it's shot or not, or in any way reliable at all. Well, certainly not "reliable" at that age. If it were my hardware or the hardware of any customer of mine, it would get replaced before I went any further. Whether it was the source of the problem or not.

My guess is that it's a power issue, but at this point it could be anything. Bench testing it as outlined is probably your best next step.

As of today, I have stripped everything down and followed the link you posted for diagnosing the issues. I checked the CPU and socket, no pins were bent. I removed the RAM and the GPU and then cleared the CMOS and the following boots managed to get the Case Fans running again but it still would not post. One of the major things that I noticed is that my GPU fans aren't running at all. They would try and move and just budge a tiny bit and then just stop back in place. I agree and believe this is a PSU problem and have been looking at alternatives as to what I should order.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It might NOT be, so be prepared for that. But I think it's the best place to start. If possible though, you might want to try a different graphics card in there if you have or can borrow one.

Before that though, why don't you remove the graphics card COMPLETELY, and try running off the integrated graphics on the CPU by connecting the display cable to the motherboard outputs. Be sure to take the GX card OUT of the motherboard first.

 

[Bodden]

It might NOT be, so be prepared for that. But I think it's the best place to start. If possible though, you might want to try a different graphics card in there if you have or can borrow one.

Before that though, why don't you remove the graphics card COMPLETELY, and try running off the integrated graphics on the CPU by connecting the display cable to the motherboard outputs. Be sure to take the GX card OUT of the motherboard first.

I tried that, there was no boot. The monitor turned on from the resting screen when it booted and then just went black. My first boot after resetting the CMOS was after checking the CPU and socket, hdd unplugged, RAM uninstalled, and GPU removed and there was nothing. The second boot was just the GPU added and that is when I noticed the lack in fan movement.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, there's not EVER going to be anything without any RAM installed. You MUST have at least ONE stick of memory installed, or nothing will ever happen.

Install ONE stick of memory, in the A2 slot (2nd over from CPU), no HDD, no GX card, monitor connected to the DP or HDMI output on the motherboard and make sure you DO have the CPU cooler installed or else it will likely not POST because most boards are configured by default to require an RPM signature from the CPU cooler fan or they will just shut back down.

If you get nothing, at all, like that, then try a different (New) PSU, and make sure you read this so you don't end up with a lemon.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

Then, if it won't POST, then it's very likely that motherboard is to blame, but I'd swap out the memory for the other stick to be sure.

 

[Bodden]

Well, there's not EVER going to be anything without any RAM installed. You MUST have at least ONE stick of memory installed, or nothing will ever happen.

Install ONE stick of memory, in the A2 slot (2nd over from CPU), no HDD, no GX card, monitor connected to the DP or HDMI output on the motherboard and make sure you DO have the CPU cooler installed or else it will likely not POST because most boards are configured by default to require an RPM signature from the CPU cooler fan or they will just shut back down.

If you get nothing, at all, like that, then try a different (New) PSU, and make sure you read this so you don't end up with a lemon.

Discussion - PSU recommendations and power supply discussion thread - Tom's hardware

Below you will find MY standard list of recommended power supplies and beyond that this thread is intended as a landing place for questions or discussions regarding specific units, platforms or related PSU tech, all of which are all welcome to be discussed here. If it's related to power supplies...

forums.tomshardware.com

Then, if it won't POST, then it's very likely that motherboard is to blame, but I'd swap out the memory for the other stick to be sure.

Alright, thank you again for your help!

 

[Darkbreeze]

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