PC won't start - not PS (I think) - what else?

[squirk]

My custom-built Intel-based PC has been humming along for three, maybe four, years now with no issues. It has stayed literally in the same spot all that time, being moved only slightly to dust the case and fans with compressed air.

One day, I come home and the PC is completely off. I hit the power button and nothing happens. No LEDs light up, no fans spin, no disk activity, no post. Absolutely nothing.

I remove all peripherals, switch power cables, connect directly to a wall outlet, still dead. So I think "It's been three years of constant use; probably the power supply." I switch it out with a brand new one, reattach power cables and ... still nothing. I unplug everything from the PS besides mobo and CPU. Still nothing. Dead silent.

Could the power button wiring have come loose or become faulty? Possibly. But honestly, given how inert the PC has been, I have a hard time seeing this as the culprit. I am also not aware of any electrical spikes/surges that might have overcome my surge protector (it and everything else plugged into it is fine). The PC has not been jarred, dropped or anything else. It just...stopped working.

My available time to spend troubleshooting this is very limited, so a process-of-elimination method of removing each component one at a time is not really feasible. But before I pay someone to repair a three-year old machine (assuming that's even worth the expense), I want to give it one last shot on my own.

Are there any other likely candidates for this problem? Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Adroid]

Power problems is almost always PSU or motherboard (especially if no fans or lights are coming on at all). Could also be a bad cable or cables. One easy test is the "paper clip" test to make sure your PSU is working. Make sure not to electrocute yourself in the process.

I would do the paper clip test to make sure it's not your PSU, clear your CMOS, and restart.

If you changed your main motherboard power cable with the PSU switch, I would lean toward a bad motherboard. It's possible you did have a electrical surge etc.

I would try the above then google "bread boarding" your PC.

I personally try the obvious, but I would buy a new motherboard before taking it to a repair shop, quite simply because it will cost the same for a new motherboard for a diagnosis from a repair shop. It kinda sucks when you pay 100$ for a shop to tell you it's time to buy a new 100$ motherboard.

 

[squirk]

Thanks. Yeah, the new PS came with new cables, which I used. So I am now guessing it's not a PS or cable issue.

I will reset the CMOS, but I am not optimistic. If that does not work, then I have another dilemma. If we assume it will cost me at least $100 for a repair shop to troubleshoot, and at least another $100 for the actual repair (whether it's a mobo issue or not), is that cash better-spent putting toward a new rig? Aggravating.

 

[Adroid]

Well what is your current rig? If you have an i5 750 or above, you might dump another 100$ into it for a motherboard. If it's much older than that I would probably recommend scrapping it. You can always upgrade your CPU/Mobo combo, use the old ram and GPU, and upgrade those when you feel like it.

 

[1LiquidPC]

Were you able to try the paperclip test? What make/model is your new PSU? It's possible that your old one went bad, and the new one could be a dud.

 

[squirk]

It's an i7-2600k, with a blu-ray burner, Radeon 7970 (3gb) and 16gb ripjaws RAM. Hard drives = 128gb SSD & 1tb HDD. I'm really on the fence because it still appears to be a solid machine (if it were working), but I don't know if I have it in me to buy a new mobo, swap it out, and then find out it still doesn't work.

I see three choices, each with its pros and cons:

1.) scrap the rig and start anew;
2.) take it in for repair; or
3.) order new bare-bones kit with new PS/mobo/CPU, and plug video card, blu-ray, RAM and drives back in.

Have not tried paper clip test yet, but will give it a shot. Really not expecting the problem to be *two* failed power supplies, but who knows?

.

Well what is your current rig? If you have an i5 750 or above, you might dump another 100$ into it for a motherboard. If it's much older than that I would probably recommend scrapping it. You can always upgrade your CPU/Mobo combo, use the old ram and GPU, and upgrade those when you feel like it.

 

[1LiquidPC]

Any luck w/ paperclip test? Your right you do have a solid PC still. I wouldn't start anew yet either. Also, if it isn't the PSU, the motherboard is really the only other part that can cause a no- start issue. If your new PSUis working correctly from test, I would try to find a replacement motherboard(Z77 perhaps) before starting new.

 

[squirk]

I know this is the pitfall of building your own stuff - you save a lot of money and get exactly the setup you want, but if something goes wrong, it's up to you to figure out which component is responsible and whether or not the damage extends to other components.

I absolutely hate installing and wiring mobos. Perhaps the barebones route with just case/mobo/wiring done for me is the way to go, and then I just plug in my stuff.

 

[squirk]

Update - ran paperclip test. No fans. The inside of the PS gives the occasional "click", notably when I am inserting or removing the clip, but otherwise silent and nothing spins.

I assume I am running the test right - one prong connecting to the green wire and the other prong connecting to an adjacent black wire. Tried several times with both adjacent black wires.

So, another power supply?

 

[Adroid]

Im sorry I can't tell from the picture but if you did your homework than the psu is dead.

So yea, check another PSU. I recommend XFX/Seasonic 650 watt.

The it 2600 is still a decent CPU, I would probably keep it untill skylake comes out personally. Keep in mind the whole market is transitioning to a new platform with DDR4 etc... The one you got is still fast enough so I would try to make it work another year or so.

 

[1LiquidPC]

It looks like you did the test correctly to me. The PSU fan should spin unless its a model that can disable the fan until a certain temp/load is reached. Either way, the case fan(s) should spin regardless. What brand/model PSU is it? With this info though and test not working, I'm thinking PSU is the problem,, as every PSU I tested(working PSU) powered up via paperclip test.