[SOLVED] PC won't turn on from the power button, other weird issues with the 24-pin ATX cable

[Seiou]

Hello, please allow me to preface this by saying that this was my first actual PC build. I've fiddled around with the insides of cases before on office computers and what not, but yesterday was the first day I decided to try to order components and assemble them into a new, hollow case.

The overall process took me a few hours, alternating between the user manuals provided by the manufacturers as I went through each one while installing every component. When the moment of truth finally came, it was shortly followed by disappointment and anxiety, as nothing turned on when I pressed my power button. I tried to reseat my motherboard, GPU, RAM, and redid every power and front panel connections to make sure they were plugged in correctly by consulting the motherboard user manual once more. Went to try and power it on again, no dice.

Several hours of unsuccessful troubleshooting and slightly sore fingers later, I was reaching the limit of my frustrations when I discovered that having my 24 pin ATX connector barely plugged in, with the cables at a certain angle, elicited some strange occurrences. The first time it happened, my CPU cooler fan's RGBs were powered on automatically (without pressing the power button) and started blinking, and my case fans twitched erratically, almost like they were trying to spin, but were unable to. I'll post a link to a short clip of this happening down below. This has been rather easily reproducible, although with less frequency recently compared to last night. If I make the slightest adjustment of moving the cable to a different angle, everything will power off once more. What's more, if I even try to properly connect the ATX 24-pin on my mobo like I'm supposed to, I'm back to square one - nothing will turn on at all.

There was one occurrence where it played out almost exactly like the first one, but some LEDs on my motherboard were blinking red. I didn't know this until later, but apparently the blinking LEDs corresponded to warnings/status indicators on my motherboard, and based on what I can see from a video I fortunately recorded when it happened, they corresponded to the LEDs "DRAM" and "CPU". This happened a few times, but I reseated components around once more and those LEDs have since stopped blinking. It hasn't happened to me again.

The most recent variation to the first type of occurrence that I've encountered so far is that if I connect in the 24-pin ATX using the same barely plugged in, about-to-fall-off-the-mobo-socket method and angle/wiggle the cables a bit farther out and hold it in a certain position, my case fans will actually activate and begin spinning. However, this isn't as easily reproducible and I've only gotten it to happen a handful of times. If I let go of the cables, everything powers off again.

I've yet to have my PC boot or display output to my monitor in any of these instances. Right now, I'm just trying to provide as many details as I can in the hopes that someone with actual experience could perhaps shed some light on this, so I apologize for the rather lengthy opening post. I called Corsair tech support after the ATX power connector issues had me thinking, and after conducting the Paperclip Test with my PSU to confirm if the actual unit was working, they said that it could be either be the motherboard or that the 24-pin ATX cable is defective, and that I should appeal to Amazon (the place I ordered my PSU from) for a replacement since I don't have any spare PSUs to to compare and isolate the issue. Since this was at the end of the week, it's going to take a few days for that replacement to get to me, so I figure I'll try to look for more options to try in the meantime. I'll post a list of all my components down below.

Thank you very much in advance for any assistance rendered.

Parts List:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor
Motherboard: ASRock X570 Steel Legend WiFi ax ATX AM4 Motherboard
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 960 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive
Storage: Samsung 860 QVO 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB BLACK GAMING Video Card
Case: Fractal Design Meshify S2 ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RMx White 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

Clip of the first occurrence - https://streamable.com/rpab3

 

[popatim]

Take the system apart and put it back together outside of the case.

If it works now, minus the power button which isn't attached, then look at your case. Often there is a standoff that doesn't line up with a screw hole on the motherboard or the standoffs may not be installed at all, and is shorting out the motherboard.

 

[Seiou]

Take the system apart and put it back together outside of the case.

If it works now, minus the power button which isn't attached, then look at your case. Often there is a standoff that doesn't line up with a screw hole on the motherboard or the standoffs may not be installed at all, and is shorting out the motherboard.

Unfortunately, it seems that I couldn't even power it on outside the case as well. I tried to short the power btn pins with a screwdriver, but nothing turned on. However, thank you for pointing out the standoffs, I think two of mine didn't line up correctly previously but I think I've got them screwed in right this time.

I was hoping that those standoffs would be the culprit, but I'm still getting the same weird issues and am still unable to boot or get a display. It also appears that my motherboard's DRAM and CPU LEDs are blinking red again after I put everything back in the case. In addition, my case fans activate with much more frequency than before when wiggling the 24-pin ATX cable around its socket, but they're spinning really loudly this time around as well. I also noticed that attempting to plug in the 24-pin ATX cable first from the bottom of the socket and holding the cables at that angle has a higher tendency to trigger the RGB and case fan instances I've mentioned so far.

I'm really hoping that the problem doesn't just lie with the motherboard itself. I guess I'll truly find out when my replacement PSU arrives.

 

[LordVile]

Are you pushing the 24 pin in the right way? Are you pushing it hard enough? Are you bridging the right pins and are you putting the power button switches on the right pins?

 

[Third-Eye]

The 24 pin power should be flush with the motherboard connection so there is no gap between the cable plug and the motherboards connection. Also, make sure you plugged in at least the 4+4 pin CPU power cable in the single 8 pin connection. Check that you also didn't split the 4+4 between the 8 pin connection and the extra 4 pin connection next to it on the right. The extra 4 pin is for extra power when over clocking and does not need to be plugged in unless you are doing very high overclocking. CPU power is one of the things many new PC builders overlook on their first build.

 

[Seiou]

Are you pushing the 24 pin in the right way? Are you pushing it hard enough? Are you bridging the right pins and are you putting the power button switches on the right pins?

The 24 pin power should be flush with the motherboard connection so there is no gap between the cable plug and the motherboards connection. Also, make sure you plugged in at least the 4+4 pin CPU power cable in the single 8 pin connection. Check that you also didn't split the 4+4 between the 8 pin connection and the extra 4 pin connection next to it on the right. The extra 4 pin is for extra power when over clocking and does not need to be plugged in unless you are doing very high overclocking. CPU power is one of the things many new PC builders overlook on their first build.

Thank you for your replies. I've also been curious if I've been even plugging in the ATX 24-pin right, so I took a picture of what it looks like when I think I've been plugging it in all the way. It's really hard to pull out like this, so I think it's plugged in right as I felt something connect when I pushed all the way in. My friend told me that I'm supposed to hear a sort of audible cue, but I can't say that I heard anything as distinctive as say, my RAM slot's clips clicking in. Still, despite it being plugged in the arrangement that will be shown in the picture below, the computer still refuses to power on.

The PSU power connector for the CPU is actually a single 8-pin for me, and I think it should also be plugged in correctly as it's also quite hard to take out for me without having to brace my motherboard and pull the cable out while pressing the latch on the side of the cable. I got that warning about missing the extra 4-pin cable for the adjacent 4-pin socket when I was preparing on PCPartPicker, but yeah when I did some searching around I was relieved when that was mainly reserved for overclocking and that I don't really need it.

I'm pretty sure I had the front panel connectors all lined up right to their assignments and +/- connections as per my manual dictates, but I will attempt to do so again later and fiddle around with them some more. Appreciate the tips!

https://imgur.com/6iAfmAj

View: https://i.imgur.com/6iAfmAj.jpg

 

[Third-Eye]

Thank you for your replies. I've also been curious if I've been even plugging in the ATX 24-pin right, so I took a picture of what it looks like when I think I've been plugging it in all the way. It's really hard to pull out like this, so I think it's plugged in right as I felt something connect when I pushed all the way in. My friend told me that I'm supposed to hear a sort of audible cue, but I can't say that I heard anything as distinctive as say, my RAM slot's clips clicking in. Still, despite it being plugged in the arrangement that will be shown in the picture below, the computer still refuses to power on.

The PSU power connector for the CPU is actually a single 8-pin for me, and I think it should also be plugged in correctly as it's also quite hard to take out for me without having to brace my motherboard and pull the cable out while pressing the latch on the side of the cable. I got that warning about missing the extra 4-pin cable for the adjacent 4-pin socket when I was preparing on PCPartPicker, but yeah when I did some searching around I was relieved when that was mainly reserved for overclocking and that I don't really need it.

I'm pretty sure I had the front panel connectors all lined up right to their assignments and +/- connections as per my manual dictates, but I will attempt to do so again later and fiddle around with them some more. Appreciate the tips!

https://imgur.com/6iAfmAj

View: https://i.imgur.com/6iAfmAj.jpg

You should check the modular cables into the PSU. I know on my Corsair AX760 (modular PSU) it's quite difficult to plug the cables all the way in, especially the 24 pin.

 

[LordVile]

You should check the modular cables into the PSU. I know on my Corsair AX760 (modular PSU) it's quite difficult to plug the cables all the way in, especially the 24 pin.

Agree with this I nearly returned a board because a PCIE cable had come loose at the PSU

 

[Seiou]

You should check the modular cables into the PSU. I know on my Corsair AX760 (modular PSU) it's quite difficult to plug the cables all the way in, especially the 24 pin.

Agree with this I nearly returned a board because a PCIE cable had come loose at the PSU

Yeah, when I first got it I noticed that I had to exert quite a bit of pressure to get it to click in right. I just did it again and I'm fairly certain it's all the way in now, 100% making sure that it clicked in. I'm still unable to power on the PC, but I think it's a bit easier to replicate those occurrences where my CPU fan's RGB and case fans twitch and try to start up, or at least they don't turn off when I let go of the cables now. Also, I'm not sure if this is now only happening because I haven't really been looking at the front of my case, but I've noticed that my HDD LEDs turn on as well if that's a good indicator of something.

I've got a few different types of questions, if you gentlemen don't mind.

1. If my CPU's cooler can still turn on despite all this, does that mean my CPU is functional? I was kind of worried when I first installed the CPU into the motherboard even after watching a few tutorials. I'm just trying to isolate the components that actually work.

2. I really should have mentioned this in my opening post, but when I performed the paperclip test, my PSU's fan only spun for about 15 to 30 seconds. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be the norm. Would that be considered acceptable? On the bright side, if all this is indeed a problem with my PSU, my replacement is slated to arrive on Monday instead of Wednesday now, so hopefully I can mark this as solved by then.

Thank you for your answers again!

 

[Third-Eye]

Yeah, when I first got it I noticed that I had to exert quite a bit of pressure to get it to click in right. I just did it again and I'm fairly certain it's all the way in now, 100% making sure that it clicked in. I'm still unable to power on the PC, but I think it's a bit easier to replicate those occurrences where my CPU fan's RGB and case fans twitch and try to start up, or at least they don't turn off when I let go of the cables now. Also, I'm not sure if this is now only happening because I haven't really been looking at the front of my case, but I've noticed that my HDD LEDs turn on as well if that's a good indicator of something.

I've got a few different types of questions, if you gentlemen don't mind.

1. If my CPU's cooler can still turn on despite all this, does that mean my CPU is functional? I was kind of worried when I first installed the CPU into the motherboard even after watching a few tutorials. I'm just trying to isolate the components that actually work.

2. I really should have mentioned this in my opening post, but when I performed the paperclip test, my PSU's fan only spun for about 15 to 30 seconds. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be the norm. Would that be considered acceptable? On the bright side, if all this is indeed a problem with my PSU, my replacement is slated to arrive on Monday instead of Wednesday now, so hopefully I can mark this as solved by then.

Thank you for your answers again!

When you tried to turn the PSU on with a paper clip, did you only do it from the 24 pin atx cable or did you also try it at the PSU without the cable in the PSU? You mentioned that support said it may be a bad cable, so if the PSU turns on from the modular connection on the PSU, it will possibly confirm that. Though, I'm pretty sure at this point that you have a short or fault somewhere which is causing that sort of pulsing powering on of the fans. This means either the PSU or the motherboard have a fault and although you took the parts out of the case, it's really a matter of defective parts.

 

[LordVile]

Yeah, when I first got it I noticed that I had to exert quite a bit of pressure to get it to click in right. I just did it again and I'm fairly certain it's all the way in now, 100% making sure that it clicked in. I'm still unable to power on the PC, but I think it's a bit easier to replicate those occurrences where my CPU fan's RGB and case fans twitch and try to start up, or at least they don't turn off when I let go of the cables now. Also, I'm not sure if this is now only happening because I haven't really been looking at the front of my case, but I've noticed that my HDD LEDs turn on as well if that's a good indicator of something.

I've got a few different types of questions, if you gentlemen don't mind.

1. If my CPU's cooler can still turn on despite all this, does that mean my CPU is functional? I was kind of worried when I first installed the CPU into the motherboard even after watching a few tutorials. I'm just trying to isolate the components that actually work.

2. I really should have mentioned this in my opening post, but when I performed the paperclip test, my PSU's fan only spun for about 15 to 30 seconds. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be the norm. Would that be considered acceptable? On the bright side, if all this is indeed a problem with my PSU, my replacement is slated to arrive on Monday instead of Wednesday now, so hopefully I can mark this as solved by then.

Thank you for your answers again!

when you turn the PC on does the PSU click? After a bit and turn off?

 

[Vic 40]

Checked the cpu for bend pins?
Also test with just one stick of ram and switch them around. Use the second slot from the cpu out.

 

[Seiou]

When you tried to turn the PSU on with a paper clip, did you only do it from the 24 pin atx cable or did you also try it at the PSU without the cable in the PSU? You mentioned that support said it may be a bad cable, so if the PSU turns on from the modular connection on the PSU, it will possibly confirm that. Though, I'm pretty sure at this point that you have a short or fault somewhere which is causing that sort of pulsing powering on of the fans. This means either the PSU or the motherboard have a fault and although you took the parts out of the case, it's really a matter of defective parts.

I think all the videos and tutorials I looked up prior to performing the Paperclip Test only told me to use the 24-pin ATX cable. I looked up the reviews for my series of PSU on Amazon and a few mentioned that some of their cables were shorted and seem to match a few of the characteristics of the occurrences that have been happening to me. One in particular mentioned that his SATA PSU cables would power off if they jiggled or in a particular angle. If I'm suffering this as well, then I guess I drew the short straw with a 24-pin ATX instead.

when you turn the PC on does the PSU click? After a bit and turn off?

Can't say that it does, or at least that I've noticed so far. I'll mess around with it a bit more with that in mind and if it does, I'll let you know.

Checked the cpu for bend pins?
Also test with just one stick of ram and switch them around. Use the second slot from the cpu out.

Gotcha. I think I'll wait until tomorrow when my PSU replacement arrives, and if that's not the issue, then I'll take everything outside the case again and take out the cooler and CPU to inspect the pins and report back any findings here.

No dice on the ram switchouts though however. I tried both of my 16 GB sticks individually through all four of the slots, but I get the same issues.

Another thing I probably should have mentioned in my original post. Although it's only happened once, during one of the RGB flashing/fan twitching cases, my motherboard's LED very briefly activated and was glowing white. Although I didn't take a picture of it, I'll provide a still image of my motherboard with everything plugged in. The motherboard LED was the "S" on the top left, around the same space where the pre-installed I/O shield is. In addition, I've attached a picture of what my PSU connections look like. The 24-pin ATX looks kind of off, but I've jammed it in as far as I think they can go, and I believe the locking pin clicked in as well.

https://imgur.com/qLqoeSW

View: https://i.imgur.com/qLqoeSW.jpg

https://imgur.com/Qbgat7m

View: https://i.imgur.com/Qbgat7m.jpg

 

[LordVile]

I think all the videos and tutorials I looked up prior to performing the Paperclip Test only told me to use the 24-pin ATX cable. I looked up the reviews for my series of PSU on Amazon and a few mentioned that some of their cables were shorted and seem to match a few of the characteristics of the occurrences that have been happening to me. One in particular mentioned that his SATA PSU cables would power off if they jiggled or in a particular angle. If I'm suffering this as well, then I guess I drew the short straw with a 24-pin ATX instead.



Can't say that it does, or at least that I've noticed so far. I'll mess around with it a bit more with that in mind and if it does, I'll let you know.



Gotcha. I think I'll wait until tomorrow when my PSU replacement arrives, and if that's not the issue, then I'll take everything outside the case again and take out the cooler and CPU to inspect the pins and report back any findings here.

No dice on the ram switchouts though however. I tried both of my 16 GB sticks individually through all four of the slots, but I get the same issues.

Another thing I probably should have mentioned in my original post. Although it's only happened once, during one of the RGB flashing/fan twitching cases, my motherboard's LED very briefly activated and was glowing white. Although I didn't take a picture of it, I'll provide a still image of my motherboard with everything plugged in. The motherboard LED was the "S" on the top left, around the same space where the pre-installed I/O shield is. In addition, I've attached a picture of what my PSU connections look like. The 24-pin ATX looks kind of off, but I've jammed it in as far as I think they can go, and I believe the locking pin clicked in as well.

https://imgur.com/qLqoeSW

View: https://i.imgur.com/qLqoeSW.jpg

https://imgur.com/Qbgat7m

View: https://i.imgur.com/Qbgat7m.jpg

It’s cos I had a DOA PSU a few months ago, when I tried turning it on it just clicked at me.

 

[Vic 40]

One of the gpu's pcie power cables isn't fully in. The lower one in the picture of the psu,might even be from the 24pin which i guess is a combined piece. Make sure it goes in fully.

 

[Seiou]

Checked the cpu for bend pins?
Also test with just one stick of ram and switch them around. Use the second slot from the cpu out.

I just checked my CPU and it had quite a few bent pins, particularly around the upper right corner relative to where the arrow indicator is. Not sure how that happened as I was extremely careful after my friend told me about his horror experiences with mishandling them, but I may have accidentally screwed it up when I first set up the cooler. Thankfully, the mobo socket didn't have anything bent.

I got a replacement for the CPU and slotted it in the socket correctly (I think I screwed up the first time with the original CPU, I was able to move it around when I initially thought I had inserted it whereas now it doesn't budge), but even with the PSU and CPU replacements, I'm getting the same exact issues.

Just tried almost about everything from the sticky of the board where this thread was moved to, having just attempted to clear my CMOS, and I think I'm out of options right now. I didn't want to do it, but it looks like I'm going to have to try getting a motherboard replacement from my retailer. Thanks again everyone for your replies, I'll come back to try and hopefully mark this as solved when I get my mobo replacement.

 

[Vic 40]

but even with the PSU and CPU replacements, I'm getting the same exact issues.

You talk about a psu replacement as well. Did you try and make sure the 24pin was fully in at the psu side?

Too bad about the cpu.

 

[Seiou]

You talk about a psu replacement as well. Did you try and make sure the 24pin was fully in at the psu side?

Too bad about the cpu.

Yep, I took everything out and plopped the PSU face-down to really make sure that everything was plugged snugly. Ended up still getting the same issues with it

On a happier note, I bought a TUF GAMING X570-PLUS motherboard, swapped it out with the Steel Legend, and everything works great now. I'm not sure if my Steel Legend came DOA or if I messed something up with it, but I basically set up the TUF in the same manner as I did with the SL so who knows.

Thanks again to everyone for offering your suggestions and guidance!

 

[Saga Lout]

Sorry but you can't award the Best Answer to yourself after all the advice you were given. I'm pleased to see a new motherboard has fixed the problem and that is good news but not good enough to give yourself any kudos.