Question Strangest Issue when powering a newly built system

[sicklyhare]

So the system I built for my friend has the strangest issue and I need help figuring out what is wrong with it.

After everything is plugged in and powered on I hit the power button to start it up and the cpu fan makes a brief high pitched squeak and then nothing happens. No movement, nothing spinning, it just doesn't power on. I've checked everything multiple times and can't figure out what the issue is.

Specs for the system are as follows:
Motherboard: ROG Strix z490-I gaming
Cpu: i5-10600k
Cpu fan: noctua nh-l9i
hard drive: 500gb ssd
ram: 2x8gb balistix 3600mhz
psu: Be Quiet! SFX L 600W 80 plus gold
the case is Silverstone, can't remember exact name for it.

any help in identifying the issue would be greatly appreciated

 

[Ralston18]

Thermal shutdown?

What thermal paste was used and how applied?

With power off and unplugged does the GPU fan spin freely? Any signs of contact with the frame?

 

[velocityg4]

You say you checked everything. Did you physically remove everything, then reseat them?

 

[sicklyhare]

Thermal shutdown?

What thermal paste was used and how applied?

With power off and unplugged does the GPU fan spin freely? Any signs of contact with the frame?

the fans spin freely with power off and unplugged, there's no gpu, graphics is dependent on the cpu and I have not noticed any frame contact. I used the thermal paste from noctua for the install

The thermal paste was about pea sized and placed in the center before installing the cpu fan

You say you checked everything. Did you physically remove everything, then reseat them?

Everything was unplugged, removed, and examined before being put back together piece by piece and tested again

 

[Ralston18]

Will the system boot into Safe Mode?

Double check the connections to the case front panel.

Reference both the Motherboard's User Guide/Manual and the Case's User/Guide Manual.

The power on, reset connectors etc. can be poorly written, quite confusing, and perhaps simply wrong.

Pay close attention to the connectors and pin outs.

 

[sicklyhare]

Will the system boot into Safe Mode?

Double check the connections to the case front panel.

Reference both the Motherboard's User Guide/Manual and the Case's User/Guide Manual.

The power on, reset connectors etc. can be poorly written, quite confusing, and perhaps simply wrong.

Pay close attention to the connectors and pin outs.

that was a big thing I had an issue with for about a day making sure front panel was all connected properly, the thing wont boot at all, I'm trying to get it to post first time so I can install windows on it but this issue arose before I could get that far

 

[Ralston18]

Install Windows - follow this procedure:

https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/windows-10-clean-install-tutorial.3170366

 

[sicklyhare]

Install Windows - follow this procedure:

https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/windows-10-clean-install-tutorial.3170366

I appreciate the link but:
The computer won't turn on. It makes a noise and won't start up at all, so I can't install any software with this issue

Might not have made it clear enough before now, but yeah, won't even get a chance to get hot

 

[DRagor]

Do the PSU paperclip test; or better yet check it in another system. If PSU works fine then it looks like dead motherboard.

 

[sicklyhare]

Do the PSU paperclip test; or better yet check it in another system. If PSU works fine then it looks like dead motherboard.

Returned the power supply to the manufacturer, can confirm it's not the issue, the motherboard does have light up features so i was hoping it wasn't, if it is a dead motherboard this is gonna be painful... thanks for that, if there's some way to test it without having the part sent back or having a replacement part on hand i'd love to know it

 

[Ralston18]

If the squeak is from the CPU fan then I suggest try replacing the fan first.

Any means to obtain another CPU fan for testing purposes?

 

[sicklyhare]

If the squeak is from the CPU fan then I suggest try replacing the fan first.

Any means to obtain another CPU fan for testing purposes?

I'll have to buy a replacement, this is a mini build, unfortunately spent a few months without touching the thing because work suddenly had me do consistently 12 hour work days until recently, if a replacement cpu fan doesn't work then i'll just take it to a repair store to handle figuring the issue out and stop this headache of an issue

 

[Paperdoc]

There are two big things that can cause this, but NOT "big" problems - easy to fix.

1. This one is VERY common with new builds by people with limited experience: a short circuit from the bottom of the mobo to the case caused by improper placement of mobo stand-offs. Stand-offs are items, often brass, about ¼"long with a hole in one end and a threaded shaft out the other. They are screwed into the back mounting plate of the case, and then the screws through the mounting holes of the mobo are screwed into the tops of the stand-offs. These items establish a clearance space between the bottom of the mobo and the case's mounting plate. Look closely at your mobo - it usually has nine such holes in three rows of three each. Each hole has small metal "fingers" around it for contact with the mounting screw. The mobo is SUPPOSED to be grounded to the case by these screws and the stand-offs at these points ONLY. There should NOT be any other contact with the case.

Many cases arrive with stand-offs already installed in the most common locations for them in the case mounting backplate, BUT that plate also has other holes for different locations. Other cases arrive with none installed, and the stand-offs are in a bag for you to install. So to start with, you need to remove the mobo carefully from the case. Examine very closely where the mounting holes in the MOBO are and compare that to where the stand-offs are already in the backplate. If there are NONE that is certainly your problem. If they are there, match them carefully to the mobo holes. There ought to be a stand-off under every mobo mounting hole for support. But most importantly there must NEVER be a stand-off where there is NO matching mounting hole in the mobo. A misplaced stand-off or some missing ones can cause a trace on the back side of the mobo to short out to case ground. Check the count - must match the number of mobo mounting holes. When you have them all properly located, re-install the mobo carefully and make SURE every mounting screw you put into a mobo hole HAS a stand-off matching it underneath.

Just as a last note - I had this freak thing happen once - check how all the mobo's rear sockets and connectors fit into holes in the case back panel. I once found a springy "finger" that was supposed to slide over the outside of a connector shell has slipped inside to touch a connector contact.

2. Every fan header on a mobo has an important secondary function - it monitors the speed signal coming back to it from its fan for NO signal, indicating failure of the fan. If that happens you get a warning message on screen. But many mobos do an extra thorough job for the CPU_FAN header particularly. If no fan speed signal is detected there, it may shut down the system pretty quickly to avoid having the expensive CPU chip damaged by overheating, without even waiting fo the CPU's temperature sensor to show a high temp. Such mobos may not even allow you to start up if there is no fan speed signal detected immediately at start-up. So, check what is plugged into the CPU_FAN header and ensure it is well connected.

 

[sicklyhare]

There are two big things that can cause this, but NOT "big" problems - easy to fix.

1. This one is VERY common with new builds by people with limited experience: a short circuit from the bottom of the mobo to the case caused by improper placement of mobo stand-offs. Stand-offs are items, often brass, about ¼"long with a hole in one end and a threaded shaft out the other. They are screwed into the back mounting plate of the case, and then the screws through the mounting holes of the mobo are screwed into the tops of the stand-offs. These items establish a clearance space between the bottom of the mobo and the case's mounting plate. Look closely at your mobo - it usually has nine such holes in three rows of three each. Each hole has small metal "fingers" around it for contact with the mounting screw. The mobo is SUPPOSED to be grounded to the case by these screws and the stand-offs at these points ONLY. There should NOT be any other contact with the case.

Many cases arrive with stand-offs already installed in the most common locations for them in the case mounting backplate, BUT that plate also has other holes for different locations. Other cases arrive with none installed, and the stand-offs are in a bag for you to install. So to start with, you need to remove the mobo carefully from the case. Examine very closely where the mounting holes in the MOBO are and compare that to where the stand-offs are already in the backplate. If there are NONE that is certainly your problem. If they are there, match them carefully to the mobo holes. There ought to be a stand-off under every mobo mounting hole for support. But most importantly there must NEVER be a stand-off where there is NO matching mounting hole in the mobo. A misplaced stand-off or some missing ones can cause a trace on the back side of the mobo to short out to case ground. Check the count - must match the number of mobo mounting holes. When you have them all properly located, re-install the mobo carefully and make SURE every mounting screw you put into a mobo hole HAS a stand-off matching it underneath.

Just as a last note - I had this freak thing happen once - check how all the mobo's rear sockets and connectors fit into holes in the case back panel. I once found a springy "finger" that was supposed to slide over the outside of a connector shell has slipped inside to touch a connector contact.

2. Every fan header on a mobo has an important secondary function - it monitors the speed signal coming back to it from its fan for NO signal, indicating failure of the fan. If that happens you get a warning message on screen. But many mobos do an extra thorough job for the CPU_FAN header particularly. If no fan speed signal is detected there, it may shut down the system pretty quickly to avoid having the expensive CPU chip damaged by overheating, without even waiting fo the CPU's temperature sensor to show a high temp. Such mobos may not even allow you to start up if there is no fan speed signal detected immediately at start-up. So, check what is plugged into the CPU_FAN header and ensure it is well connected.

thank you for that, I've built 4 computers over the last 8 years and I can safely say that's a lot I never knew about, the mounting stands are built into the case and there doesn't appear to be any that create strange connections, all four line up with the four holes for screws to mount it. It shouldn't be unexpectedly grounded anywhere thankfully, I'm not sure what i can do other than replace the motherboard if the fan header isn't able to monitor the fan speed, there's only one cpu fan connector for the z490-I gaming.

I'm appreciative to you and everyone else who has attempted to help me thus far, this has definitely given me more to consider for after this one is dealt with, for now i'm gonna watch a movie with my family and then come back to this computer to see what I can do.