System broken; not sure to what extent ["solved"]

NovaAva

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May 28, 2015
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4,510
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
  • CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM
  • Motherboard: ASRock - Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150
  • Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
  • Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5"; SSD
  • Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5"; 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
  • Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB STRIX Video Card
  • Power Supply (original): XFX PRO Black Edition 850W
  • Power Supply (current): EVGA SuperNOVA 850G3
  • No overclocking

My system is nearly 4 years old and up until this past Saturday it's been running smooth as silk. Saturday evening I was playing a game on Steam when the computer suddenly shut itself off. No smoke, no flash, no suspicious burning smells, no error messages. I initially thought I'd had a blackout until I realized every other electronic in the room was still on. When I pushed the power button to start the system again, it glowed for a millisecond and then died. I haven't been able to do anything with the desktop since.

This is what I've already done to try to fix things:
  1. Dusted inside the case
  2. Tested the power strip
  3. Tested the wall outlet
  4. Tried a different wall outlet
  5. Bought a replacement power cord for the PSU
  6. Did the paperclip test (for lack of better tools) to check the PSU
    1. The PSU fan wouldn't turn, or it would start then immediately stall. Also gave off a funky ozone smell.
  7. Purchased an entirely new PSU and installed it
    1. The new unit came with its own testing "cap". When I test the PSU 24-pin ATX cable with the cap it functions, but when I plug it into the mobo nothing happens.
  8. Played with the mobo a bit, to no avail. Mobo is completely dark.
    1. Replaced CMOS battery
    2. Tried the power switch
    3. Tried the reset switch
    4. Tried to clear CMOS
    5. Removed the RAM
    6. Switched from BIOS A to B

I'm disappointed the new PSU didn't fix the issue, but given how the original was acting it seemed to need replacement regardless. I assume the next step is to remove everything from the mobo and test hardware pieces individually, but given the complete lack of lights and noise I'm all but convinced the mobo is dead. I'm concerned it's not just the mobo, though....

So, since this is my first build (and subsequently my first attempt to repair a build) I have a few questions:
  • Is there anything obvious that I haven't checked/attempted yet and should?
  • How do I determine if any other hardware is malfunctioning and/or preventing the system from running, regardless of the status of the mobo? I'm mostly concerned about data on my storage drives getting corrupted.
  • What should I be looking for in a new motherboard to ensure compliance with the rest of my hardware?
    • Alternately, would it be better to just upgrade some of the hardware along with the mobo? I'm happy with my setup as-is/was but I'm concerned about parts being outdated and no longer supported by current models.
  • And finally: what happened? What could cause my computer to go from "perfectly functioning" to "dead" in the blink of an eye?
 
FULL hardware specifications OR prebuilt system model?

Checked EVERYTHING here, twice? AFTER installing the new PSU?

With no signs of life anywhere it can really only be the PSU or the motherboard. What is the model of the new PSU? Likely, you are looking at a motherboard but it could be as simple as not having fully seated one of the connections to the motherboard like the EPS 12v cable or the 24 pin ATX. Assuming those are good, then I see no option other than motherboard.

Look closely at the board to see if there are any bulging or leaking caps.
 
There is a lots of maybe's around here in regard of the origin of the failure. Here is some candidates:
  • Voltage spike either from outside or from feiling equipment (fuse blow) from within your house, that kill both your PSU and the MB.
  • Sudden failure of MB of GPU that happens to also kill the old PSU (less likely, but not impossible).
  • Sudden failure of old PSU that kill the motherbard and/or GPU.
Can you elaborate excactly what happens when you try to start the system. Is it completely dead or does fans start to spin and you can hear it tries to boot (if hdd still attached) ?
Or is it just lack of signal to monitor? If that's the case then try remove GPU and connect monitor directly at the MB.
 

NovaAva

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May 28, 2015
6
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4,510
FULL hardware specifications OR prebuilt system model?

Checked EVERYTHING here, twice? AFTER installing the new PSU?
-snip-
Look closely at the board to see if there are any bulging or leaking caps.

It's a custom build. I'm not sure what you mean by "FULL hardware specs". Is there something I forgot to put in my list of hardware?

I checked everything after I installed the new PSU. The power button doesn't do anything, I can't find any loose or unplugged cables, and the motherboard still acts bricked.

I can't see anything on the mobo that looks out of place. Doesn't mean it's not there, though.

Can you elaborate excactly what happens when you try to start the system. Is it completely dead or does fans start to spin and you can hear it tries to boot (if hdd still attached)?

When everything's connected absolutely nothing happens. No sound, no fans, no lights, etc. It might as well be unplugged.

However, if I unplug the 24-pin ATX from the motherboard and plug it into the test cap, the PSU fan starts up and I can hear the HDD running.
 

NovaAva

Reputable
May 28, 2015
6
0
4,510
Sorry for falling off the map for a bit.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to jump the pins of the power switch. I've decided to take this... "opportunity" to upgrade my system. Thank you for your help.