[SOLVED] why is my pc crashing :(

[chaniu__u]

hi! not sure if this is the right forum to post in, pls lmk if not. also please keep in mind that i'm totally new to building pcs outside of basic research i've done.
so i built a pc over the summer and i can't remember when but it started turning off randomly with a small clicking noise. i would try and turn it on, fans would spin for a second, then turn off. sometimes i would have to wait only 10 or 20 minutes, turn it on, and it would work for hours. other times i had to wait days before it would even turn on for 20 minutes. as far as i can tell it's entirely random-- sometimes it'll stay on for a while, sometimes it won't, sometimes it'll take days to turn back on and sometimes minutes. so i did a troubleshoot!
i can 100% verify that the psu and motherboard are not the issue-- i've tested others and the same thing happens.
i'm also almost certain that the gpu and ram are not causing the problem. i've taken the gpu out, swapped and reseated the ram, booted with no ram, booted with only cpu fans, etc etc and still the problem persists.
the only sort of common thread i found is that when using my old motherboard the pc seemed to boot better with only the first stick of ram-- but it still failed to stay on. and with this new motherboard the problem is still there.
could it be my cpu, ssd, or something else i've neglected to mention?
- another thing to note- the times i have been able to start up my computer i monitored my cpu temp throughout and it was normal.

specs:
case: darkflash matx mesh case
psu: corsair cx450
mobo: asus tuf gaming b550m plus
cpu: amd ryzen 5 3600
gpu: geforce gt 1030 directx
storage: crucial ssd
cpu cooler: id cooling pinkflow 240 cpu water cooler
fans: id cooling zf-12025-pink case fan

i'm really not sure what to do anymore. sorry in advance if i'm just making a dumb mistake or anything :/

edit: i have gone through this checklist, but i will do so again

 

[thx1138v2]

It sounds like a power problem. I'm not a fan of Corsair CX model PSUs and I've seen posts that say not ot use them with a graphics card. That's my guess. Replace it with a 600 Watt PSU from a tier 1 supplier.

 

[Karadjgne]

GT1030 will not be an issue for a CX450. You are looking at maybe 250w with everything maxed out, which is semi-impossible to accomplish. Generally you'd be looking at heavy gaming or production workloads closer to 200w ish.

I'm in agreement that it's probably a power issue, but not a lack of power issue, but more of a dead short issue that's tripping the protections in the psu. Trace down every single wire, especially the ones stuck behind the motherboard, ones that go through non-grommeted holes and around drive bays etc. Look for scorches or burn marks on the metal framing, little black dots or dimples in the paint, frayed or melted wires etc.

If all else fails, disassemble the pc, put the motherboard on the box it came in (or similar) and plug in only the 24pin to psu, eps power cable from psu, cpu, cpu cooler and wires and 1 stick of ram in slot A2. Nothing else. See if it boots consistently and stays on. Then start adding 1 component at a time (that means mouse is 1 item, keyboard is 1 item) and testing again after each until you either run out of items, or fail.

If you fully assemble the pc outside of the case with no issues present, then there's something Inside the case causing the issue, either a shorted button, shorted wire, rear of the case pressing wires into solder joints etc.

If you get a failure at any time, pull the last item installed and recheck. If you fail from the start, swap ram sticks and recheck. If you still fail with just psu, motherboard, 1 ram, cpu and cooler, one of them is the culprit and no further testing with your components is warranted, you'll need to check further with different items.