[SOLVED] Z270F won't boot, RBG lights up, but no POST or Fans

[sheckla]

Hey there,

I've had a problem 2 days ago with my Mainboard - ASUS Z270F Gaming. I heard a spark somewhere, the system turned off and since then I haven't been able to boot it. I've been deconstructing it the last days step by step to search for any errors and at this point I think it's either the Mainboard or the CPU.

Spark came from the PSU - probably from an exposed wire while the System was not powered on had power runnin through it.

specs:
built: 2016

• i7 7700K
• Asus Z270F Gaming
• Corsair AX860i and a brand new SF600 iI got for testing
• Corsair 16GB 2 stick, worked well before
• rest doesn't matter I think, I got the barebones Mainboard with the CPU/RAM and PSU sitting on my table,

Information regarding my Mainboard LED's and Jumpers:

[1] Standby Power LED (signaling that power is running)	[2] Boot debug lights for the different stages	[3] Front panel input

What I've done:

• this guide https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...put-troubleshooting-checklist.1285536/(mostly, from what I was available to do, although I have no Beeper)
• Clear CMOS
• checked CPU pins - not bent!
• reposition CPU/RAM and about every PSU cable I have (they're both modular)
• firmly attach the 24pin ATX and 8 pin cpu cable, multiple times
• Test both PSU 24pin ATX and 8 pin cpu with a Multimeter, voltages are fine, both power up fine and powered the rest of my setup (HDDS/SSDS/Fans/Leds etc.)
• PWRSW switched on with my Case / jumping them doesn't work, tested with both PSU's [3]
• connected PWM fan to CPU_FAN to exclude it not starting up because of cooling
• single stick ram, double stick ram, no ram

Current situation:

When I plug in my old AX860i to my motherboard the PWR_LED [1] lights up constantly and powers the mainboard (I can feel warmth coming of from it) and the RGB lights also light up.
Although when I plug it with the brand new SF600 from Corsair I only get a blinking PWR_LED [1], with no RGB lights on the MOBO as well as no signs of power running through the Mainboard
Like I said, both are tested with a Multimeter and display the right voltages and are able to run with the paperclip test.

I'm open for anything right now as I did everything I was able to find online and test out and read a lot of different forum guides for any possible fixes.
Maybe I need to bite it up an accept that it's dead, I appreciate any tips for maybe getting it to start. -> Anything <-


Thanks in advance!

 

[mdd1963]

Odds favor either your PSU or mainboard 'went south'...

Swapping the PSU with a known good unit of adequate wattage will eliminate it as the potential culprit, and, it is the less expensive and easier of the two options to eliminate first. (NOTE: do NOT mix modular cables from original PSU with new or temp PSU, as there are commonly different pinouts at PSU insertion points, which can fry downstream components 'right quick'!)

NOTE: depending on the cause of the 'spark', there is always the dismal possibility that exists of a PSU taking a mainboard with it, but, we will hope against that, of course...

 

[sheckla]

Odds favor either your PSU or mainboard 'went south'...

Swapping the PSU with a known good unit of adequate wattage will eliminate it as the potential culprit, and, it is the less expensive and easier of the two options to eliminate first. (NOTE: do NOT mix modular cables from original PSU with new or temp PSU, as there are commonly different pinouts at PSU insertion points, which can fry downstream components 'right quick'!)

NOTE: depending on the cause of the 'spark', there is always the dismal possibility that exists of a PSU taking a mainboard with it, but, we will hope against that, of course...

Yeah will do that. Ordered a third PSU (CX650F) and will try it out a third time to really exclude the PSU from making it not work. And I used the modular cables from each PSU respectively (AX860i and SF600)

 

[sheckla]

Update: New CX650F arrived today and had the same results as my SF600, only a blinking standby power LED. I'd say that with the working PSU's having both a blinking standby power LED and no RGB lighting on the Motherboard, that the MOBO is indeed bricked. It only "powers" on at most with my old sparked AX860i, I think mainly because it's bricked as well. So yeah, I also ordered a beeper as well to check once and for all but I think it is D E A D.

 

[sheckla]

Update: Got a new Z490 Prime-A with a i7 10700k and changed out my old motherboard/cpu for the new one as well as my new PSU. It works now, seems like my old Motherboard is dead. My main M.2 960 Evo drive is also dead as well, had to get a new one. Besides my old Motherboard, PSU and M.2 everythings seems to run fine now!

-FIXED-