Hey forum, I'm kinda at my wits end with this project so I'm looking for suggestions on what to try next. I build a PC for a friend but it will not boot, POST, or give me beep codes. The power comes on, I get lights and fans but that's it. Spec list: ASUS M5A97 R2.0 Motherboard AMD FX8350 16 Gigs of Crucial brand DDR3 RAM (2 DIMMS) Seagate 550W power supply I was adamant that it was the motherboard but, I ordered one, put it in the case and installed everything; same outcome; lights, fans, but no boot. I have a hunch that this could be a ground out issue of which I will investigate tomorrow. I also plan to try 'brown boxing' the board by taking the board out and trying known good components if the ground out investigation produces nothing. Looking for any suggestions! Before you ask or tell me, yes, CPU power is plugged in, connections look good, everything is secure, but a bad PSU is not out of the question. Thanks!
Last time I built a computer (a very long time ago) and got this issue I had accidently bent one of the pins on the back of the CPU when installing it in the socket... so it wasn't making any connection. I don't think CPU's even use pins anymore, but it might be a good idea to check that it is seated properly.
They most certainly still use pins (AMD CPU's)! I've checked here and everything looks good. This is the first AMD job I've done; doesn't feel like a seal as tight as on Intel boards but nonetheless, looks and feels right.
Alright, cool! My information still isn't out of date yet! (give it another year or two and we will see I guess) Well, since the CPU checks out, you have probably run through the gauntlet of checking all your connections already. What kind of graphics card do you have? Also, can you even make it to the bios or is that not even possible yet? What kind of hard drive are you using? Is it an SSD or a classic hard drive? If it's classic, can you hear it spinning up like it is trying to do something or is it somewhat dead as well? (if it's trying to do something, you should be able to hear the needle searching around from outside the hard drive along with it spinning up... if there is no needle searching sound, then its not getting any commands to search for anything)
Thanks for the ideas! Graphics card is a used MSI GTX 960 (have not tried a known good (which is a GTX1070 that probably won't even fit!)). No, no BIOS or any indications a POST has occurred. Planning to run off an SSD but I like the idea of a mechanical drive to test with, I have a few lying around that I will check with.
Sounds to me personally that it is either a power supply issue or the processor is dead, that's what your symptoms tell me. Generally a no post with no beeps means CPU, motherboard or power supply issues. Everything else should produce a beep code, motherboard can't produce a beep code if its brain is dead or it's not getting power. Just because the CPU looks fine doesn't mean it's good. You could have accidently zapped it with static, or it could just be a faulty chip, you got any other processors to try? Have you made sure that the CPU power connector is seated properly?
Got some stuff to try. I'd hate to believe the CPU is dead; it's brand new, but anything is possible. I may be down to a bad CPU at this point. Will look for areas of ground-outs; there may be some extra standoffs in touch with the motherboard.
I had a similar Problem with my pc once and i solved it by removing the battery of the mainboard and thrn putting it back in
its the psu. when i upgraded my boy friend to a 8350 with a gtx 970 his pc wouldnt post with a 600w power supply. he needed a 750w supply
Ok all, thanks for your help. Problem has been solved! This bitch of a CPU had the hardest time seating itself in, not sure why, pins weren't bent. Before discovering this, I went to take off the heatsink, and the processor came off with it; I almost had a heart attack. Pins weren't bent so I reinstalled and boom, I got the POST! Last time I deal with AMD ugh. Thanks again everyone!
AMD Ryzen is good, but I wouldn't have bothered with the FX, it's IPC performance is dated. However, if you had a bunch of used parts, and this was the only affordable way, then I really can't throw stones at it. Normally the cpu/board is fine, maybe that one CPU is defective and has a short pin, etc, it's possible, anything is possible. Glad you got it to work though. Next time you have that issue, and you're not sure what it is, do this: Always clear the bios. Always try a different known good power supply. Try wiggling the ATX cable too, sometimes (EVGA!!!) does this. Power board, if FAIL to post but powers on, turn back off, remove power (this means the cord!) to machine. Remove *ONE* part and then return power (plug cord back in from wall to PSU) and boot board. If it works you found your issue, if symptoms change you found your issue *OR* created another one prior to the bios checking the NEXT check(s) that found the previous known issue. If it's the same, turn off and remove power again. Put last part removed that didn't change the symptom back on the board properly, and remove a different part, return power connection and boot the board. If fails the same again, keep trying a different part each time, until the beep codes or symptoms change. When you get the symptoms to change, you may have found your problem. Been doing this since the mid 90s. Some things never change, this is one of them. At-least there's not many jumpers left!!! --Cheers!
Believe me, Bob. I tried everything in the book except checking the CPU seating (occam's razer strikes again). I'll know now if I have this issue to check the CPU first. Also, this was not a personal build, it was for a friend. I advised against a 5 year old CPU but he gave me the budget and told me "do what you can".
