I've been dealing with a frustrating problem on my PC for months. I rely on it for work, study, and retro gaming, but randomly it won't POST, with the debug LED stuck on the CPU. I've tried swapping RAM, reseating the NVMe drive, testing it without a GPU, and clearing the CMOS, but nothing seems to work. That leaves me suspecting either the CPU, motherboard, or PSU.
Here's the kicker: whenever I take it to a repair shop, it works perfectly for days. The technicians say they can't find any issues since they can't replicate the problem. But then I bring it back home, and the issue pops up again.
Recently, I managed to get it to POST, and I'm not sure if it was due to wiggling the CPU cooler or reseating the power button pins. For context, I live in a humid coastal city in the Middle East, and I usually keep the AC on at night. In the mornings, it often refuses to start, and sometimes I have to press the power button twice before it responds.
I'm guessing the problem might be due to a faulty power button, corrosion caused by humidity, the cooler being too tightly mounted, or maybe even condensation affecting the contacts overnight. Since it works fine at the shop, I really think environmental factors are at play here. Has anyone experienced anything like this?
2 Answers
Have you checked the quality of your power source? Sometimes, if you're using an extension board or if the wall socket is faulty, it can lead to these types of issues. Try making sure your power supply cable is secure too; loose connections can definitely cause problems!
That sounds frustrating! Have you tried turning it on using the power switch shorting method? I tried that once and it worked, albeit temporarily. Maybe it's something with your cooler too.
Given the humidity where you live, you might want to consider that moisture could be causing the contacts to have poor connections. Also, if the cooler is too tight, that could strain the CPU and lead to boot issues. Loosening it slightly might help things out.
Definitely keep an eye on your cooler! If it's putting too much pressure, that could be a big issue, especially with the temperature changes from the AC.
That's interesting! I did end up balancing the cooler to reduce pressure, and it seemed to work for a bit. I think you could be onto something with the humidity affecting it.
I actually had a faulty voltage stabilizer, but I took it off for replacement. I even tried plugging it directly into different wall sockets. It seems the power cable is tight and secure too, but I'm still having issues.