My PC has completely stopped turning on, with no lights or fans responding at all. I've already swapped out the power cable and plugged it into a different outlet, and even replaced the PSU, but nothing works. I also tried jumping the power pins on the motherboard with a screwdriver and still got nothing.
I took it to a computer repair shop, and they told me that both the motherboard and CPU are dead. This sounds strange to me; I thought that at least the motherboard should still power on even if the CPU is dead. I don't fully trust their diagnosis since I could not observe the testing process. My suspicion leans toward the motherboard since I know any PC should turn on with just the PSU and motherboard. However, I'm struggling to find the same model.
Here are my specs:
- CPU: Ryzen 7 5700X3D
- Motherboard: MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB M.2 SSD
- PSU: MSI MAG 750W
- GPU: RTX 5060 Ti 16GB
- Case: NZXT H510
Before I invest in a new motherboard, I'd like to know if the shop's diagnosis makes sense, or if they might have messed up the testing?
4 Answers
Honestly, getting a second opinion at another shop isn’t a bad idea. If you go ahead and buy a new motherboard, you might end up needing a new CPU or RAM as well. Sometimes considering a new computer can be more economical in the long run, especially if you continue to have issues with this setup.
Remember, a dead motherboard may not show any power at all. If the power connectors are damaged, that could be your issue—no lights or fans means something is definitely off. Their assessment sounds pretty spot on to me. You might want to test the PSU with an ATX tester just to rule it out completely, but since you've already used a different PSU, it seems less likely that’s the issue.
From my experience, if a CPU has suffered damage, it can cause shorts that prevent the system from powering up at all. I’ve run into this before, although it’s rare. Once, a CPU actually burned out and in turn messed up the motherboard. Even then, the motherboard power indicators were still showing signs of life but would not post. Just keep that in mind if you’re looking to replace parts.
It sounds like you’ve already done a lot of troubleshooting. Typically, you would check the power cables first, then the PSU, RAM, CPU, and finally the motherboard. Good call on replacing the cables and PSU—those are common issues. Since you've confirmed that the RAM works in another PC, the next steps would be more challenging unless you can test the CPU or motherboard. I really think those parts are where the problem lies, and since diagnosing them usually requires either spare parts or buying new ones, that can be tricky.
Yeah, confirming RAM works elsewhere narrows it down a lot. If you can grab a cheap used motherboard or CPU to test before committing to buying new ones, that might save you some hassle.