Hey everyone,
So here's the deal: my 5-year-old PC was running fine, but it was getting a bit hot. I decided to clean it up and thought I'd adjust the intake chassis fan for better airflow. While doing that, I accidentally pulled out the connectors for the 20-5 front panel and plugged them in randomly. I did manage to reconnect them correctly afterwards, but now my computer won't even POST. The motherboard's RGB lights are on, but pressing the power button does nothing.
Here's what I've tried so far:
- I did the paperclip test on the 24-pin connector, and the PSU fan spins, so I think the PSU is okay.
- I cleared the CMOS as a BIOS reset.
- I also jumped the motherboard directly without the power switch.
It seems unlikely to me that randomly plugging in those low voltage connectors could brick my motherboard. Any thoughts on what might have happened?
Motherboard: Asus X570-plus
PSU: Corsair CX550M 550W (2019)
Chassis: Corsair Carbide SPEC-04
3 Answers
Before anything, did you take precautions against static electricity when working inside the case? That could be a potential culprit if you didn't and could have damaged something.
Have you tried the keyboard test? That can sometimes reveal issues with getting a POST.
I’m not familiar with what that test involves; could you explain it to me?
You might want to try touching a screwdriver to the pins where the power button connects. If it powers up, it could just be that you wired it incorrectly.
I couldn’t get the power button assembly unscrewed, but I’ll definitely try that approach again tomorrow. The whole motherboard jump should bypass the power switch, but that’s not working either.
I didn’t think about that. If static was the issue, wouldn’t I have felt something at least?