I'm a complete beginner and just finished building my first PC, so I hope you'll bear with me! When I hit the power button, the fans and RGB lights come on, but the power button LED keeps blinking and there's no video output. After a few tries of powering it on and off, it sometimes boots into the BIOS, but it reports a failure to POST. Eventually, it does boot into Windows 11, but trying to restart always leads to the same issue.
Here's my somewhat unconventional build since I used some older parts from a coworker:
- Asus Prime b760-plus D4 motherboard
- Intel Core I5-13600kf CPU
- Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE GPU cooler
- Crucial 16GB DDR4 and Ramadel 1Rx16 4GB DDR4 RAM
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 GPU
- Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB M.2 SSD
- Corsair RM750e 2025 PSU
- Corsair Frame 4000d case
I've read that the motherboard BIOS might be an issue, but it looks like I already have the latest version. I haven't really messed with the components yet, apart from removing the 4GB RAM stick because I was exhausted. I'm also worried I might have scratched the motherboard while installing it, especially since I had a tough time with the I/O shield and, well... there was a bit of blood involved. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Can you confirm the exact RAM modules you’re using? It sounds like you might have some mismatched RAM, which could definitely lead to the issues you're seeing. Mixing different sizes or brands can cause unpredictable boot problems.
First thing I'd try is resetting the BIOS to its default settings. You can do this by removing the CMOS battery for a few seconds, then putting it back in and powering up. Just a heads-up: if you're indeed using SODIMM (laptop-sized) RAM, that won't fit in your motherboard's RAM slots, so make sure you double-check the compatibility!
Just to clarify, I think I mistakenly identified my RAM type before; it's actually DDR4 as it should be.
I did try booting with just the 4GB stick removed, and it did manage to start directly into Windows instead of the BIOS. So that might point to a RAM issue!