I bought this PC about two months ago, and it worked reasonably well at first. Over the last three weeks, though, it has developed several problems. I previously had to update the BIOS because the Core i5-13400F was affected by an earlier BIOS issue. I also had trouble with the RTX 3080, but removing and reseating the graphics card seemed to fix that.
Now, whenever I turn the system on after switching the power supply back on or reconnecting it to the wall, it starts boot cycling without me pressing the case power button. It powers on, shuts off, and repeats this process several times. After roughly two to four cycles it may finally start, although it sometimes shuts itself off again shortly afterward.
The motherboard's CPU debug LED flashes red during the problem. I'm not sure whether this points to a failed processor, a BIOS issue, or something I'm doing wrong. This is my first PC, so any troubleshooting advice would be appreciated.
System specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-13400F
- GPU: RTX 3080 10GB
- Motherboard: MSI Pro B760M-P, non-Wi-Fi
- Power supply: 750W
- Memory: 32GB ADATA DDR5-5600
- Storage: ADATA 1TB
2 Answers
According to the motherboard manual, the CPU debug light means the processor isn’t being detected or has failed. Try reseating the CPU and carefully inspect the socket for bent pins, since that is one of the last basic checks before replacing hardware. Also make sure the CPU power cable is firmly connected.
The symptoms could be caused by a processor that has degraded, especially if it was running with an older BIOS and excessive power settings. A BIOS update can help prevent further problems, but it cannot repair a CPU that has already been damaged. If the system was purchased recently, check whether the processor or complete PC has any remaining warranty coverage.
Warranty replacement may be difficult because I bought the computer second hand. I don’t know how long the previous owner used it or whether the CPU was new when they bought it.
That seems possible, but the computer eventually starts after several power cycles and sometimes works normally. The looping only happens after the system has been completely shut down and unplugged, so I’m not sure whether that still points to a failed CPU.