I'm having a frustrating time with repeated motherboard RMAs. I recently received an MSI B550I Edge WiFi replacement, but it shows no lights or other signs of life when I test it outside the case. The power supply has been tested and works, and I connected the CPU, RAM, cooler, 24-pin motherboard cable, and 4+4 CPU power cable. I'm trying an out-of-case test before rebuilding the whole PC. I first jumped the power-switch pins with a screwdriver and later tried the case power button, but nothing happens. Could I be missing a step, or might this replacement board also be defective?
2 Answers
Make sure you’re actually triggering the motherboard’s power-switch pins during the out-of-case test. Simply connecting the PSU and components won’t start the system. Briefly bridge the two correct power-switch pins with a screwdriver, and verify that the 24-pin and CPU 4+4 connectors are fully seated. If there’s still absolutely no fan movement, LEDs, or response, that points more toward a board, cable, or power-delivery issue than a missing component.
A graphics card shouldn’t be required just to make the board power on. You may need one later for display output if the processor has no integrated graphics, but the fans or motherboard indicators should still react without a GPU installed. Since the PSU works in a paper-clip test, also check it with a known-good compatible setup if possible, because that test alone doesn’t confirm that the PSU works properly under load or that every modular cable is correct.
I already tried briefly bridging the power-switch pins with a screwdriver and also tested with the case button, but there was still no response.