I built my first completely new PC a little over a month ago, but I still haven't been able to finish setting it up. The system powers on and displays the motherboard splash screen, but I can't actually enter the BIOS. After the splash screen, it shows an AMI information screen telling me to press Delete for setup. Pressing Delete repeatedly does nothing, and holding it eventually displays "Entering setup..." before hanging indefinitely.
I already tried clearing CMOS and moving the RAM, and I've checked that the motherboard power connections are attached. I originally took the computer to a repair counter, where I was told that a badly routed AIO cooler cable was causing the problem. I replaced the cooler, but the exact same issue remains. They now want to charge me another $80 for additional diagnostics, even though the first diagnosis appears to have been wrong.
What should have been a one-day project has dragged on for more than a month. Is there anything else I should test before paying for another diagnosis or shipping parts back?
4 Answers
First, figure out whether the machine is actually freezing before BIOS or simply ignoring the keyboard input. Check the motherboard manual and reseat the CPU, RAM, graphics card, and every power connector. Try a different wired keyboard, preferably plugged directly into a rear USB 2.0 port, and test with only one RAM stick installed. The motherboard’s diagnostic LEDs or display codes may also point directly to the failing component. A clear photo of the exact screen and the diagnostic lights would help.
Building a PC usually isn’t this miserable, so you’ve probably hit an unlucky combination of a stubborn fault and an unhelpful diagnosis. Cable routing and lighting connections can be annoying, but they normally don’t stop a system from reaching BIOS. Before paying for another service, ask for a specific explanation of what they tested and whether they can verify the fault with known-good parts. If they can’t explain the diagnosis, carefully testing the basic components yourself may be more useful.
The first technician may have been guessing. A cooler cable being routed poorly normally wouldn’t prevent entering firmware unless it was interfering with a fan or pump header in some unusual way. Disconnect unnecessary USB devices and accessories, leave only the motherboard, CPU, one RAM module, graphics output, and keyboard connected, then clear CMOS again. If it still hangs at “Entering setup,” check the board’s debug LEDs and consider testing with another keyboard or display output.
It would be useful to list the exact motherboard, CPU, RAM kit, graphics card, and power supply. Some boards have firmware settings or early-boot prompts that can behave strangely with certain keyboards, memory profiles, or newer processors. Don’t enable EXPO or other performance settings while troubleshooting. Start with default settings and the minimum hardware needed to reach firmware.
The system does display video and reaches the AMI screen. I’ve checked the motherboard connections, but I’ll try a different wired keyboard and test one RAM stick at a time.