I'm in a bit of a bind here. I've got almost everything set up for my build, but I'm still waiting on my CPU. I noticed that my motherboard isn't showing any signs of life at all. I've confirmed that the PSU is working using the paper clip method, and I even tried connecting a CPU fan, but still nothing. I've reseated everything several times, but I'm starting to wonder if my motherboard is dead. By the way, my motherboard is a Gigabyte B850M Force. Any insights?
2 Answers
You should definitely wait for your CPU. Even if some motherboard lights turn on, it doesn’t mean it's functional without a CPU installed. You'll need a CPU to see the BIOS display and confirm everything is working.
Without a CPU, the motherboard won't show any activity, which is totally normal. So don't worry, your setup is acting as expected for now.
Thanks for the clarification! I did forget to mention that neither the PSU fan nor the CPU cooler fan spins. However, the PSU fan works when I do the paper clip test.
I saw this video where someone tested a motherboard with just the PSU and the motherboard, and the debug LED lit up red. I was kind of hoping mine would do the same!