I'm a first-time PC builder and I'm in a bit of a jam. I bench tested my motherboard outside the case with the CPU, RAM, PSU, SSD, and GPU. When I shorted the power pins, everything seemed to work: the PSU turned on, the CPU fan was spinning, and the RAM RGB lights were active. However, I noticed that there was no display and the GPU wasn't spinning. I thought maybe unplugging the PSU and reseating the GPU would do the trick, but now after trying that, absolutely nothing works when I short the pins again. I'm feeling pretty lost, and I'm hoping someone can offer some guidance here!
6 Answers
When you say nothing works, do you mean it doesn't power on at all?
So you're running your motherboard outside the case for the first time? Just wondering if that’s because you want to test it before putting it all together?
Yep, this is my first build, and I just wanted to test everything out before I put it into the case.
First off, make sure nothing metallic is underneath the motherboard itself. I know it sounds basic, but it can create grounding issues.
I checked, and the only thing underneath is the mobo box. I've heard that's usually okay though.
Have you checked the basics? Like, is the HDMI cable plugged into the GPU? And is the PCIe power cable connected to your GPU? You've probably checked these already, but just a reminder.
Yes, I connected the HDMI directly to the GPU and made sure all the pins were labeled correctly. It did turn on the first time, just didn’t show video.
Quick thought: is the PSU switch actually on? And are all the cables firmly connected on both ends?
I made sure the 'I' switch is on. It worked the first time, but only thing I changed was reseating the GPU and the 8-pin PCIe.
Double-check your power cables. Just because they fit doesn’t mean they’re the right ones for your CPU and GPU. Each component needs its specific cables connected properly.
I've got the 24-pin for the motherboard, the 8-pin PCIe for the GPU, and my CPU only requires a 4-pin. Everything should be correct.
Right, this time after reseating the GPU, nothing is spinning, and there are no RGB lights. I did try jumping the 24-pin on the PSU, and that worked, so it might be something else.