Hey everyone, I'm a first-time PC builder who's done a lot of research and finally got my budget together. However, after some serious troubleshooting, my build suddenly stopped POSTing, and I'm stuck figuring out what might be damaged or needing a replacement. Here's the breakdown of what's happened:
**Parts:**
- CPU: Ryzen 5 5500
- GPU: GTX 1080 Ti
- PSU: NZXT S650M (SFX)
- Mini ITX motherboard: GIGABYTE A520I AC
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
**What went down:** I initially picked the wrong PCIe riser (90-degree instead of 180-degree), swapped it out, and tried to boot, but got an error saying I needed to plug in the PCIe connector. Once I got a compatible PCIe cable for my GTX 1080 Ti, I managed to boot into Windows, but then I had to order another cable for my mini ITX build because one was too short.
After installing the new proper cable, I tested everything before closing the case. The GPU lights were on, the CPU fan was spinning, but the RAM lights didn't turn on, and nothing appeared on the monitor.
I've tried unplugging the GPU PCIe cables, resetting the CMOS, using different RAM sticks in various slots, and double-checking all the connections, yet the system still won't POST. The CPU fan spins, but there are no RAM lights or BIOS beeps.
**My confusion:** In the past, unplugging the GPU power caused the system to at least boot to the BIOS, but now it refuses to do anything even when I unplug everything aside from the CPU power. I haven't noticed any burning smells or sparks.
**My concerns include:**
1. Am I looking at a dead CPU or motherboard?
2. Could there be an issue with PSU compatibility affecting the RAM?
3. Should I start swapping out parts (mobo, CPU, PSU) or is there another step I can try before that?
I've been stuck for weeks and any help would mean a lot! I can share pictures of my setup if that helps. Thanks!
2 Answers
It's definitely possible that using the random PSU cables, which aren't compatible with your particular model, might have caused some damage to your motherboard. Those mismatched cables can lead to all sorts of issues, especially with power delivery.
I get what you're saying; it's odd that the RAM used to light up before this. Something definitely feels off whenever you connect or disconnect that PCIe cable.
It's highly unlikely that your CPU or motherboard is completely dead. The fact that your CPU fan is alive and your GPU lights up indicates there's still power. It's possible that the new cables have reconfigured the power delivery in a way that affects the RAM. Have you tried reseating the RAM or using different slots again?
Yeah, I did reseat the RAM multiple times and even tried different slots, but still no luck.
That’s pretty frustrating! If the RAM was lighting up before getting the proper cables, it might be worth trying a different power supply entirely if you have one available.
But the motherboard seems fine since the CPU fan is running and the GPU is being powered correctly. It’s just strange that the RAM isn’t lighting up at all now. I switched RAM sticks, brands, and slots but nothing worked after switching to the new PCIe cable.