I recently rebuilt my PC after my old motherboard failed. I salvaged some components and bought several new parts. However, when I try to power it on, the fans spin but don't light up, and my GPU lights up but its fan isn't spinning. Also, my peripherals aren't responding at all. The motherboard doesn't have any diagnostic LEDs or beep codes, so I'm at a loss. I suspect it might be my CPU since it arrived with a bent pin I fixed, but I've been told that if the CPU was dead, the fans wouldn't even spin. Anyone have advice on how to troubleshoot this further?
2 Answers
Double check that the CPU power cables are connected correctly and seated well. Try clearing the CMOS too. If that doesn't help, remove everything that's not absolutely necessary and boot with just one RAM stick. If that pin was bent, it could be a gamble on whether the CPU works or not.
Start with the basic setup: connect just the PSU, motherboard, CPU, cooler, one stick of RAM, and your monitor. This minimal configuration can help narrow down the issue. If it doesn’t work, try a different RAM slot. And make sure the thermal paste on the CPU is in good shape!
Just a heads up, my CPU doesn’t have integrated graphics, so I really need the GPU connected to see anything on the monitor. I think the thermal paste is fine though, and I’m testing all the RAM configurations you suggested.
Taking a closer look at your setup, you may want to do a quick visual check for any issues in the socket where the CPU sits.
I just tried with one stick of RAM and we’ve made some progress! The RGB fan is working now, the GPU fan is spinning, and my keyboard and mouse are lighting up. The monitor recognizes a signal but shows "No Signal detected" before going to sleep and repeating that cycle.