I've got a ROG Strix Z790-H motherboard, Gigabyte RX 7800 XT GPU, Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V3 PSU, and an i5-13000K CPU. Lately, my PC has been acting strange. About a week ago, it booted straight to BIOS, and then when I came back, it was just off. Now, it won't start up at all; no fans or LEDs are spinning except for the ROG logo indicating power.
I checked the power button switch, and it seems fine. I reseated all the power connectors, and even tried the paperclip method with my previous PSU (750W), which at least proved that it had power because the fans spun. So, I replaced it with a new 850W PSU, but it still didn't boot at first—though it did turn on after a few minutes. For about three days, everything worked fine, but today, the BIOS appeared again and then the system died after five minutes. Now, it's back to not turning on at all.
I'm really confused and suspect the motherboard might be the issue, but I'm not sure. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I'd really appreciate it!
2 Answers
Honestly, I think you might just need to replace the motherboard at this point. It's possible something may have gone wrong internally, especially with those boot issues popping up repeatedly.
First off, don't jump to conclusions about the motherboard possibly being fried just yet. Random BIOS boots and power shutdowns can occur for various reasons, and going straight to thinking it's dead isn't the best approach.
From what you've described—no fans, but the motherboard logo lights up—this sounds more like a power delivery issue or possibly a short circuit somewhere. Even though you replaced the PSU, remember that it briefly worked after the new one was installed, so there's definitely something else at play.
Make sure you've checked all power connections really well: the 24-pin ATX, the 8-pin CPU power, and any GPU PCIe power. Sometimes even a slightly loose cable can cause these erratic issues. Also, make sure there are no standoffs touching inappropriate spots on the motherboard as that could create shorts too.
Additionally, consider testing your setup with minimal components—just the CPU, RAM, and PSU connected. If it boots, that might indicate a GPU or PCIe slot problem. You might also want to clear the CMOS again; take out the battery for about 10–15 minutes and try again.
If all else fails, swap components systematically and see if the issue persists. A good 95% of the time, these power problems arise from connection issues, not a dead board.
I just checked the standoffs again, reapplied everything, and it turned on for about 20 minutes but then black screened again.
I really don't think it's dead yet. I've checked all the power pins and connections multiple times now, and I even cleared the CMOS. Can you explain a bit more about the standoffs and how to check them?