Hey everyone, I could really use some help with my pre-built PC from Origin that I bought in 2023. I'm not super tech-savvy, so I'm a bit lost. Today, while trying to game, I noticed a Q-Code '00' on my motherboard. I've done some troubleshooting like a CMOS reset, updating the BIOS, and reseating both the CPU and RAM, but no luck. The fans are running and my keyboard and mouse light up, but there's no signal to the monitors. From what I gather, it seems like the CPU might be dead, which is frustrating because I was just laid off and my warranty has expired. Any advice or insight would be hugely appreciated. Thanks! Here are my specs:
- **Processor**: Intel Core i9 10900K 10-Core 3.7GHz (5.3GHz TurboBoost)
- **Motherboard**: ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- **Memory**: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3600MHz - White 32GB (4x8GB)
- **Cooling**: iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
- **Fans**: CORSAIR QL iCUE RGB
- **Graphics Card**: NVIDIA 12GB GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
- **OS Drive**: 1TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2
- **Hard Drive**: 2TB Samsung 860 PRO Series
- **Power Supply**: Corsair RM1000x Series PLUS GOLD
5 Answers
If you’re continuing to have issues, try completely powering down and unplugging everything for a while. Remove the RAM and any unnecessary peripherals. Let it sit unplugged for about 20 minutes, then reconnect just one RAM stick and see what happens after powering it back on. Sometimes a complete reset helps!
Make sure your displays are connected to the GPU, not the motherboard. I’ve seen that mistake a few times! And if all else fails, hang tight; there's a new software in testing that helps troubleshoot these kinds of issues, and they might be looking for testers soon.
Stop fiddling around with the CPU if you’re not confident! Unless you’re sure something was wrong with it, there's no reason to mess with it too much. If you lifted it out, be careful to reapply thermal paste properly. You might want to avoid that unless you know what you're doing.
When you power it on, do you hear any beeps? Those beep codes can tell a lot about what’s wrong. For instance, if there’s one short beep, it’s usually a sign that it's booting normally—just double check your monitor connections. If there's no beep, you might need to check if the CPU and RAM are seated correctly. If they have oxidation, a gentle wipe with an eraser can help. Just a heads up, though—make sure your graphics card is also properly connected, especially if it needs extra power!
Does the Q-Code '00' pop up right away, or does it attempt to boot first? Given its age, I'd be suspicious of that AIO cooler. And don't forget to reseat your GPU too; they can get loose over time! It might just be the culprit behind the display issues.
That's a cool initiative! It's great to see people working on tools to help out. Have you reached out to the PC maker for support as well? They might have some insights!