I left my PC on overnight, and when I checked in the morning, it seemed off, showing only a single red light that usually indicates power status. Now, it won't turn on at all. I unplugged it, opened the case, and found some dust inside. I remembered that the power had dropped twice the day before, but I did use the computer afterward.
After cleaning out the dust, I reseated all the RAM, but that didn't help. I tried booting with just one stick of RAM, and still no luck. I removed the GPU and drives, yet the problem persists. I even conducted a PSU clip test, which showed the power supply is functional, but whenever I try to power it up, it turns on for a split second and then shuts off, with a brief blink of the red LED on the motherboard.
I noticed the thermal paste on the CPU was dry, but I haven't replaced it yet. Given all this, many folks online suggest my motherboard might be dead. What do you all think? Here are my specs: CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 2600, Motherboard - Gigabyte B450 AORUS M, RAM - 48GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4, GPU - NVIDIA RTX 4060ti, and PSU - MSI MAG A550BN 550W 80+ Bronze. I'm aware of potential bottleneck issues, but I was planning upgrades soon anyway.
2 Answers
It sounds like your motherboard might be on the fritz. The fact that you're getting only a red light and it shuts off quickly after powering on suggests it might not be able to fully boot up. Have you checked for any visible damage on the motherboard, like blown capacitors? Sometimes a good visual inspection can tell you a lot. Also, it might be a good idea to replace that dry thermal paste, just to rule out any heat-related issues. And make sure all connections are tight, especially power connections to the motherboard.
Since the power supply seemed to work during the clip test, I lean more towards a motherboard issue as well. You might want to try resetting the CMOS if you haven't done that yet. Just unplug it, take out the battery for a minute, and see if that helps reset things. Also, it might be worth borrowing a different PSU to test, just in case. It could eliminate some doubt.
Resetting the CMOS is definitely worth a shot! I did that once after a weird power problem, and it helped resolve my boot issues. Just make sure you follow any steps for your specific motherboard model.
Good point about the visual inspection! I had a similar issue and found a capacitor that was bulging. Also, check the RAM seating and make sure you're using the right slots. Sometimes it can be a simple fix!