I recently assembled a PC with an Intel i5-14600K, an RTX 3060 12GB, 48GB of DDR5-6000 memory using two 24GB sticks, and a Gigabyte Z790 Eagle AX motherboard. When I press the power button, nothing happens—no fans spin and there's no display. The power supply makes a faint clicking sound, and the motherboard appears to receive standby power. I've reseated the cables, cleared the BIOS, tried bypassing the case power switch, and tested with a second power supply, but the system still won't start. What should I check next?
3 Answers
Take a very close look at the CPU socket. The pins on Intel’s LGA1700 socket are delicate, and even one bent pin can prevent startup. Confirm that the 24-pin motherboard cable and the CPU EPS cable are fully connected, then test the board with the bare-minimum setup before reinstalling it in the case.
Try a minimal out-of-case build to rule out a short. Place the motherboard on its cardboard box and connect only the power supply, CPU, CPU cooler, one RAM stick, and the necessary motherboard power cables. Start it by briefly bridging the power-switch pins with a screwdriver. If it starts, reconnect the components one at a time until you find what’s causing the short. If it still does nothing, inspect the CPU and socket carefully for damage or bent LGA1700 pins.
Use only one memory stick in the motherboard’s recommended A2 slot while troubleshooting, and disconnect every USB device and drive. Also verify the exact motherboard model and memory kit, since the system was initially described as using an MSI board but the listed board is a Gigabyte Z790 Eagle AX.
The memory is a Crucial Pro 48GB kit made from two 24GB DDR5-6000 sticks, and the motherboard is the Gigabyte Z790 Eagle AX. I’ll test with one stick and inspect the socket more closely.