My PC suddenly shut off after running for about five minutes, almost like the power had been cut. It started once more, but powered off again after roughly 30 seconds. Since then, it shows no signs of power at all—not even a beep or other indication of a startup issue. I installed a new power supply and carefully reconnected the cables, but that made no difference. I also reseated the RAM, removed and reinstalled the CR2032 battery, and briefly tried jumping the motherboard's power-switch pins with a screwdriver. Nothing happens. What hardware should I investigate next?
1 Answer
Since a replacement power supply didn’t change anything, the motherboard becomes a strong suspect, particularly its VRM or MOSFET power-delivery circuitry. A failure there can cause repeated shutdowns followed by a complete lack of response. It’s also worth double-checking the 24-pin motherboard connector, the CPU power connector, the PSU switch and wall outlet, but if all of those are confirmed, the board may have failed.
That’s what I was worried about. The PC is only around two years old, so I’m hoping it’s not the motherboard, but I’ll check the power connections and outlet again before replacing anything.