I replaced the thermal paste on my CPU, and now the computer powers on for only a moment before shutting down. The cooler fan spins briefly, so the system is receiving power. I removed the cooler again to check the paste spread, and it looked normal. I did not remove the CPU itself. What should I check to find the cause?
1 Answer
Since you didn’t remove the CPU, damaged socket pins are less likely. First, reseat the RAM and make sure the CPU cooler is mounted evenly—not excessively tight. Also verify that the cooler fan is connected to the CPU_FAN header. Check that the CPU power connector and the main motherboard power cable are fully seated, and look for any thermal paste that may have spilled onto the socket or board.
I didn’t remove the CPU—only the cooler—so I’ll focus on reseating the RAM, checking the power connectors, and remounting the cooler.