I recently put together a new gaming PC with the following specs: MSI X870E Gaming Plus Wifi motherboard, Ryzen 7 9800x3D CPU, Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 RAM, a 500GB WD M.2 SSD, an 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD, an Asus 5070 Prime GPU, a 850w CM PSU, and an Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 cooler. I managed to access the BIOS once on Tuesday but have been unable to since then, especially after reinstalling my parts. I've updated the BIOS, cleaned the RAM and CPU using isopropyl alcohol, re-applied thermal paste, and checked all the pins on the motherboard. Power seems fine as the fans spin up and then slow down. Any insights on what might be going wrong would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
The fans spinning up then slowing down could indicate a short somewhere. Check if any metal components are touching areas they shouldn't be—like how I had one of my IO shield prongs poking into an interface. That could definitely throw things off.
Try removing the storage drives and GPU, just leave one RAM stick in the second slot, then see if it posts. This could help you identify if any parts are causing the issue. Also, if possible, switch out your PSU to check if that's the problem.
How long do you wait after powering up before you give up on it booting? The initial RAM training can take a bit. Is the boot cycle going through the normal process when you turn it on? Also, make sure the RAM sticks are installed in the correct slots (2nd and 4th). You might want to try booting the PC outside of the case to rule out any shorts.
I've been waiting about 10 to 15 minutes, sometimes even an hour when I lose track of time. The CPU and RAM lights are consistently on, which they were before I managed to get into BIOS. I’ll try running it outside the case later today.
Yeah, since I first got into BIOS, it’s only been the CPU, RAM, and PSU connected. I haven’t had much luck with it, but I’ll definitely try switching out some parts.