I've been building PCs for two decades, so I consider myself pretty experienced. Recently, I encountered an unusual situation with my 2019 build that had run flawlessly until now. A few weeks ago, when I pressed the power button, everything seemed to start up normally—fans spinning, lights on, and hard drives spinning—but I was met with a completely black screen. The monitor remained blank, and the red VGA light illuminated on the motherboard. After extensive troubleshooting—including checking all connections, reseating the RAM, and even trying a different GPU—I concluded the motherboard was fried and ordered a refurbished one to replace it.
The new motherboard worked perfectly for about two weeks, during which I reinstalled Windows and drivers, thinking the issue was resolved. However, after moving the PC to a different desk and reconnecting everything, I faced the same problem again: black screen, red VGA light, and no sign of life from the BIOS. I've retried all previous fixes, but nothing seems to work.
What could be causing the motherboard to fail again? I'm starting to wonder if the power supply might be sending faulty voltage and damaging the components. How likely is it that the motherboard failed twice, and could there be something else at play here? I'm open to any suggestions before I pursue a replacement.
4 Answers
When SSDs fail, they can really mess things up. Have you tried running the system with a new SSD? It might help clarify the issue.
Given that you moved the setup and reconnected everything, consider the outlet you're using. If it's not the same one as before, that could be a factor too. A failing PSU can create all sorts of unexpected issues, potentially damaging your components over time, even if you're using a surge protector.
I plugged it into three different outlets, and it was always on a surge protector.
It's definitely concerning to have two motherboards fail in such a short time, especially since you bought the same model refurbished. If you haven't tested your other components in a different working setup, do that—it could be the GPU or the PSU causing the issue. If you're returning the motherboard, consider getting a different model and, if possible, invest in a new PSU just to be safe. With an older build, though, sometimes it's better to save up for a new rig instead of throwing more money into the old one.
I totally get that! I already built an awesome new one, haha! I actually gave the old rig to my friend after fixing it. Just trying to make it work for him now! Thanks for the tip!
Yeah, a decent AM4 motherboard is around $90, and a good PSU can be about $80. He's still in a decent spot price-wise if he avoids spending too much on old tech.
I had bad luck with MSI motherboards too! It sounds like your PSU might be acting up. If you can, try swapping it out to see if that helps with the new motherboard. Mixing PSU cables can also lead to issues, so double-check those too.
I am using some cable extensions for the PSU, so I’ll definitely take a look at that!
When I swapped the motherboard, I actually put in a new hard drive at the same time. So I don't think that's the problem.