Octopus Overlords

I've been picking up parts for a new work/gaming machine. I've gotten everything but the video card, but given that the new AMD boards have integrated video I thought I would get started on assembly. I figured I would test parts, so I have everything setup outside of the case. The motherboard is just on top of its box, so it shouldn't be shorting on anything. I've got the AIO attached, memory in and all of the power cables from the PSU connected. When I turn on the power switch on the PSU, I see the motherboard light up and the flashy bling starts going, so I know power is getting to it. When I turn it on, though, the fans spin and light up for about a half second and then stop. The RGB on the memory comes on and stays on, but nothing else happens. No video, no fans, no nothing. The AIO pump doesn't light up, but I don't know if it should. Otherwise, it's just a lump.

My leading theories -

1) The AIO is dead. The Corsair has a cable that connects into their Commander Pro ARGB/Fan hub, and I have that hub plugged into a SATA power connector from the PSU. I can't see any activity, but then I don't know if I would. There isn't any LEDs on the hub, so I don't have any indications of life.

2) I have a defective CPU. I hope this isn't it, but it's a possibility.

3) The PSU is dead. It seems unlikely in that I am seeing lights on the motherboard and memory, but I guess it's possible?

Any other thoughts? Here's my hardware list if that helps.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor ($549.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H170i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO ATX AM5 Motherboard ($679.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory ($184.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red Pro 16 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive ($249.99 @ Western Digital)
Video Card: EVGA FTW3 ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24 GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master HAF 700 ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: Cooler Master V1200 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB 3 In 1 62 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack ($49.99 @ B&H)
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-26 03:17 EST-0500

Many, many years ago I was building a PC with RM9 (well, he was building it, I was supervising) and we had a similar problem. The issue (as I recall) was that the board wanted a video card installed and would not POST without it - even though it also had onboard video. I want to say we had to configure a jumper to let it know it was ok and to just use the onboard video option.

It could be that you're running into a cold-boot bug. So, try setting the LN2 Mode jumper as described below, from page 1-21 of the user manual for your mobo, and see if that helps:

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 1:46 pm It could be that you're running into a cold-boot bug. So, try setting the LN2 Mode jumper as described below, from page 1-21 of the user manual for your mobo, and see if that helps:

Thank you, sir! I totally missed that, and I've been reading the hell out of that manual. I appreciate it!

Sadly, no. No change on startup behavior. I appreciate the idea, though!

So I believe I had the exact same thing happen. DDR5 is ECC and it needs to be validated. That makes the first boot after a memory configuration change extremely slow. If you don't change the memory configuration after that then subsequent boots aren't that long.

So first thing is I'd recommend giving it a good ten minutes to see if it'll post. If not, then I'd recommend moving a single stick of memory around. I have an open case for my Asus X670E where certain slots in the motherboard don't work at all. I achieved a stable boot by using both B channels which is not how it is recommended in the manual.

I thought my board was DOA until I figured it out. That board should have an LED during the boot sequence. If it is hanging on 'Orange' it is testing the memory. After I figured the problem out (single stick at the time in the B2 channel) it still took approximately 3-5 minutes to boot (testing the full 16GB) on the stick. I don't know why the manual doesn't talk about this at all btw.

Try booting with just 1 stick of memory.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 4:23 pm Try booting with just 1 stick of memory.

I did that with the same results. In searching it seems like memory comes up a lot. I don't have any extra DDR5 lying around, but I've ordered a small kit that is slower and for sure on the compatibility list to rule that out.

gbasden wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:24 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 4:23 pm Try booting with just 1 stick of memory.

I did that with the same results. In searching it seems like memory comes up a lot. I don't have any extra DDR5 lying around, but I've ordered a small kit that is slower and for sure on the compatibility list to rule that out.

Did you try every slot with one stick? Also are you seeing a Q-Code (the digital display on the corner)?

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:23 pm

Did you try every slot with one stick? Also are you seeing a Q-Code (the digital display on the corner)?
[/quote]

I assume that is what he meant by post. Do computers even really post any more? Maybe that was a bad assumption on my part.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:50 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:23 pmDid you try every slot with one stick? Also are you seeing a Q-Code (the digital display on the corner)?

I assume that is what he meant by post. Do computers even really post any more? Maybe that was a bad assumption on my part.

They do and there should be a Q-Code displaying that'd give a firmer hint to what the problem is.

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:23 pm

gbasden wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:24 am

Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 4:23 pm Try booting with just 1 stick of memory.

I did that with the same results. In searching it seems like memory comes up a lot. I don't have any extra DDR5 lying around, but I've ordered a small kit that is slower and for sure on the compatibility list to rule that out.

Did you try every slot with one stick? Also are you seeing a Q-Code (the digital display on the corner)?

I have not tried each slot - I did A2 and B2. The recommended single stick isn't in the A1 and B1 position, but maybe I should try it for completeness. I'm not even getting a Q-Code when it starts. It looks like maybe it flashes 00 for a quarter of a second and then goes out.

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:24 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:50 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:23 pmDid you try every slot with one stick? Also are you seeing a Q-Code (the digital display on the corner)?

I assume that is what he meant by post. Do computers even really post any more? Maybe that was a bad assumption on my part.

They do and there should be a Q-Code displaying that'd give a firmer hint to what the problem is.

Post was the closest word I could come up with. When the power supply is turned on, the RGB on the motherboard comes on. When the start button is pushed, the fans spin for a quarter second and stop. The RGB on the memory turns on, but there is never any Q-Code, there is no video, there is no fan activity, etc.

Record a video of it and post it so we can see.

I copy and pasted your phrase

When the power supply is turned on, the RGB on the motherboard comes on. When the start button is pushed, the fans spin for a quarter second and stop.

into Google and got tons of the same problem showing and even some using that exact phrase. I read a handful. Some posted no solve but two did. These were going back to 2016 even.

For one it was the mobo. For the other guy it needed a bios update.

Someone else suggested to tight or too many standoffs under mobo but that guy never reposted.

gbasden wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 10:39 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:24 pm

LordMortis wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:50 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:23 pmDid you try every slot with one stick? Also are you seeing a Q-Code (the digital display on the corner)?

I assume that is what he meant by post. Do computers even really post any more? Maybe that was a bad assumption on my part.

They do and there should be a Q-Code displaying that'd give a firmer hint to what the problem is.

Post was the closest word I could come up with. When the power supply is turned on, the RGB on the motherboard comes on. When the start button is pushed, the fans spin for a quarter second and stop. The RGB on the memory turns on, but there is never any Q-Code, there is no video, there is no fan activity, etc.

You should almost always get a Q-Code. If it was a bad CPU it'd hang on the 'red light' under the Q-Code display and display a q-code for it. If it was a memory issue it'd hang on orange. Though I believe the book calls it 'yellow' - you know the yellow you see on the outside of a pumpkin . In both those cases you'd never see the video come up. The board validates components in this order: CPU -> MEMORY -> BIOS -> Boot. What you'd see is Red -> "Yellow" -> White -> Green (along with a set of Q-Codes) and only then would the video initialize. That you're seeing an immediate power down speaks to a motherboard or power supply issue.

I would also discount a BIOS issue because these boards feature a new chipset for AM5. There aren't any incompatible chips for it in the line. I also doubt it'd be an electrical short because then the RGB probably wouldn't be lighting. That RGB comes on tells me at least some power is making it to the board. If you had another power supply you could try just running it from 'the bench' (I wouldn't bother mounting it) and just plug in the main power, CPU power, etc. and just give it a shot.

Naturally the ASUS site is down right now.

Google snapshot suggests

If still no q-code, it's likely a faulty psu or motherboard. Welcome to the ROG forum. Take the motherboard out of the case and set it up as a test bench on the cardboard box it came in, remove the gpu and try with minimal components. If still no q-code, it's likely a faulty psu or motherboard

I got a faulty ASUS board from Newegg once. It was this build actually in 2011. They replaced it with the same model and i still use it today. I always have some kinda trouble with ASUS but if they work they tend to keep working. Like my monitor ....this one and the one before it were both ASUS and on both if I turn them off a while then the display port refuses to find a signal once turned back on and I have to unplug the cable and back in a couple times. Thats why I leave this monitor and that last one on 24/7.

Needless to say Im pretty done with ASUS stuff.

malchior wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:48 am
You should almost always get a Q-Code. If it was a bad CPU it'd hang on the 'red light' under the Q-Code display and display a q-code for it. If it was a memory issue it'd hang on orange. Though I believe the book calls it 'yellow' - you know the yellow you see on the outside of a pumpkin . In both those cases you'd never see the video come up. The board validates components in this order: CPU -> MEMORY -> BIOS -> Boot. What you'd see is Red -> "Yellow" -> White -> Green (along with a set of Q-Codes) and only then would the video initialize. That you're seeing an immediate power down speaks to a motherboard or power supply issue.

I would also discount a BIOS issue because these boards feature a new chipset for AM5. There aren't any incompatible chips for it in the line. I also doubt it'd be an electrical short because then the RGB probably wouldn't be lighting. That RGB comes on tells me at least some power is making it to the board. If you had another power supply you could try just running it from 'the bench' (I wouldn't bother mounting it) and just plug in the main power, CPU power, etc. and just give it a shot.

Thank you for this! I went back to double check, but there are no lights under the Q-Code display either. I'm going to grab a new power supply and test with that, and if not I'll put in for a new MB.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 2:23 pm I got a faulty ASUS board from Newegg once. It was this build actually in 2011. They replaced it with the same model and i still use it today. I always have some kinda trouble with ASUS but if they work they tend to keep working. Like my monitor ....this one and the one before it were both ASUS and on both if I turn them off a while then the display port refuses to find a signal once turned back on and I have to unplug the cable and back in a couple times. Thats why I leave this monitor and that last one on 24/7.

Needless to say Im pretty done with ASUS stuff.

This will be my 6th ASUS motherboard and I've had no problems with any of them up until now, assuming that the motherboard ends up being the problem.

Yeah, I've had quite a few Asus boards and never had a problem. I've had a few go bad, yes, but only after a decade plus of hard use {the one that just died this week was Asus, and had 14 years of active use behind it.) After that long, them failing is to be expected.

Well, in this case it looks like it must be the board. A second power supply creates the same symptoms and fresh memory didn't help either. I just put in a request for an RMA, so we will see how that goes.

Almost sounds like it’s shorting out immediately.

Stupid question - are you sure the board was installed correctly? When I was building a system in the late 90s, there was one board standoff that was different than all the others. I couldn't get the system to start and learned that the one unique standoff was the cause - it kept the board from shorting and had to be installed in a specific spot. Just a thought.

stessier wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 10:35 am Stupid question - are you sure the board was installed correctly? When I was building a system in the late 90s, there was one board standoff that was different than all the others. I couldn't get the system to start and learned that the one unique standoff was the cause - it kept the board from shorting and had to be installed in a specific spot. Just a thought.

Hey, I did that in the late 90s, too. I used to put together a lot machines for people when going to trade shows could save you a lot of money get your a lot more computer for the same money. That time is long gone. I never actually enjoyed building machines, but I enjoyed taking several hundred dollars off the cost.

I did it with my very first build in 95. I didn't know it need standoffs and just screwed the board to the case.

stessier wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 10:35 am Stupid question - are you sure the board was installed correctly? When I was building a system in the late 90s, there was one board standoff that was different than all the others. I couldn't get the system to start and learned that the one unique standoff was the cause - it kept the board from shorting and had to be installed in a specific spot. Just a thought.

It looks like all the standoffs are aligned with the holes in the motherboard, so I think that's ok?

So, I sent the motherboard in. When it came back, the note inside said they could not duplicate the problem, but updated it to the most current bios. So the motherboard (theoretically) works fine. I set it up on the table with just the motherboard, CPU, RAM, the CPU cooler and power supply, and I get exactly the same issue. So, I guess CPU would be the next road to go down? With no Q codes or Q lights it's rather difficult to troubleshoot.

Ugh. So glad I stopped building machines. Who has all the different parts laying around to swap out when things aren't nearly as generic as they used to be.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 1:54 pm Ugh. So glad I stopped building machines. Who has all the different parts laying around to swap out when things aren't nearly as generic as they used to be.

Yeah, honestly I've been kicking myself. This is the first time I've ever had a real problem with a build, though.

When you tried a entirely different PSU was it the same model?

Fun story for the weekend. I broke down and grabbed a 4090 and decided to move up from my ThermalTake 750W to a Silverstone 850W. I rewired the rig with the cables that came with the Silverstone. I was hoping to use the native 12VHPWR cable on the power supply versus the 4-way PCI cable that Nvidia created.

In the end, I was getting similar results to what you mentioned. I was getting light on the Asus motherboard but when I hit the power it'd just click and wouldn't come up. I put the TT on the desk, moved the cables over into the TT, switched out to the 4-way PCIe and it fired right up. I ended up returning the Silverstone and rolling back completely to the TT for now and am just power limiting the 4090 in the meantime.

I ended up finding some people talking about the issues they've been having with this particular chipset (the X670E). It's pretty tempermental. I didn't make much progress on my case why some memory channels don't work. They wanted me to ship it in. I wasn't willing to do it so case closed.

Do you guys sell your old cards and parts? Cause I keep my rig going by buying stuff like that that is better than mine. When I have money of course. Im selling some stuff now so will be in the market for new parts perhaps soon. Well new parts to me..old to you guys.

This is what Im working with now..

i7 2600k
gtx 970 4 gig
16 gig gskill ripjaw
850w corsair psu modular
asus p8p67 deluxe mobo

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 4:09 pm Do you guys sell your old cards and parts?

i definitely don't throw them out - try to find other uses for them.

gtx 970 4 gig

as mentioned in the GPU thread, this is the card i've been using since 2016 (when i purchased it from craigslist secondhand). i don't much like the price of GPUs right now and am waiting for this new gen of cards to settle in. maybe later this year...

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 3:48 pm When you tried a entirely different PSU was it the same model?

Fun story for the weekend. I broke down and grabbed a 4090 and decided to move up from my ThermalTake 750W to a Silverstone 850W. I rewired the rig with the cables that came with the Silverstone. I was hoping to use the native 12VHPWR cable on the power supply versus the 4-way PCI cable that Nvidia created.

In the end, I was getting similar results to what you mentioned. I was getting light on the Asus motherboard but when I hit the power it'd just click and wouldn't come up. I put the TT on the desk, moved the cables over into the TT, switched out to the 4-way PCIe and it fired right up. I ended up returning the Silverstone and rolling back completely to the TT for now and am just power limiting the 4090 in the meantime.

I ended up finding some people talking about the issues they've been having with this particular chipset (the X670E). It's pretty tempermental. I didn't make much progress on my case why some memory channels don't work. They wanted me to ship it in. I wasn't willing to do it so case closed.

Nope. My first power supply was a ThermalTake 1250W and the second was an ASUS 1050W. That's interesting that you had the same issue, though. I'll have to give the swap one more try to validate with both sets of cables.

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 7:32 pm

gtx 970 4 gig

as mentioned in the GPU thread, this is the card i've been using since 2016 (when i purchased it from craigslist secondhand). i don't much like the price of GPUs right now and am waiting for this new gen of cards to settle in. maybe later this year...

Same card I'm using - got it when I bought a brand new system in 2015 (I think...might have been 2016).

gbasden wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 10:37 pmNope. My first power supply was a ThermalTake 1250W and the second was an ASUS 1050W. That's interesting that you had the same issue, though. I'll have to give the swap one more try to validate with both sets of cables.

One other thing I observed. The Silverstone would click/click and then the PSU fan would remain on so the power supply thought it was on but the motherboard didn't like it for whatever reason.

I also still don't understand why you aren't getting Q Codes either. That tells me the main ATX power cable isn't supplying power for the board to come up at all which is strange if support had no issues during testing. Maybe you can ask support what PSU they test with?

Check if PSU cables are fully and securely attached. You might not be getting enough power to post that way.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 2:47 pm Check if PSU cables are fully and securely attached. You might not be getting enough power to post that way.

I quadruple checked that the cables were all in tight. ASUS support did say that a bad CPU will cause the board not to power up, although that seems weird given that there is a CPU q-light.

malchior wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 12:46 pm

gbasden wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 10:37 pmNope. My first power supply was a ThermalTake 1250W and the second was an ASUS 1050W. That's interesting that you had the same issue, though. I'll have to give the swap one more try to validate with both sets of cables.

One other thing I observed. The Silverstone would click/click and then the PSU fan would remain on so the power supply thought it was on but the motherboard didn't like it for whatever reason.

I also still don't understand why you aren't getting Q Codes either. That tells me the main ATX power cable isn't supplying power for the board to come up at all which is strange if support had no issues during testing. Maybe you can ask support what PSU they test with?

They are using a variant of the ASUS power supply I got after the first one didn't work. It's the same model line, just a lower wattage. I'm also not seeing the power supply fan spin with either.

I got notified that the PSU (TT GF3 1300W) I wanted was in-stock at Microcenter. I ran up at lunch (it's not close unfortunately so it was a 2-hour lunch) and grabbed it. I just wired it up with all new cables that came with the new PSU, flipped the switch, and the circuit breaker blew. I reset the breaker and the thing is 100% dead. Ugh. My strong suspicion is a short circuit in this POS PSU. I picked up my trusty old 750W TT one and plugged it up with the exact same wires just swapped over from the new PSU. Computer fires up. WTF. This hobby is not fun anymore.