PC will not post

[Mudgepudge]

Hey guys,

So over the past month, I have been purchasing hardware to complete my build. Last week I purchased a new case which I received yesterday and started building my system into the case.

The installation went smooth, everything was working fine. Motherboard, CPU and everything were hooked up to the new case, so I fired it up and it worked.

Along with the case, I got a Liquid Cooler with ARGB which I attempted to connect. I successfully got the Cooler onto the CPU and fired up and it worked.

Now this is where it all went south; I started connecting up the ARGB as per the user guide and then eventually connected to the 3 Pin ARGB header on my motherboard and when I fired up, I heard a shorting sound and then boom, PC turned off. I disconnected the power to the controller that came with the cooler as I immediately thought something was wrong there. When I fired up again (with the controller disconnected), the PC just wouldn't post. I did noticed a solid red light appear on my motherboard which was labelled "CPU". So I immediately removed the cooler and put the original back on and still the red light appeared.

I've tried the following:
-Removed the CPU, check for bent pins, checked for dust, made sure the cooler was making contact, made sure there was enough thermal paste...nothing
-Switch my RAM to different slots...nothing (even tried with no RAM in the slots)
-Pulled the CMOS to reset the BIOS...nothing
-Checked PSU, fan starts up and the 24 pin gives power to the motherboard. I switched the 4+4 pin connector out on my PSU for a new one...nothing
-Took motherboard out of the case, built on the motherboard box...nothing
-Removed all storage devices...nothing

I know the motherboard is definitely getting power as the CPU fan, PWM fans are getting power. That red CPU light remains on and I can't seem to get rid of it which leads me to think that I have a fried CPU, fried motherboard or fried PSU.

Any input would be greatly appreciated as this red light is killing me.

Specs:
CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G
Cooler: Cooler Master ML120R RGB
Motherboard: Gigabyte Aorus B450 Elite
PSU: Corsair RM850X
Case: Cooler Master MB530P

I'm not using a GPU

 

[Cookie]

Check your motherboard manual. It may explain what that red CPU light is.

Also what ARGB controller were you using? Does the controller have its own power?

The mobo 3PIN ARGB port provides power out to power the ARGB. If you connected a controller to it that had its own power its possible the power surged to the board 🤷‍♂️ weird that it would show a CPU error.

- Check for bent pins under CPU
- Check CPU power cable is connected to board correctly

 

[toy1985]

Smells like a dead board.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sola Scriptura]

I doubt your psu is fried. most likely a damaged mobo.

 

[Mudgepudge]

The mobo 3PIN ARGB port provides power out to power the ARGB. If you connected a controller to it that had its own power its possible the power surged to the board 🤷‍♂️ weird that it would show a CPU error.

- Check for bent pins under CPU
- Check CPU power cable is connected to board correctly

Fork! so I connected the 3 pin ARGB from my motherboard to the controller which had it's own power...that's when I heard the short.

CPU pins are perfect, took a magnifying glass to it
CPU power was in very tight.

CPU cooler is the Cooler Master ML120R RGB

So in essence, my motherboard could be fried?

 

[Cookie]

Fork! so I connected the 3 pin ARGB from my motherboard to the controller which had it's own power...that's when I heard the short.

CPU pins are perfect, took a magnifying glass to it
CPU power was in very tight.

CPU cooler is the Cooler Master ML120R RGB

So in essence, my motherboard could be fried?

Ye im thinking you have fried the board, usually though that would just fry the ARGB header on your mobo and not the whole board

 

[Sola Scriptura]

Is the Cooler Master ML120R RGB header compatible with your mobo?
this guy had something similar happen to him.

RGB Header, Burned and Smoke

I salute the fine community of Tom's Hardware, On Saturday I was trying to sync (RGB Fusion) the case LEDs with the Motherboard's (Gigabyte provided adapter + LED strip Phanteks P400). Without knowing if its possible or not. The connectors wan't matching but I was keep trying. Suddenly fire...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Mudgepudge]

If it was just the ARGB header that would've been great. Gonna have to fork out another R2k for a board like this as I doubt there would be any form of warranty after a surge.

 

[Cookie]

Another thing,

Your ARGB header on your board can supply 5v and 12v. You can choose which one it supplies by changing a jumper on the board. This may have come into play. If it was 12v and then you connected a controller with 12v it could have fried

Always read your manual

 

[Mudgepudge]

Is the Cooler Master ML120R RGB header compatible with your mobo?
this guy had something similar happen to him.

RGB Header, Burned and Smoke

I salute the fine community of Tom's Hardware, On Saturday I was trying to sync (RGB Fusion) the case LEDs with the Motherboard's (Gigabyte provided adapter + LED strip Phanteks P400). Without knowing if its possible or not. The connectors wan't matching but I was keep trying. Suddenly fire...

forums.tomshardware.com

Ye cooler definitely is compatible as per Gigabyte's site. Regardless, I put my old wraith cooler back on and still nothing.

 

[Cookie]

If it was just the ARGB header that would've been great. Gonna have to fork out another R2k for a board like this as I doubt there would be any form of warranty after a surge.

Worth a try before buying a new board

 

[Mudgepudge]

Another thing,

Your ARGB header on your board can supply 5v and 12v. You can choose which one it supplies by changing a jumper on the board. This may have come into play. If it was 12v and then you connected a controller with 12v it could have fried

Always read your manual

View attachment 59025

Not sure but I mean, the cooler out lasted my board in this whole scenario. I powered up the new cooler on it's own and it lights up, fans work and all. Motherboard is just giving me the red light.

 

[Famous Last Words!]

Rather get someone to assist when you are installing new parts and you are unsure, or YouTube the installation. Sorry for your loss man, the feeling of new hardware only lasting a few seconds should be Terrible.

 

[Mudgepudge]

Rather get someone to assist when you are installing new parts and you are unsure, or YouTube the installation. Sorry for your loss man, the feeling of new hardware only lasting a few seconds should be Terrible.

Ye I am completely new to the whole ARGB thing. In the past it was either single LED fans or nothing. My knowledge of how RGB works got the best of me.

 

[Cookie]

Not sure but I mean, the cooler out lasted my board in this whole scenario. I powered up the new cooler on it's own and it lights up, fans work and all. Motherboard is just giving me the red light.

I dont see any info in the manual about the red CPU light. Where is it lighting up on the board?

 

[Famous Last Words!]

Ye I am completely new to the whole ARGB thing. In the past it was either single LED fans or nothing. My knowledge of how RGB works got the best of me.

I always google or ask if unsure I don't like buying something again hahaha. But i am sure if you take the board back the company might be willing to assist. Evetech swapped me out on my Mobo because of surge

 

[Sola Scriptura]

I dont see any info in the manual about the red CPU light. Where is it lighting up on the board?

 

[Cookie]

lol If you see this red light, your fucked.

Thanks Manual. Thanks a lot

 

[Sola Scriptura]

lol If you see this red light, your fucked.

Thanks Manual. Thanks a lot

I once had the CPU error led come up on my mobo, all I had to do was remove my CPU, heat it up with a hairdryer and bend it back to normal again and then all was 100% again

 

[Mudgepudge]

Yea so I'm not sure if it's safe to say that the motherboard is dead but the symptoms seem to be leading to that.

I must add that the board and everything still powers up, I get power to the CPU fan and system fans but just nothing to the CPU itself hence the red light so I'm not sure if it's the CPU.

I've confirmed that there is a warranty on the board so I am trying to make a plan.

 

[Cookie]

Heat your CPU up with a hair dryer???????? WUT

How do you bend a CPU?

 

[Mudgepudge]

I once had the CPU error led come up on my mobo, all I had to do was remove my CPU, heat it up with a hairdryer and bend it back to normal again and then all was 100% again

Lol

I removed the CPU and the CPU looks perfect, pins are straight. I tried smelling the CPU and motherboard socket for burns...nothing.

 

[Sola Scriptura]

Lol

I removed the CPU and the CPU looks perfect, pins are straight. I tried smelling the CPU and motherboard socket for burns...nothing.

When you cleared the CMOS did you do it by having the system unplugged and removing the battery or by shorting the clear cmos pins?

 

[Sola Scriptura]

Heat your CPU up with a hair dryer???????? WUT

How do you bend a CPU?

pressure from a cpu cooler.

 

[Mudgepudge]

When you cleared the CMOS did you do it by having the system unplugged and removing the battery or by shorting the clear cmos pins?

Removed the CMOS with the system unplugged.

 

[Sola Scriptura]

Removed the CMOS with the system unplugged.

Have you tried powering it on with no display cable plugged in? and if so did the red LED still come on?

 

[Mudgepudge]

Have you tried powering it on with no display cable plugged in? and if so did the red LED still come on?

I tried with the HDMI cable unplugged, red LED still shows up. The CPU light coming on automatically tells me the CPU is buggered but in the same breath, people are saying that a fried motherboard would do the same.

I forgot a bit of information from my initial post. The power button on my case has now become redundant as my PC powers on immediately when I press the power button on my PSU.

 

[SCHNITZEL ZA]

Mobo is busted. Had this before, went to a guys house to buy a mobo, asked him to test it and it didn't post. Only had a red CPU light on.

 

[Sola Scriptura]

I tried with the HDMI cable unplugged, red LED still shows up. The CPU light coming on automatically tells me the CPU is buggered but in the same breath, people are saying that a fried motherboard would do the same.

I forgot a bit of information from my initial post. The power button on my case has now become redundant as my PC powers on immediately when I press the power button on my PSU.

I doubt its your cpu, most likely the mobo. Best is to take your cpu to a computer store that can be trusted to have it tested for you, or maybe someone on carb that stays close to you can test it for you.

 

[Mudgepudge]

I doubt its your cpu, most likely the mobo. Best is to take your cpu to a computer store that can be trusted to have it tested for you, or maybe someone on carb that stays close to you can test it for you.

I'm in contact with a Carbonite member whom I live pretty close to. We'll be testing it out later today.