Computer not posting (as in, working)

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

So earlier today I was having some issue turning my computer on and then just maybe 30 minutes ago it shut off while playing a game. Now when I turn the computer on, all the fans light up and spin, the PSU is lit up and spinning, I can feel the GPU fan spinning, but the indicator lights on the mobo aren’t turning on. I tried resetting the cmos, and testing with each stick of ram in there independently and still nothing. So am I screwed and need a new mobo? If so, what are some good ones I could get?

Might take this opportunity to upgrade my CPU and stuff too if it’s really dead.

#2

Inb4 sersoft

#3

So, been looking around and I’m thinking of getting

i5 4670k
This Asrock mobo

My RAM will probably work fine so I might not bother picking up new RAM right now. Is Asrock a good brand for a mobo? It won some Tom’s Hardware award.

Edit: Might actually go AMD, thinking about it. An FX-8350 is the same price as an i5 4670k and is actually ranked higher in the CPU benchmark site I’m using. It also have 8 cores which could be better for next gen games. I’m really not sure which would be better in the long run. I don’t want a performance hit in games right now, though I’m not sure if that would happen with the AMD CPU.

#4

https://www.hardwarepal.com/battlefield-4-cpu-gpu-benchmarks/8/

https://www.techspot.com/review/670-metro-last-light-performance/page6.html

https://www.techspot.com/review/706-splinter-cell-blacklist-benchmarks/page5.html

https://www.techspot.com/review/712-arma-3-benchmarks/page5.html

Not sure about Blacklist and Arma 3, but the first two are supposed to be able to use 8 threads effectively

#5

Only BF4 out of those is next gen. The only reason I say that is because next gen consoles are using 8 core AMD CPUs. It doesn’t matter in BF4 at least it seems but it could later on. I wasn’t going to do anything until I knew for sure but I don’t want to upgrade now and then figure out that the CPU runs poorly because it only has 4 threads instead of 8+. I probably will go with Intel right now though, still.

#6

I recommend intel over AMD, it’s worth the extra price IMO.

No lights on mobo means to me a dead power supply. Did you try a barebone boot? (Boot with nothing plugged into the motherboard except the monitor, 1 stick of ram, the power supply and the power button) Also check all of your USB ports, sometimes they fall apart on the inside and short out the whole board.

#7

Barebone boot is the way to go, if it posts, start slowly plugging in parts until you get a problem.

Last time it happened to me, my GPU gave out.

FYI: Barebone boot varies between mobos. Some have an onboard feed for a monitor w/o the use of a GPU (my old mobo had one and that’s how I figured out it was my GPU).
Generally, it’s a GPU, CPU (its fan as well), the stick of Ram, and the Power Supp.

Then you start plugging in parts as needed until it doesn’t post. Sersoft, you’re free to correct me if I got something wrong. :slight_smile:

#8

The power supply was working. The fan was spinning and it was lighting up. The fan on the GPU was going too and the fans on the computer and their lights too. Anyway I have the no mobo in and it’s working fine. I’m reinstalling windows now since I apparently have to do that because it’s a different chipset. It’s working with the new mobo and cpu.

#9

Bumping because the issue is back with my new mobo. I’m pretty sure that Sersoft was right, and it was the PSU’s fault. I tested the 24 pin plug from the PSU with a multimeter and all of the 3.3V pins aren’t giving any power (or very little power, to the point that I have to lower the search range on the multimeter). What exactly do the 3.3V pins control?

I think it’s very weird that the computer was working fine for months and then suddenly fails again.

#10

You need the 3.3v for the PCI, PCI-e standards and your RAM, among other things.

Could be a heat issue, since power supplies tend to get hot from the air coming out of the CPU fan.

I had a similar issue where my PC would shut down unexpectedly without warning, turns out the hot air coming out of my CPU cooler was overheating the temperature sensor in the power supply, so I finally had to put a real fan on my CPU, instead of letting the power supply fan do the job.

#11

I have one of Corsair’s self contained water cooling loops thing so there’s no air blowing on the PSU.

So yeah I’m RMA-ing my PSU.

The only thing that kind of worries me is that a few times when trying to get my computer to turn on, the power and reset buttons near the CMOS battery were lit red and so was a light called “Bios A”. I have no idea what that could mean. I got it to post once but it said I needed to select a proper boot disk.

#12

What PSU is it?
Model?

#13

Corsair GS800.

#14

This is probably the first 3.3v component in line so when POST fails it’s probably at powering up the BIOS.

Good luck with the RMA

#15

hehe, you had luck though, everytime my PSUs died they did with a bang :smiley:
good luck with your RMA!

#16

Thanks guys. I put in a ticket at Corsair just to make sure I cover my bases before requesting an RMA. Hopefully they respond soon.

#17

This should be my final post in here since this is all pretty much resolved by now. My PSU was out of warranty by two months and so I couldn’t get an RMA for it. I picked up an RM750, which is modular, which is pretty nice. I don’t have to stuff cables all around the place in my case. It’s working pretty good so far at least.

#18

:awesome:

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