Trendy motherboards are pretty resilient, however they’re not impervious to wreck. So when your mobo seems unresponsive upon powering your system, it could possibly trigger momentary coronary heart palpitations. Some mobos are fairly costly, and even once they’re not, changing one is extra time consuming than different elements.
Normally should you’re having issues together with your motherboard powering on, it’s best to take a look at the remainder of your setup to see if there’s a difficulty. The next steps information you thru the troubleshooting course of, beginning with the better and extra widespread ideas.
(And for anybody questioning: No, a CMOS battery can’t stop your motherboard from powering on. Not with trendy motherboards, anyway. That coin battery simply ensures that your BIOS settings, corresponding to boot order, fan curves, and the like, stay saved. It might probably’t damage to exchange it should you actually suppose it’s the supply of your issues, although—they solely value $3 or so.)
1. Verify energy cables
Emilian Robert Vicol / PixabayA lifeless motherboard can typically be one missing a conection to the ability provide.
Ensure that all your energy cables are correctly seated: the 24-pin connector in addition to the CPU energy cable and any further energy cables your system may name for, like if you’ve achieved a large overclock on the processor.
Why verify the CPU energy cables when many motherboards present seen lights or LED readouts after powering up? And even after you’ve gone to the difficulty of testing the CPU individually? Some motherboards lack these visible cues. It’s value verifying that your downside isn’t the CPU not getting juice from the ability provide and thus stopping POST.
2. Take away RAM and discrete GPU
Brad Chacos/IDGAn improperly seated GPU can typically intervene with a motherboard’s potential to energy on.
If you realize your motherboard has working energy indicators (i.e., lights or an LED readout), attempt pulling the RAM and GPU to see if the motherboard will energy on with out these elements. You wish to remove these as potential points. An improperly seated GPU can intervene with a mobo’s potential to energy on, for instance.
For motherboards that lack indicators of energy on, you could have to undergo further steps of reseating GPU and attempting out completely different slots for RAM—plus attempting completely different sticks one after the other—to see in case your subject is as a substitute a system failing to POST, fairly than a lifeless mobo.
3. Verify the ability provide
Thomas Ryan/IDGA defective energy provide cable (or energy provide) could make a motherboard appear lifeless.
Ensure that your energy provide is definitely offering electrical energy to your motherboard. You may decide up a PSU tester ($15) or a multimeter ($10) for this function, or if in case you have a spare energy provide readily available, you possibly can swap it in as a substitute. You don’t have to truly set up the alternate energy provide into the case—simply join it to the motherboard as a substitute of your unique PSU.
The PSU tester will doubtless be best for most individuals, because you merely plug within the cables for testing. With the multimeter, you’ll have to determine which pins on the connectors to make use of when testing for continuity. It’s additionally cheaper than acquiring a second energy provide should you don’t have already got one readily available.
By the way, should you suspect that the ability provide itself is perhaps the issue, you should definitely additionally verify that the outlet you’re plugged into is working correctly. This level is very pertinent should you’re plugged right into a surge protector, as these can fail.
4. Verify the motherboard standoffs
NZXTStandoffs touching the again of your motherboard could cause a brief—and a quickly lifeless mobo.
Typically when rearranging the positions of standoffs in a case, you possibly can go away one in a spot the place it’s not lined up with the motherboard’s holes. And if that little bit of metallic touches the again of the mobo in the suitable place, it could possibly trigger a brief—which may result in the motherboard showing lifeless. So should you’re satisfied that your mobo is certainly lifeless, you possibly can pull it out from the case to verify to see if that is the problem. Strive powering your motherboard whereas it’s exterior of the case and sitting on a non-conductive floor.
If it seems there’s an improperly positioned standoff in your case, merely take away it, then reinstall your motherboard.
It’s lifeless, Jim
Satisfied your motherboard’s lifeless after operating by way of these troubleshooting steps? Don’t toss it simply but. If all of your different elements are in nice working order, you could have a faulty board. Verify to see should you’re nonetheless underneath guarantee, and in that case, file an RMA request with the producer. You may be capable of get a substitute at no cost (or for the price of delivery).
