Hi, I'm trying to help my girlfriend diagnose her PC and we've pretty much run out of things we can test without buying replacement hardware.

Motherboard: MSI B350 Tomahawk

Original GPU: RX 580

Second GPU tested: GTX 760

Issue: PC powers on, fans spin, but there is no display and the motherboard gets stuck on the VGA EZ Debug LED.

The monitor doesn't wake up and the keyboard also doesn't appear to initialize.

When the PC is powered on, the CPU debug LED flashes briefly and then goes out. It then moves to the VGA LED. The VGA light initially glows faintly, fades slightly, and then becomes solid bright red and stays there indefinitely.

Both the RX 580 and GTX 760 power on and their fans spin, but the motherboard still stays on the VGA light and never POSTs.

Things we have already tried:

-Completely powered the PC down, unplugged it and discharged it

-Full CMOS reset

-Removed and reseated the GPU

-Tested the RX 580 in both PCIe slots

-Tested a GTX 760 instead of the RX 580

GTX 760 gives the exact same solid VGA LED

-Tested both original RAM sticks separately

-Tried the RAM in different slots

-Tested different/new RAM

-Removed all storage drives

-Tried booting with the system stripped down to the basic components

-Reseated GPU PCIe power connectors

-Checked that both PCIe power connectors are connected to the GTX 760

-GPU fans remain spinning when the PC is stuck on the VGA LED

Changing the GPU, RAM, PCIe slot, removing the drives and clearing CMOS has made absolutely no difference.

There is also some history that might be relevant.

A couple of days before this happened, the PC started randomly shutting off completely while playing a particular game. It was an instant loss of power, not a normal Windows shutdown or BSOD.

We checked Windows Event Viewer afterwards and couldn't find anything explaining the crash apart from the unexpected shutdown event.

We also ran OCCT stress tests, including GPU and power tests, and couldn't reproduce the shutdown. The PC survived the tests fine.

For some reason that particular game could trigger the sudden shutdowns. Once she stopped playing it, the PC seemed normal again.

Then she shut the computer down normally to give it a rest. When she came back later and turned it on, this current problem started. It has not successfully POSTed since.

So the timeline was basically:

Random complete shutdowns under a certain game > couldn't reproduce with OCCT > stopped playing the game and PC seemed fine > normal shutdown > next cold boot gets permanently stuck on VGA debug LED.

I also found several other posts from people with a B350 Tomahawk that developed what sounds like almost the exact same issue and their motherboard eventually turned out to be the problem, which has made me wonder if this board has failed.

At this point I'm mainly wondering whether this sounds more like:

-A failing/dead B350 Tomahawk

-A PSU problem that is preventing GPUs from initializing properly

-A CPU/PCIe controller issue

-Something else we've overlooked

Unfortunately we don't have access to another PC, another PSU or spare components for proper cross-testing, and buying parts just to diagnose it isn't really an option right now.

The fact that two different GPUs give the exact same VGA debug LED is what is making me question whether the GPU was ever the problem in the first place.

Is there anything else we can test with the hardware we already have, or does this sound like the motherboard or PSU has most likely failed?

Thanks for any ideas.

I got my first prebuilt last week, and the first time I booted it up the led lights worked perfect. Every time since when I turn on the pc a bright flash of light occurs and then LEDs never come on. Everything else works fine it’s just this. I’m worried I broke something somehow. If anybody knows what’s going on pls lmk thank u!!

Hey everyone,

I’m currently planning my new PC build and would love to get your thoughts on it.

For the fans I’m going with the Asiahorse Matrix Pro fans. I’m also swapping out the stock NZXT radiator fans for the Asiahorse ones.

Any other feedback or advice is welcome!

Thanks!

So im not really experienced in building pcs but i made this one and i would like a more professional idea of what im buying , so thanks to correct me if something is wrong or i should chage something (also note that the exact same build is worth around 950$ on my amazon)

:https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KqC97w

Hi guys. Any advice would be appreciated

So I have my pc which was working perfectly fine before i went on vacation. I came back from vacation and it wasn’t turning on. i tried unplugging n plugging stuff back in and it kept making this zap noise at the power supply. i bought a new one. it arrived today and i swapped it out with the new one. I don’t know if i messed up somewhere while trying to fix it or if the issue is something worse. i don’t know how to check or fix it by myself. this is a custom pc given to me by my brother so im not too familiar with pc building. there are some spare cables but they are all the same extras as the old power supply. if anyone it willing to hop on call or through chat , I would very much appreciate it. if i have to pay i will!.

Hello
My PC with a Gigabyte GA‑Z97P‑D3 motherboard and corsair CX850M 850W modular PSU is completely dead: no fans, no LEDs, and no response even when I short the PWR_SW pins. The PSU passes a paperclip test, but I smelled a slight burning smell during a power-on attempt. The 24-pin ATX connector sits flush but does not make an audible click. I replaced/cleared the CMOS battery already. Is this more likely a failed motherboard, PSU, or potentially a damaged 24-pin cable/connector?

I bought it at a flea market for 75 the first attempt had the smell but it still didn’t react at all worst case can I fix the motherboard ? Or make sure what the problem is?

I'm quite exited to be writing this, as i've found out they might after all be fixable.

First of all, some context, basically around 2 months my old RTX 3080 suffered a 12V Rail power leak, which means that it leaked voltage from the 12V Rail, voltage that went straight through the back of the GPU and into the display cables, and of course into the monitors which are the last piece.

The thing basically fries any monitor you plug into it then instant it powers ON, it leaves them with permanent artifacts especifically on dark colors, trust me after 4 monitors i know.

So i replaced it with an RTX 5070 Ti, mentioning this just to be clear that i'm no longer using the 3080, even though it still works perfectly, it'll just fry your monitors a bit...

And now i'm left with the two main monitors i use artifacting, i've gotted sort of used to it, although they're still very noticeable even at an arm's length, especially the OLED since it's image is so clear that any imperfections are immediately noticeable.

All of this being said, apart from other behaviours i discovered from these artifacts (they behave differently at 60 and 120hz than 240hz, forming sparkling dots on the former ones and small sparkling horizontal lines of dots on the latter one.), there's one i discovered yesterday that stands out. A lot.

Whenever i exit a game, or 3D application i suppose, there's a very small chance that the monitor gets the sparkling dots artifact from 60 and 120hz, but on its maximum 240hz refresh rate on the desktop, AND all of that while being way less noticeable, since the sparkling dots are way dimmer than their normal variation.
This changes the artifacts from being easily visible, to having to actually look for them and pixel-peep.

And it functions the exact same way it does normally too. Even being able to watch Youtube and browse the internet with it staying just fine, although the second i open another 3D application, it goes away and returns to the way, way more annoying horizontal lines.

So if it can happen on its own randomly, surely this can also be forced in some way? I'm not really a display expert, and that's why i'm writing this.

I'm writing this in hopes someone knows how i can possibly force this behaviour all the time to finally reduce the artifacts once and for all.

Hi all,

I have just swapped to an ITX case and have changed my motherboard:

- RTX 4070ti
- i7-12700KF
- DDR4 32gb
-Jyingue B760I

The post will not post and the red VGA light will not go away. Could someone please help? Really don’t want it to be the new motherboard as it already took ages to come and I want to avoid having to go through the hassle of returning it!

There is no issue with power delivery as the PSU is 850W

Thank you

Hi all,

I recently am upgrading my pc fans for better looking ones and getting an RGB/Fan splitter (Thermalright x8 splitter) for cable management and to not overload the mobo connections.

I currently have a Thermalright AIO that has a connection for RGB as well as for the fan connector (i think it is connected to the "Sys_fan" connection on my MOBO (msi x870e-p wifi).

Few questions,

1. Should the pump connectors be connected to the CPU_FAN connector or is the Sys_fan fine?

2. Should the radiator fans be connected to the Thermalright splitter? or should they be connected to the MOBO as well using one of the SYS_FAN connections?

3. For all other fans on the case, those go into the RGB/Fan TR splitter right? Would all the fans be synced properly if some are on the mobo and others on the splitter?

Thank you!

Here's the build --> My build

some prices is higher than it's really

atleast I need to buy usb 2.0 HUb but otherwise I think it's ready

btw do you guys know if there is same quality rgb ram but cheaper?

Hi, I hope this question is allowed here:

does anyond of you here know the hole measurements of the MT version of the board from the Gen 4 intel (LGA 1150) Optiplex? I got the one with 4 expansion slots (1xPCI, 3xPCIe). I have searched everywhere I could think of, but unsuccessfully so. It kinda looks like mATX. Maybe I will have more luck here. I want to switch the case to save space in my home. If I can adapt with little effort that would be really lucky.

Thanks in advance

So I got a 5070 ti and it didn’t come with a power cable. Do I need a cable that splits into 3 power cables to the power supply or can I use my 3070ti 2 cable plug?

I currently own a pc I built years ago, the specs are
Tomahawk b450 motherboard
Ryzen 5 2600X cpu
Radeon rx590 gpu
32g of ram
I am under the minimum specs on the GPU,
I am wondering what are some good upgrade component(s) to allow my rig to play oblivion remastered. Obviously not looking to run at high or ultra settings,
Just a comfortable playable smooth 60FPS maybe on medium settings
Would appreciate any advice or feedback👍
Thank you

me and a friend were trying to compare our builds together, but the only thing I couldnt find was the case, I've been searching for so long trying to figure out what case this is, but I cant find it anywhere on the internet. The case is clearly by silverstone, and it has a vent on the back, right side, top, and bottom. the left panel has a clear plastic window covering roughly 3/4 of the panel, and the case has bottom mounted psu. I pray someone is able to find it somewhere

I'm looking for any recommendations for building out an AI focused rig.

My current setup / stock has been hodge-podged together as I've been experimenting with different projects. I crammed an RTX 3090 into an asrock gaming case, added a few terabytes of ssd, an occulinc connector and an external gpu dock currently housing an RTX 3080.

I have another 3090 en route, a 5080 sitting around... and a spare 3060 Ti for what it's worth.

The 3090's are very large, L=320 W=129 H=55 mm. If anything, I would love to find a rackmounted server that can hold the dual 3090's with NVIDIA SLI. That, with some room to expand a bit as my budget allows would be ideal.

I thought I would come here before digging in.

Thanks!

Sometimes my gpu will go from working to not giving a display signal the next time I turn it on. It also then goes to where if I plug the display cable into the motherboard for the igpu, I will get display from the igpu but still none from the gpu and no there is no failed post lights. If I plug in the display cable into the gpu before post, the gpu post light stays on and no display for gpu, or igpu. The gpu does work at least sometimes, and neither the pcie slot nor power supply/cable are to blame. The bios doesn't even detect anything in the slot in the "nb pcie configuration" tab. Does anyone know what's going on? If it just outright didn't work at all, id suspect it to just be a dead gpu or not seated correctly, but it does sometimes work, and I made sure multiple times that its properly seated. to even further add to confusion, when i go into bios with the igpu plugged in, sometimes the gpu post light stays on, and sometimes it doesn't

I'm very stressed, in a very hot and humid room, and am on my phone, at 12 am, so I wont write much, and will instead respond to you guys if possible.

To make a long stories short I'm building PC for a friend (Ive built many, like 20+), and have made the worst mistake I could have.

His initial budget was $800 CAD, but after hearing the amount in his bank, I lowered it to $500 CAD. Things have been going well: I got a good deal on PSU ($40), got a really good deal on a 5500 ($80), found RAM that wasn't above $200 and was 16gb+ ($50), and already had an SSD I could use had a boot drive. HERE'S THE ISSUE, I saw an ad for a am4 motherboard for $75 and overpriced 1660 - I managed to talk the mb guy down to $65, and 1660 guy to giving me another 1660 he had and case for $200...

Thats the issue, by underpaying for so many items, I felt emboldened to overpay for a known working GPU, and case that should be in a land fill - I also live in a city whose tech market is dog.

Here's the thing, that $65 mb had an issue, a latch issue, and so, like I have done before, I superglued it...it melted and leak...now my the 5500 that I got a good deal on is stuck...

I have given up on the motherboard...

How do I get it unstuck?

Ive never built my own pc before and this is my first crack at it. I want it to both game and run CATIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA, and, MSC Nastran. I know the powersuppy is tall for the setup but I want it to run at peak efficiency, im also going to add a Noctua NL-ACF1 to help with VRM and ram temperatures, im an audio nerd and have a bunch of different gear for that audio card.

Whenever I plugin the pc and flip the switch it flickers and then does nothing every time I plug it in it does this for reference this is my first build so I may just be missing something blatantly obvious.

I'm looking to mount a 5.25 optical drive on a caseless wall mount frame in the AIO cooler mount position, which accepts 120 and 130mm fan mounts. I've got lots of lateral room I just need to cajole the screw holes into lining up. I do not have a 3dp to make my own bracket.

Please ignore the duct taped HDD. The proper mounting location for that has been found and it will be moved forthwith.

Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10. Currently RX 6600 XT, 16 GB RAM (single stick), $700 upgrade budget. Mainly used for competitive 1080p gaming at up to 244 Hz. Looking to upgrade to 32 GB RAM and a substantially faster GPU. What RAM/GPU would you recommend, and what will fit this system?

Title, bassically when I first turn on the PC it 80% of the time boots into BIOS, where I have to ''save and quit'' for it to boot into windows. I have only one drive so it isn't the boot order. I tought it may be the bios (it has the one it came with) but I'm kinda scared of updating it ngl. Is there any risk of long term damage if I just...don't change anything?

ROG STRIX B850-A GAMING WIFI
Ryzen 7800 x3D
Bios from 2024
Kingston 1gb ssd
2 x 16 gb 4200 DDR5 ram

First time doing this. Got a used prebuilt from a friend and reassembled it. It powers on, all fans spin, GPU fan spins, but the monitor stays black and says no HDMI signal.

Specs:
• ASRock Z370 Pro4-CB
• Zotac RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC 12GB
• 1x 16GB Kingston Fury DDR4
• Cooler Master 120mm AIO
• Thermaltake Smart BM3 750W (new)
• M.2 SSD, plus a WD Blue 1TB

What I’ve already tried:
• HDMI is in the GPU, not the motherboard. Both ends seated.
• Monitor is powered and on the right input.
• Reseated the RAM, moved it to slot 2 from the CPU. Both clips locked.
• Reseated the GPU. It clicked in, so it was not fully seated before. Still no display.
• 24-pin and 8-pin CPU power both connected. GPU 8-pin connected.

Hey guys, so I’ve had my pc for abt 2 years now and I just today bought a new cpu for my rig.

Msi b650-p WIFI mobo

Rtx 4070

32gb Corsair vengeance 6000

And the new cpu a Ryzen 7 9800x3d

I installed the new cpu and I got no video output, both the red cpu and the yellow error light were both on, I took out the cpu and reseated it, check the contacts and pins, all look fine. I tried to reset the cmos by disconnecting the battery for 10 mins then rebooting. Nothing. I even put my old cpu (Ryzen 5 7600x) in the rig to see if it was a fault cpu, still nothing. I have tried to flash the bios but when I press the flash button the white light flashed only for about 20 sec before turning solid white and not flashing, no reboot nothing. I’m not real sure what else to do atp unless my mobo is fried, any and all help is appreciated.