PC Fan spin, no display

[MercG]

Hi, a friend is having some PC trouble, I'm hoping you guys can help

 

He was using an i5-4460 and wanted to upgrade to an i7-4790k. He kept the same motherboard ( MSI H97M-E35 ), swapped in the new chip, added a new CPU cooler & case, and now the PC does not output anything to the display. It turns on, the fans spin, but it doesn't output anything to the display. Doesn't flash a POST screen or show any error messages, just a black screen and the monitor doesn't detect a signal. The weird part is that the problem persists even with his original CPU ( i5-4460 ) back in the board. I don't have physical access to the machine, but he does. I wasn't physically with him during the installation so I can't be certain how he did everything, but I'm sure he did it correctly. From a visual overview through video chat, everything apears to be plugged in correctly.

 

Here's a list of things we tried (with the original CPU back in the board), the result remained the same throughout:

• Thought it was the monitor. He connected a Nintendo Switch to the monitor and it works.
• Thought it could have been GPU, so we tried removing the video card (GTX 970) and running off the motherboard HDMI. When the HDMI didn't work, we tried VGA. No success.
• Removing all external peripherals
• Removing all the drives (disconnecting SATA and SATA power)
• Reseating the RAM
• He has 2 Hyperx 8GB DIMMs, we tried booting with a single DIMM, alternating the DIMMs in both RAM slots and went through all possible permutations.
• Unplugging all the motherboard power connectors and reconnecting
• Resetting the CMOS
• Waiting a overnight with it unplugged

Extra information that might be of help:

• I asked if the motherboard has its own onboard power indicator LED. He said there isn't one.
• The power LEDs aren't working on the new case. He believes they did work on his old case. I think the front panel stuff is plugged in correctly.
• When turning off the computer in its current state, the power button needs to be held for 5 seconds. It doesn't turn off instantly when pressing the power button.
• His keyboard and mouse don't light up when connected to the USB ports. Ethernet indicator lights don't turn on either.
• He says the CPU socket doesn't have any bent pins.
• The motherboard speaker is plugged in, but it's not outputting anything. He's not sure if the motherboard speaker has ever worked.

Things we haven't tried:

• Swapping out more parts (other than CPU) with known-good hardware. He doesn't have spare parts at hand.
• Booting off a GNU/Linux USB
• Changing the CMOS battery
• Connecting the power LEDs of the old case

Specifications:

• CPU: i5-4460
• Motherboard: MSI H97M-E35
• RAM: 2x8GB Hyperx DDR3
• Video card: GIGABYTE WindForce GTX 970 (4?)GB
• PSU: EVGA 600W Bronze
• Storage: Samsung Evo SSD and an HDD all connected with SATA
• OS: Windows 10 (Home edition I think)
• Case: Corsair Carbide 275R

 

Thanks

 

[CopiWasTaken]

6 minutes ago, MercG said:

Hi, a friend is having some PC trouble, I'm hoping you guys can help

 

He was using an i5-4460 and wanted to upgrade to an i7-4790k. He kept the same motherboard ( MSI H97M-E35 ), swapped in the new chip, added a new CPU cooler & case, and now the PC does not output anything to the display. It turns on, the fans spin, but it doesn't output anything to the display. Doesn't flash a POST screen or show any error messages, just a black screen and the monitor doesn't detect a signal. The weird part is that the problem persists even with his original CPU ( i5-4460 ) back in the board. I don't have physical access to the machine, but he does. I wasn't physically with him during the installation so I can't be certain how he did everything, but I'm sure he did it correctly. From a visual overview through video chat, everything apears to be plugged in correctly.

 

Here's a list of things we tried (with the original CPU back in the board), the result remained the same throughout:

• Thought it was the monitor. He connected a Nintendo Switch to the monitor and it works.
• Thought it could have been GPU, so we tried removing the video card (GTX 970) and running off the motherboard HDMI. When the HDMI didn't work, we tried VGA. No success.
• Removing all external peripherals
• Removing all the drives (disconnecting SATA and SATA power)
• Reseating the RAM
• He has 2 Hyperx 8GB DIMMs, we tried booting with a single DIMM, alternating the DIMMs in both RAM slots and went through all possible permutations.
• Unplugging all the motherboard power connectors and reconnecting
• Resetting the CMOS
• Waiting a overnight with it unplugged

Extra information that might be of help:

• I asked if the motherboard has its own onboard power indicator LED. He said there isn't one.
• The power LEDs aren't working on the new case. He believes they did work on his old case. I think the front panel stuff is plugged in correctly.
• When turning off the computer in its current state, the power button needs to be held for 5 seconds. It doesn't turn off instantly when pressing the power button.
• His keyboard and mouse don't light up when connected to the USB ports. Ethernet indicator lights don't turn on either.
• He says the CPU socket doesn't have any bent pins.
• The motherboard speaker is plugged in, but it's not outputting anything. He's not sure if the motherboard speaker has ever worked.

Things we haven't tried:

• Swapping out more parts (other than CPU) with known-good hardware. He doesn't have spare parts at hand.
• Booting off a GNU/Linux USB
• Changing the CMOS battery
• Connecting the power LEDs of the old case

Specifications:

• CPU: i5-4460
• Motherboard: MSI H97M-E35
• RAM: 2x8GB Hyperx DDR3
• Video card: GIGABYTE WindForce GTX 970 (4?)GB
• PSU: EVGA 600W Bronze
• Storage: Samsung Evo SSD and an HDD all connected with SATA
• OS: Windows 10 (Home edition I think)
• Case: Corsair Carbide 275R

 

Thanks

 

Does the MB show some numbers/letters when you attempt to boot? That could be an error code.

[PorkishPig]

You need a BIOS update, MSI H97M-E35 requires BIOS version 7846vK1 or above in order to support a i7-4790K. See http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-MSI/H97M-E35.html.

[MercG]

44 minutes ago, ItzCopiouz said:

Does the MB show some numbers/letters when you attempt to boot? That could be an error code.

No, that motherboard has no digital readout. https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/H97M-E35.html

[MercG]

41 minutes ago, PorkishPig said:

You need a BIOS update, MSI H97M-E35 requires BIOS version 7846vK1 or above in order to support a i7-4790K. See http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-MSI/H97M-E35.html.

Thanks for your response. Yes, we thought that might be the case, however the computer does not boot with the original CPU installed.

[PorkishPig]

7 minutes ago, MercG said:

Thanks for your response. Yes, we thought that might be the case, however the computer does not boot with the original CPU installed.

Gotcha, missed that part of your post. Did he clear his CMOS after installing the 4790k, and again after reinstalling the 4460?

[MercG]

Just now, PorkishPig said:

Gotcha, missed that part of your post. Did he clear his CMOS after installing the 4790k, and again after reinstalling the 4460?

No worries. Only once after reinstalling the 4460.

[PorkishPig]

Just now, MercG said:

No worries. Only once after reinstalling the 4460.

It really sounds like the 8-pin power connector isn't connected based on the board's behavior. Did he verify all power connections?

 

Otherwise, I would have to assume physical damage to the board occurred based on your troubleshooting steps.

[MercG]

24 minutes ago, PorkishPig said:

It really sounds like the 8-pin power connector isn't connected based on the board's behavior. Did he verify all power connections?

 

Otherwise, I would have to assume physical damage to the board occurred based on your troubleshooting steps.

He's got a 4-pin power connector for the CPU. Tried reconnecting it multiple times, but still no

[PorkishPig]

23 minutes ago, MercG said:

He's got a 4-pin power connector for the CPU. Tried reconnecting it multiple times, but still no

Oh, grabbed the wrong manual it seems. Yeah, sounds like a dead board. I can't think of anything else that could be causing this particular set of issues.

[MercG]

Just now, PorkishPig said:

Oh, grabbed the wrong manual it seems. Yeah, sounds like a dead board. I can't think of anything else that could be causing this particular set of issues.

Dang it. Oh well, thanks so much for your help anyway.