Motherboard won't power on...Q-Flash works

[dragonhart6505]

So...I got some parts gifted to me from a friend in Canada to the East Coast US:

 

Aorus A520M Elite motherboard

Ryzen 3300x CPU w/ cooler (I'll get to that)

16GB Hynix RAM (one stick...it'll do for now)

GameMax 600W Bronze PSU

ROG Strix 2080TI

 

Yes...they GIFTED me this setup, assuring everything worked properly when it was sent. Pretty sweet deal considering our first meeting was a talk over Discord and all I did was offer to show them how to use OBS. They said they upgraded to a new system, do I want them. After some hesitation, I accepted and about a month later here it is. However, they weren't very savvy on the packaging process. The CPU was installed in the motherboard without any kind of support except for tightly wrapped bubble wrap and...well you can imagine that didn't fair too well. It was popped out of the socket and had MANY bent pins. After 3 hours, I managed to "only" lose 5 pins, but it drops lightly into the socket as it should. I'm not so worried about this component...if I need a new CPU, no big deal as there is plenty of headroom for an upgrade. That is IF this motherboard works.

 

Things I CAN confirm at least get power:

PSU (not familiar with the brand...will certainly be looking at a new one)

GPU (middle fan is rickety with a broken pin...maybe some super glue or order a new fan/cooler...unable to test functionality, however)

Motherboard (via the Q-Flash button with an updated bios on a USB)

 

On that note: the motherboard won't power on from the front panel header. It only turns on during the Q-Flash process, which does appear to be working; no solid amber light, it blinks slowly to show the flash is ongoing and powers off the system when it appears to complete after about 3-4 minutes. Shorting the power pins on the header does nothing, however. It does not power on with or without components installed even just to test its functionality. There does not appear to be any physical damage to the board itself aside from a couple missing RAM clips.

 

I have a theoretical for-now/can-you-even solution that I would like some input on. A momentary switch was connected to the power pins on the header when I received it, which were bent at 90 degrees. My theory is that maybe these pins aren't connected anymore from inside the header, causing there to be no connection to the motherboard. I cannot confirm this and don't want to do anything until I get some feedback.

 

My theoretical is this: could I desolder the front panel header entirely and short the location of those pins manually from the board itself to get a signal to the PSU and boot the system? As I said Q-Flash doesn't appear to notice anything physically wrong with the board as there is no interruption during the bios flash so it MIGHT still work. Ideally I would just get a new board, test the CPU and realize its borked then buckle down and buy that as well. I am a few weeks out from being able to actually do that yet so...yeah, is this something I could try? Is there any other way I could potentially turn the motherboard on or should I just suck it because it was free sh*t anyway so I'm not really losing out?

[MonkeyBomb]

Yeesh...generous of him to gift you hardware, but sounds like a bit of a mess.

 

First thing, you need to buy a new cpu.  "I managed to "only" lose 5 pins", the CPU will need those 5 pins to work so you know it's toast to start. Once you get a new cpu and get it installed, see if it powers on and then fix/replace anything else that isn't working.

 

Seeing as how you know the CPU is bad, you can't really confirm whether or not the motherboard is defective until you replace the cpu.

 

Do you have a pic of the "momentary switch", I'm curious to see what's going on there.

 

As far as the GPU goes, the middle fan is "middle fan is rickety with a broken pin".  Do you mean a broken fan blade?  If so, gluing it back on I don't know how well that would work as the fan will most likely be off balance.  You may want to look at getting a 3rd party replacement fan for reliable use.

[dragonhart6505]

9 minutes ago, MonkeyBomb said:

Yeesh...generous of him to gift you hardware, but sounds like a bit of a mess.

 

First thing, you need to buy a new cpu.  "I managed to "only" lose 5 pins", the CPU will need those 5 pins to work so you know it's toast to start. Once you get a new cpu and get it installed, see if it powers on and then fix/replace anything else that isn't working.

 

Seeing as how you know the CPU is bad, you can't really confirm whether or not the motherboard is defective until you replace the cpu.

The board should at least still power on without anything installed though, would it not? I have in the past gotten that far with diagnosis, which isn't a new concept for me. This issue in particular is just something I haven't come across before.

 

In videos on LTT and other channels, it was shown the CPU COULD still work if a bit unstable. I didn't plan to work with the 3300x long-term anyway; it's a decent enough starter processor but will bog the GPU down I am aware

[dragonhart6505]

20 minutes ago, MonkeyBomb said:

Do you have a pic of the "momentary switch", I'm curious to see what's going on there.

 

As far as the GPU goes, the middle fan is "middle fan is rickety with a broken pin".  Do you mean a broken fan blade?  If so, gluing it back on I don't know how well that would work as the fan will most likely be off balance.  You may want to look at getting a 3rd party replacement fan for reliable use.

It's just a case switch...nothing special...maybe "momentary switch" wasn't the right term. Shorting the pins on the motherboard manually with a screwdriver or whatever still does nothing.

 

The pin I mentioned on the GPU fan is the pin that connects the fan to the motor; it's wiggly. When I ran the PSU by shorting the 4th and 5th of the 24pin connector, it was rather unbalanced and noisy

[Cyberat]

Wondering if those 5 pins are still in the socket ??? So the next CPU install won't be a disaster, you need to clean that up.

[IkeaGnome]

5 hours ago, dragonhart6505 said:

The board should at least still power on without anything installed though, would it not? I have in the past gotten that far with diagnosis, which isn't a new concept for me. This issue in particular is just something I haven't come across before.

 

In videos on LTT and other channels, it was shown the CPU COULD still work if a bit unstable. I didn't plan to work with the 3300x long-term anyway; it's a decent enough starter processor but will bog the GPU down I am aware

It depends on what pins you're missing. If you're missing ones that make the motherboard think it has no CPU or a broken CPU it just won't POST. 

[dragonhart6505]

51 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

It depends on what pins you're missing. If you're missing ones that make the motherboard think it has no CPU or a broken CPU it just won't POST. 

right...but even without the CPU installed at all, the motherboard should still show life of some kind?

[dragonhart6505]

55 minutes ago, Cyberat said:

Wondering if those 5 pins are still in the socket ??? So the next CPU install won't be a disaster, you need to clean that up.

when i first inspected the CPU, i only noticed 1 missing pin. the others fell off while attempting to repair it. i have inspected the socket. there are no pins inside of it

[Cyberat]

That is one positive, I would not run that PC until the CPU is replaced. For 1 software can be totally corrupt by CPU malfunctioning with no error signs.

[dragonhart6505]

25 minutes ago, Cyberat said:

That is one positive, I would not run that PC until the CPU is replaced. For 1 software can be totally corrupt by CPU malfunctioning with no error signs.

ok, i totally accept this fact. i stated before i would use it only if it booted at all for a short period (i dont have an adequate storage solution yet anyway)...that still doesnt answer my question about powering on the motherboard without any CPU installed, however, something in the past i have had success with on older platforms and have looked around extensively about confirming "it can" but nothing in particular about this motherboard/platform.

 

i just want to see LIFE

[Cyberat]

Not without a CPU and get a 750W PSU while at it, from a known name brand.

[dragonhart6505]

8 hours ago, Cyberat said:

Not without a CPU and get a 750W PSU while at it, from a known name brand.

thank you. as i said, on older platforms this was possible. a reputable PSU is also on the list.

 

basically it comes down to i got a free high-end graphics card, a good motherboard (presumably) and some RAM. with the most expensive stuff already here, the CPU and PSU shouldn't be more than about $200 together. that is IF everything else DOES work as expected

[Cyberat]

Uhm, CPUs range $170-$570 depending what you get, a good PSU maybe at least $100, my pricing being outdated.

And no do not buy on E-Bay please. Do yourself a favor.

[dragonhart6505]

9 hours ago, Cyberat said:

Uhm, CPUs range $170-$570 depending what you get, a good PSU maybe at least $100, my pricing being outdated.

And no do not buy on E-Bay please. Do yourself a favor.

i can get a new Ryzen 3600 for $130 from a local shop...plenty to keep up with the 2080ti. there are second-hand Ryzen 5 4000 series listings on my local FB market for the same price, which i would certainly ask for live confirmation of their working condition. Best Buy has 750w Bronze Corsair PSU for $80...not efficient, but will work.

 

these are USD prices...and not my first time looking since even before the parts arrived. im not an "enthusiast" so im not looking to ball this thing out. i've been here and other forums before with far lower end machines keeping up with the big boys, including my old Optiplex 7010. i wouldnt have even bought anything as high-end as this myself even if i had the money to spare. im not gonna play at 4k, i have 0 interest in RTX or super high frames, i play/record/stream/create just fine on my Ryzen 4600h/1650ti Legion 5 laptop...this stuff was gifted, came from a mining rig and if it works it's enough for me. thanks for your help though

[Cyberat]

I wasn't quoting for used components and do not recommend buying such unless an expert in PC repairs.

But why listen to professionals ? Go do what comes to your mind at the moment.

[IkeaGnome]

On 12/24/2022 at 4:44 AM, dragonhart6505 said:

i can get a new Ryzen 3600 for $130 from a local shop...plenty to keep up with the 2080ti. there are second-hand Ryzen 5 4000 series listings on my local FB market for the same price, which i would certainly ask for live confirmation of their working condition. Best Buy has 750w Bronze Corsair PSU for $80...not efficient, but will work.

 

these are USD prices...and not my first time looking since even before the parts arrived. im not an "enthusiast" so im not looking to ball this thing out. i've been here and other forums before with far lower end machines keeping up with the big boys, including my old Optiplex 7010. i wouldnt have even bought anything as high-end as this myself even if i had the money to spare. im not gonna play at 4k, i have 0 interest in RTX or super high frames, i play/record/stream/create just fine on my Ryzen 4600h/1650ti Legion 5 laptop...this stuff was gifted, came from a mining rig and if it works it's enough for me. thanks for your help though

Instead of just saying "Get new parts" let's see what's usable and what's not? Which 5 pins are broken off the CPU? Pictures? The power supply working for the Qflash process says that's at least mostly working. Same with the motherboard since the flash appears to work. 

Putting this here so I don't have to find it again later.

Spoiler

Can you also post pictures of the CPU socket?

[dragonhart6505]

50 minutes ago, Cyberat said:

But why listen to professionals ? Go do what comes to your mind at the moment.

24yrs experience...just wanted confirmation on how to proceed with a newer platform

[dragonhart6505]

42 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Instead of just saying "Get new parts" let's see what's usable and what's not? Which 5 pins are broken off the CPU? Pictures? The power supply working for the Qflash process says that's at least mostly working. Same with the motherboard since the flash appears to work. 

Putting this here so I don't have to find it again later.

  Hide contents

Can you also post pictures of the CPU socket?

can do, give me a few minutes to setup a decent enough light situation

[dragonhart6505]

1 hour ago, IkeaGnome said:

Instead of just saying "Get new parts" let's see what's usable and what's not? Which 5 pins are broken off the CPU? Pictures? The power supply working for the Qflash process says that's at least mostly working. Same with the motherboard since the flash appears to work. 

Putting this here so I don't have to find it again later.

  Hide contents

Can you also post pictures of the CPU socket?

arrows pointing to the missing pin locations, in the orientation of your provided mapping (6 pins...i can count, i promise). not fantastic quality...iPhone 12 mini things lmao

 

also provided pics of the GPU and PSU. no, that cable did not originate with this PSU. its supposedly from Cable Mod and was assured the GPU was run with that cable on this GPU/PSU. naughty, i know...considering i got the components at all, i was willing to trust my friends judgement. i have cleaned it and repasted, though i may do so again as my tube of paste may have had barely enough for coverage of the IHS. better safe than (further) sorry

 

from comparing the diagram to my CPU, it appears the left-most single missing pin is iGPU related while the right-most pins are memory channel B related with 1 VSS relation

 

thoughts? (shes probably f**ked, mate)

[IkeaGnome]

2 minutes ago, dragonhart6505 said:

arrows pointing to the missing pin locations, in the orientation of your provided mapping (6 pins...i can count, i promise)

 

also provided pics of the GPU and PSU. no, that cable did not originate with this PSU. its supposedly from Cable Mod and was assured the GPU was run with that cable on this GPU/PSU. naughty, i know...considering i got the components at all, i was willing to trust my friends judgement.

 

from comparing the diagram to my CPU, it appears the left-most single missing pin is iGPU related while the right-most pins are memory channel B related with 1 VSS relation

 

thoughts? (shes probably f**ked, mate)

 

 

 

 

 

Which corner of the CPU is this compared to the corner with the 4 "missing" pins, top left of the diagram. Top right?

[dragonhart6505]

1 minute ago, IkeaGnome said:

Which corner of the CPU is this compared to the corner with the 4 "missing" pins, top left of the diagram. Top right?

5* (4 separated by a good pin, one solo on the right) and yes, this is the top right corner

[IkeaGnome]

Just now, dragonhart6505 said:

5* and yes, top right

So in that picture from left to right, it's VSS(ground) missing, MB_DATA(part of the DRAM Bus), VSS and then MB_DQS, MB_DATA. And yes, the other is a IGPU pin. I'd expect the CPU to want to work, just with no channel B for ram. 

Do you still have the pins that fell off or no? 

Since the power supply is out and on it's own, do you have a molex fan or two you can hook up to it? Run the old paperclip test and make sure it stays on. 

https://help.corsair.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025085372-How-to-Test-a-PSU-Power-Supply-Unit-

[dragonhart6505]

2 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

So in that picture from left to right, it's VSS(ground) missing, MB_DATA(part of the DRAM Bus), VSS and then MB_DQS, MB_DATA. And yes, the other is a IGPU pin. I'd expect the CPU to want to work, just with no channel B for ram. 

Do you still have the pins that fell off or no? 

Since the power supply is out and on it's own, do you have a molex fan or two you can hook up to it? Run the old paperclip test and make sure it stays on. 

https://help.corsair.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025085372-How-to-Test-a-PSU-Power-Supply-Unit-

oh no, those pins are long gone.

 

attached are a couple more pics of the situation. one is of 2 more missing "Greenish" pins (bottom right of the diagram) and the other is of some thermal goo that seems to have come under the CPU at some point. they look related to GPIO? would that do anything wonky?

[dragonhart6505]

7 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Since the power supply is out and on it's own, do you have a molex fan or two you can hook up to it? Run the old paperclip test and make sure it stays on. 

https://help.corsair.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025085372-How-to-Test-a-PSU-Power-Supply-Unit-

i tested the PSU from the 4th and 5th pins of the 24pin cable...this was to test the GPU situation. stays on for an extended period, seemingly without issue

[IkeaGnome]

2 minutes ago, dragonhart6505 said:

oh no, those pins are long gone.

 

attached are a couple more pics of the situation. one is of 2 more missing "Greenish" pins (bottom right of the diagram) and the other is of some thermal goo that seems to have come under the CPU at some point. they look related to GPIO? would that do anything wonky?

What has me worried for that CPU is the damage to the corners of the pcb. I'll send you a DM about that. Without the pins and a soldering iron, I don't know how fixable that cpu is.