Possible dead motherboard?

notlok · March 30, 2018

mobo: ASRock Z75 Pro3

cpu: Intel Core i5-3470 w/ stock cpu cooler

ram: 8gb (2x4gb) Corsair vengeance ddr3

gpu: MSI R7 265 2GD5 OC

psu: Corsair CX430M

hdd: 1tb Seagate (whatever?)

***TL;DR My computer was working fine, randomly shut off, and won't turn back on. I think I have a dead motherboard.

So I built this PC during the summer of 2014, so I'm expecting the worst. The issue that I've been subject to in the past is that my PC entered a boot loop for a long time without me recognizing what the source of the issue was (out of ignorance, mainly). This had happened for a month or so. Regardless of the boot loop, my computer would still turn on eventually. Once I realized that I could solve the issue by resetting the CMOS, that's exactly what I did. After the first boot went perfect, and I reset the date and time, it seemed that my problems were solved.

A few (~2-3) days went by of flawless usage, and I put my computer to sleep (something I would do quite often). I come back after a few hours and turn it on. It boots normally and resumes where I had left it. I try and load a webpage on google chrome and I notice that my computer isn't getting internet from my ethernet cable. I try to take it out and plug it back in to try and solve the problem, but nothing happened. So I figure the best way to solve the issue is to just simply restart my computer (something that I was having success with the past few days). Without hesitation I do so. Then, after my chassis fans don't turn off (something that I've experienced before when it was going through boot loops in the past) I have to manually hold the power button to shut it off (disappointment ensues). I try to turn the system back on, but all that I see happening is the fans turn on (like what happened when I restarted it from windows to solve the ethernet problem) and no picture would come up on my monitor. Restarting the system again only brought me to notice that the GPU fan was hesitating very awkwardly (not normal) before turning on (to what seems like not full power?), and my mouse and keyboard were not getting powered up at all.

I start troubleshooting. First of all, I figure (ignorantly) that it has got to be the bios acting up again so I immediately take the battery out of the mobo and put it back in to reset the cmos again. No luck. My next attempt was to go to Wal-Mart and buy a new mobo battery (making sure I get the right one). After using the new one, same issue as before. **I read that you can start a system without a battery in the motherboard to bypass something, but I may be very stupid even though I tried that with no luck of the system even turning on so obviously I read wrong or something** (I interchange the two CR2032 batteries during some of the steps of troubleshooting -- probably a mistake?). I take out the gpu, leave in 1 stick of ram (trying in different slots), unplug a chassis fan, and narrow the issue down to the psu and motherboard. With just the cpu (w/ cooler), 1 4gb stick of ram (trying in different slots), and motherboard in (with the display going through an hdmi); I get the same issue (powers on, fans run [note the cpu fan always ran with every step of t-s], no picture on display, and no power to keyboard or mouse). Luckily, my brother built a pc around the same time as me and we used similar components where he has the same power supply as me. So I get him to let me borrow it to try and narrow down the issue to the psu or mobo. Using the same orientation/setup as the last troubleshoot but with his power supply I get the exact same result. (I returned his psu and his system booted up again no problem).

Conclusion: I have a dead motherboard that there is no use in attempting to salvage or fix it?

*I should note that I don't always get the chance to use my computer because of other commitments, so sometimes my computer wouldn't be turned on for literal weeks. (I realize this could be the reason for the dead mobo or other possible components).

Any other advice is greatly appreciated!!!