Aorus X470 build - no boot after a week

kelainefes · 11 Aug 2018 at 10:05

Hi all, I'm here looking for help.
As title says, I built a new pc a week ago, now it is failing to boot, the led alternates between CPU (like 3-4 seconds) and DRAM (just a short flash).
It happened after I restarted from Windows, bios/oc settings had not been changed in that session.
I had installed a big CPU cooler like 30 minutes before but the PC behaved just fine up until that moment, and the idle CPU temp was about 10c lower compared to stock.

I tried putting the stock cooling back, booting with only one stick of memory in all of the slots, reseated the CPU, cleared the CMOS with a jumper as well, even bought another DDR4 stick just to see if the memory was damaged, all to no effect.

Here's the specs:

Mobo: Gigabyte Aorus Gaming Ultra X470
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000 2x4GB (CMK8GX4M2B3000C15)
Storage: WD Black NVMe 250GB (WDS250G2X0C)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti SC GAMING
PSU: OCZ ModXstream-Pro 600w
OS: Windows 10 Home x64

The cpu was running at 3.85GHz (100*38.5) and the mem was going at 3200 using XMP timings.
System had been stable so far, I had only gamed a bit and used prime95 for a few minutes with it so far though.
Stock cooling was good while gaming (about 50-55c max) but not for stress testing, I was manually canceling when the temp went over 70c, which it did every time within a few minutes.

Please advise on what can be attempted to get this system to boot before I have to get another motherboard.

EsaT · 11 Aug 2018 at 11:31

Would start by quarantining that ancient O'CrapZ until tested with oscilloscope.
Though honestly wouldn't even bother with that and would recommend just showing it fine adjuster before dumping it to WEEE bin.

It was never any high end PSU and might have complete China garbage capacitors in design where they get very little airflow.
https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Cases...tream-Pro-600W-Power-Supply-Review/Under-Hood

For that level graphics card (if you're not going to get high end cards) even 450W PSU would be good:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/bitfenix-formula-series-450w-80-plus-gold-power-supply-ca-22x-bx.html
If you want modular cabling Seasonic Focus Plus is now cheapest of good ones:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/seas...plus-gold-modular-power-supply-ca-05p-ss.html

kelainefes · 11 Aug 2018 at 12:15

Hi there, thx for the reply, EsaT, so what you mean is that my PSU crapped his pants and died, that it killed some other component, or maybe both?
I did test it (voltmeter only) before the build and voltages were spot on, although I know this does not mean much without an oscilloscope test.
Is that diagnostic LED pattern typical of something?

EsaT · 11 Aug 2018 at 16:55

With likely cheap crap capacitors that PSU was designed to fail from start.
700W version also failed to pass HardOCP's testing.
https://www.hardocp.com/article/2008/11/12/ocz_700w_modxstream_pro_power_supply/9

Definitely wouldn't trust such PSU anymore.

orbitalwalsh · 11 Aug 2018 at 20:30

Which cooler did you buy to attach ?

Have been issues in the past with backplates for AM4 stock, MSI being either too think/thick and the. Some coolers being bottles to hard/turned a turn to many and bending the socket slightly .

Did you cooler use clips that are found on the board as defualt or did it require removing and bolted to stock backplate ?

kelainefes · 11 Aug 2018 at 22:53

The cooler used was a Silenx iXtrema PRO IXC120HA2, a 4*8mm heatpipes tower, direct contact, aluminium fins, tower style.
I used the cooler master AM4 retention kit to install it on the board, as it bolts on the board's backplate. Mobo was horizontal.
Thermal paste used was Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut as it's easy to spread, offers good performance and it's non conducting.

Big Frank · 12 Aug 2018 at 00:22

Try plugging in another psu? Maybe it is the power supply.

I doubt the cooler had anything to do with it considering you cleaned and re-applied thermal paste.

Perhaps the voltage from the new cooler caused an issue?

kelainefes · 12 Aug 2018 at 09:12

I think I will get another PSU to see if the OCZ gave up the ghost.
What do you mean with "voltage from the new cooler"?

Big Frank · 12 Aug 2018 at 11:39

kelainefes said:
I think I will get another PSU to see if the OCZ gave up the ghost.
What do you mean with "voltage from the new cooler"?

If the new cooler required more power than the stock cooler it may have caused an issue if the psu was dodgy anyway.

kelainefes · 12 Aug 2018 at 16:24

The fan attached to the cooler had less than 0.5A draw, I doubt it was that.

kelainefes · 21 Aug 2018 at 16:55

Update: I purchased a new PSU, the Corsair SF450, based on the review by Jonnyguru.
It is powerful enough for my system and cheap aswell.
Installed it, issue presents itself in the same way.
I will swap the mobo next, at least I will be sure that any future issue will not be caused by an ageing, defective PSU.

kelainefes · 23 Aug 2018 at 13:01

New update: mobo arrived yesterday, installed it and boot at first try.
Passed 1 hour prime95 blend test, so the first impression is that issues where limited to the motherboard.

orbitalwalsh · 23 Aug 2018 at 13:11

kelainefes said:
New update: mobo arrived yesterday, installed it and boot at first try.
Passed 1 hour prime95 blend test, so the first impression is that issues where limited to the motherboard.

good to hear its all working!

kelainefes · 30 Aug 2018 at 16:58

Much to my dismay, the same issue came back today.
I'm at a loss as to what it could have been as last time I used my pc everything was fine, then today it is refusing to boot.
Any ideas?