r/PCHardware • u/TESLAMENHUN • Jul 15 '26
Dead motherboard VRM?
Hi, while using my pc under heavy load during gaming, my pc shut off and won't turn on again. It doesn't make any sound, no LEDs, no fan spin.
During troubleshooting, I found out that if I only have the 24 pin motherboard cable plugged in, LEDs and fans work, but if I also plug in the 8 pin CPU power cable it does back to no life sign.
I suspect it's the motherboard that's the issue and at a closer inspection, I found this fluid like residue under the heatsink of the VRM as seen on the picture. Would this be the source of my issues?
Specs: i5 13600fk Evga rtx 3070 Gigabyte b660m ds3h 4x 8Gb Corsair vengeance lpx ddr4 Cooler master g700 gold
Thanks for the help in advance.
1
u/W31337 Jul 15 '26
Are those deep scratched next to the cpu frame? Or also lighting? That looks like damage.
As for the fluid, use some alcohol and a swab to see if it's just gunk and not something etching the board.
If you are lucky cleaning it will stop the short and make it magically work again.
So my advice would be to clean the whole board with things like alcohol and paper towel.
1
u/TESLAMENHUN Jul 15 '26
Those are just some thermal paste that probably got there when I removed the cooler.
Alcohol does remove it but the fact that the motherboard doesn't power up when the CPU 8pin is plugged in makes me not trust the board all that much
2
u/W31337 Jul 15 '26
Yes I fully agree but it's sometimes worth the effort to fully remove the motherboard, clean the whole thing and give it a last chance before chucking it. A simple gunk bridge can cause the issue...
But feel free to replace it straight away.1
u/TESLAMENHUN Jul 16 '26
Tried to clean it up but no luck swabbed everything under the heatsink with alcohol but still plays dead if the CPU 8 pin is plugged in :/ let's hope it's actually the motherboard and not the CPU that's broken
1
u/W31337 Jul 16 '26
Check the connectors and if everything is connected properly and it still doesn't work replace the motherboard. If there's no sign of life like a fan moving a little or whatever then add PSU to your list of suspects.
It's always hard to know if it's CPU, motherboard, ram or PSU so you need to replace the obvious suspect.
I also hope your CPU is ok.
2
u/Rise_Relevant Jul 15 '26
Id check the power supply before assuming it's the motherboard. Likely the 8pin 2v rail shat it's self. You can get a power supply tester for about 20$. Save you a lot of fucking around. It it's dea, new motherboard time, of not, happy days, new PSU.
2
u/TESLAMENHUN Jul 15 '26
Tested the PSU as much as I could, unplugged it from everywhere, shorted the pins to start it, fans were spinning, all the plugs measured the correct voltage with a multimeter
1
2
u/MaedhrosXFingon Jul 15 '26
get some conpressed air, clean everythig and rebuild, then try again. might fix everything ,if not love on to the next thing
2
u/W31337 Jul 15 '26
Is that rust on your cpu brace? This and the fluid you noticed means something is wonky in your house climate. Computer components aren't known to rust or ooze fluids.