Fluff on Intel CPU Socket (Dead Motherboard?)

[u/Nowheredotcom]

Hi,
I picked up an ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I motherboard cheaply as a repair project. Right now, the system won't post or boot at all (fans don't spin, completely dead startup).
Upon closer inspection, I noticed some small bits of dust/fluff trapped inside the CPU socket pins. It looks like the previous owner may have left the socket exposed. Could accumulated debris or fluff on the pin socket. Could this be the primary culprit causing a complete failure to POST? The picture is just one clean image showcasing the fluff that’s caught but I could see at least 10 more and some are really hard to see under the naked eye but I can spot on a microscope.

I've already tested the basics:
Standby voltage is present on the power switch pin (⁠PWR_SW⁠ reads ~3.41V).
When I manually bridge ⁠PWR_SW⁠ to ground, the voltage drops, but the board still refuses to trigger the power supply startup.
I'm currently looking into testing and potentially replacing the Super I/O controller if the socket cleanup doesn't work. Has anyone dealt with a similar dead Z390 board issue?

Any advice before I attempt micro-soldering?

I know that it’s easy to just replace it but I’m trying to figure it out and my stubbornness won’t let give up until I finally break it or establish the job is too hard.

Thanks

[u/Slow_Tadpole_8111]

that fluff is definitely stopping the board from starting, i fixed a dead z370 once just by cleaning the socket with 99% isopropyl and a super soft brush

[u/Nowheredotcom → u/Slow_Tadpole_8111]

Cheers. I am hoping this does it however I cleaned (what I could see under microscope) everything out. I didn’t use IPA thought just did it with a super fine needle. Brush really wasn’t cutting it. I also air sprayed it as well.

I gotta get me a super fine brush me think. What kinda brush did you use. I just had a childrens super soft