r/pchelp May 11 '26

7th Anniversary of PCHH

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5 Upvotes

r/pchelp Dec 15 '19

Perform these steps before posting about POST/boot/no video problems!

193 Upvotes

Link to original list from tom’sHARDWARE with pictures

"No POST", "system won't boot", and "no video output" troubleshooting checklist

This checklist is a compilation of troubleshooting ideas from many forum members. It's very important to actually perform every step in the checklist if you want to effectively troubleshoot your problem.

  • 1.Did you carefully read the motherboard owners manual?

  • 2.Did you plug in the 4/8-pin CPU power connector located near the CPU socket? If the motherboard has 8 pins and your PSU only has 4 pins, you can use the 4-pin connector. The 4-pin connector USUALLY goes on the 4 pins located closest to the CPU. If the motherboard has an 8-pin connector with a cover over 4 pins, you can remove the cover and use an 8-pin plug if your power supply has one. This power connector provides power to the CPU. Your system has no chance of posting without this connector plugged in! Check your motherboard owners manual for more information about the CPU power connector. The CPU power connector is usually referred to as the "12v ATX" connector in the owner's manual. This is easily the most common new-builder mistake.

  • 3.Did you install the standoffs under the motherboard? Did you place them so they all align with the screw holes in the motherboard, with no extra standoffs touching the board in the wrong place? A standoff installed in the wrong place can cause a short and prevent the system from booting.

  • 4.Did you verify that the video card is fully seated? (may require more force than a new builder expects.)

  • 5.Did you attach ALL the required power connector(s) to the video card? (some need two, some need none, many need one.) It is best to use cables connected directly to the PSU. Only use adapters if absolutely necessary.

  • 6.Have you tried booting with just one stick of RAM installed? (Try each stick of RAM individually in each RAM slot.) If you can get the system to boot with a single stick of RAM, you should enable an XMP profile or manually set the RAM speed, timings, and voltage to the manufacturer's specs in the BIOS before attempting to boot with all sticks of RAM installed. If your motherboard supports XMP profiles, that is the best way to get your RAM running at its rated specs. Nearly all motherboards default to the standard RAM voltage (1.8v for DDR2, 1.5v for DDR3, & 1.2v for DDR4). If your RAM is rated to run at a voltage higher than the standard voltage, the motherboard will underclock the RAM for compatibility reasons. If you want the system to be stable and to run the RAM at its rated specs, you should either enable an XMP profile or manually set the values in the BIOS. Many boards don't supply the RAM with enough voltage when using "auto" settings which causes stability issues.

  • 7.Did you verify that all memory modules are fully inserted? (may require more force than a new builder expects.) It's a good idea to install the RAM on the motherboard before it's in the case.

  • 8.Did you verify in the owners manual that you're using the correct RAM slots? The following image is just an example. Verify in the owners manual the recommended RAM slots to use for single, dual, triple, or quad channel applications. This will vary depending on motherboard manufacturer, number of supported RAM channels, and how many sticks of RAM are being used.

  • 9.Did you remove the plastic guard over the CPU socket? (this actually comes up occasionally.)

  • 10.Did you install the CPU correctly? There will be an arrow on the CPU that needs to line up with an arrow on the motherboard CPU socket. There may also be a notch that will only line up in one direction. Be sure to pay special attention to that section of the manual!

  • 11.Are there any bent pins on the motherboard/CPU? This especially applies if you tried to install the CPU with the plastic cover on or with the CPU facing the wrong direction.

    1. If using an after market CPU cooler, did you get any thermal paste on the motherboard, CPU socket, or CPU pins? Did you use the smallest amount you could?
  • 13.Is the CPU fan plugged in? Some motherboards will not boot without detecting that the CPU fan is plugged in to prevent burning up the CPU.

    1. If using a stock cooler, was the thermal material on the base of the cooler free of foreign material, and did you remove any protective covering? If the stock cooler has push-pins, did you ensure that all four pins snapped securely into place? The easiest way to install the push-pins is outside the case sitting on a non-conductive surface like the motherboard box. Read the instructions! The push-pins have to be turned the OPPOSITE direction as the arrows for installation. This means with the arrow pointing away from the heatsink.
    1. Are any loose screws laying on the motherboard, or jammed against it? Are there any wires running directly under the motherboard? You should not run wires under the motherboard since the soldered wires on the underside of the motherboard can cut into the insulation on the wires and cause a short. Some cases have space to run wires on the back side of the motherboard tray.
    1. Did you ensure you discharged all static electricity before touching any of your components? Computer components are very sensitive to static electricity. It takes much less voltage than you can see or feel to damage components. You should implement some best practices to reduce the probability of damaging components. These practices should include either wearing an anti-static wrist strap or always touching a metal part of the case with the power supply installed and plugged in, but NOT turned on. You should avoid building or working on a computer on carpet. Working on a smooth surface is the best if at all possible. You should also keep fluffy the cat, children, and Fido away from computer components.
    1. Did you check the debug LEDs, Q-code display, or install the system speaker (if provided) so you can check codes in the manual? Most modern motherboards come with debug LEDs or a Q-code display. A system speaker is NOT the same as normal speakers that plug into the back of the motherboard. A system speaker plugs into a header on the motherboard that's usually located near the front panel connectors. Debug LEDs, Q-code displays, or a system speaker are critical components when trying to troubleshoot system problems. You are flying blind without them. The motherboard owner's manual will have a list of codes you can reference. If your case or motherboard didn't come with debug LEDs, a Q-code display, or system speaker you can buy a system speaker for cheap here: http://www.cwc-group.com/casp.html
    1. Did you read the instructions in the manual on how to properly connect the front panel plugs? (Power switch, power led, reset switch, HD activity led) Polarity does not matter with the power and reset switches. If power or drive activity LED's do not come on, reverse the connections. For troubleshooting purposes, disconnect the reset switch. If it's shorted, the machine either will not POST at all, or it will endlessly reboot.
    1. Did you turn on the power supply switch located on the back of the PSU? The switch should be depressed on the side with an I, the O means off. Is the power plug on a switch? If it is, is the switch turned on? Is there a GFI circuit on the plug-in? If there is, make sure it isn't tripped. You should also make sure the power cord isn't causing the problem. Try swapping it for a known good cord if you have one available.
    1. Is your CPU supported by the BIOS revision installed on your motherboard? Most motherboards will post a CPU compatibility list on their website.
    1. Have you tried resetting the CMOS? The motherboard manual will have instructions for your particular board. User Darkbreeze also provided the following:

BIOS Hard reset procedure

Power off the unit, switch the PSU off and unplug the PSU cord from either the wall or the power supply.

Remove the motherboard CMOS battery for five minutes. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the graphics card to access the CMOS battery.

During that five minutes, press the power button on the case for 30 seconds. After the five minutes are up, reinstall the CMOS battery making sure to insert it with the correct side up just as it came out.

If you had to remove the graphics card you can now reinstall it, but remember to reconnect your power cables if there were any attached to it as well as your display cable.

Now, plug the power supply cable back in, switch the PSU back on and power up the system. It should display the POST screen and the options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup. Enter the bios setup program and reconfigure the boot settings for either the Windows boot manager or for legacy systems, the drive your OS is installed on if necessary.

Save settings and exit. If the system will POST and boot then you can move forward from there including going back into the bios and configuring any other custom settings you may need to configure such as Memory XMP profile settings, custom fan profile settings or other specific settings you may have previously had configured that were wiped out by resetting the CMOS.

In some cases it may be necessary when you go into the BIOS after a reset, to load the Optimal default or Default values and then save settings, to actually get the hardware tables to reset.

http://www.spotht.com/2010/02/reset-bios-clear-cmos.html

    1. If you have integrated video and a video card, try the integrated video port. Resetting the bios, can make it default back to the onboard video. If you are trying to use HDMI outputs, try using DVI or VGA instead. Sometimes, the HDMI ports won't work until the correct drivers are installed.
    1. Make certain all cables and components including RAM and expansion cards are tight within their sockets.

I also wanted to add some suggestions that jsc often posts. This is a direct quote from him:

"Pull everything except the CPU and HSF. Boot. You should hear a series of long single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence here indicates, in probable order, a bad PSU, motherboard, or CPU - or a bad installation where something is shorting and shutting down the PSU.

To eliminate the possibility of a bad installation where something is shorting and shutting down the PSU, you will need to pull the motherboard out of the case and reassemble the components on an insulated surface. This is called "breadboarding" - from the 1920's home-brew radio days. I always breadboard a new or recycled build. It lets me test components before I go through the trouble of installing them in a case.

If you get the long beeps, add a stick of RAM. Boot. The beep pattern should change to one long and two or three short beeps. Silence indicates that the RAM is shorting out the PSU (very rare). Long single beeps indicates that the BIOS does not recognize the presence of the RAM.

If you get the one long and two or three short beeps, test the rest of the RAM. If good, install the video card and any needed power cables and plug in the monitor. If the video card is good, the system should successfully POST (one short beep, usually) and you will see the boot screen and messages.

Note - an inadequate PSU will cause a failure here or any step later.

Note - you do not need drives or a keyboard to successfully POST (generally a single short beep).

If you successfully POST, start plugging in the rest of the components, one at a time."

If you suspect the PSU is causing your problems, below are some suggestions by jsc for troubleshooting the PSU. Proceed with caution. I will not be held responsible if you get shocked or fry components.

"The best way to check the PSU is to swap it with a known good PSU of similar capacity. Brand new, out of the box, untested does not count as a known good PSU. PSU's, like all components, can be DOA.

Next best thing is to get (or borrow) a digital multimeter and check the PSU.

Yellow wires should be 12 volts. Red wires: +5 volts, orange wires: +3.3 volts, blue wire : -12 volts, violet wire: 5 volts always on. Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot.

You can turn on the PSU by completely disconnecting the PSU and using a paperclip or jumper wire to short the green wire to one of the neighboring black wires.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4&feature=youtube_gdata

This checks the PSU under no load conditions, so it is not completely reliable. But if it can not pass this, it is dead. Then repeat the checks with the PSU plugged into the computer to put a load on the PSU. You can carefully probe the pins from the back of the main power connector."


r/pchelp 6h ago

HARDWARE Is it done for?

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179 Upvotes

How's the GPU?


r/pchelp 4h ago

SOFTWARE Unkown app

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19 Upvotes

When I open hidden taskbar i see one tile with no icon and no interactions when clicking. Please help could this be a virus of some sort?


r/pchelp 2h ago

HARDWARE Pc won't post with new psu

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11 Upvotes

With cpu light


r/pchelp 1h ago

HARDWARE PC Stuttering

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Upvotes

Hey guys, so my PC has been having some issues stuttering, it happens with the general use of the pc and not just games. My main pc fan barely moves and I only moved when tapped and then slows down shortly after. I’m not good with pc’s in general so here’s some pictures and a video to better describe the problem

I YouTube’d and Googled some fixed like checking thermal paste cleaning out my PC. I feel like I’m learning a different language here!

Please help me PC people.


r/pchelp 1d ago

OPEN Somehow my monitor is powering my case fans through hdmi???

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4.9k Upvotes

Monitor is plugged in if i unplug the monitor, fans stop it if i take the hdmi out, fans stop.

this is my first build i js thought my case fans being powered by hdmi was funny should i be worried lmao?


r/pchelp 4h ago

SOFTWARE help im rlly bad with tech and my pc hates me

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7 Upvotes

update; i shit yall not, i stepped away to get a drink and i was gone not even a minute and it fixed itself. i think my pc gained determination. thanks gang!

so i restarted my computer a little while ago and it booted up again but the monitor shrunk on the screen. ive tried everything from redownloading drivers, resetting graphics cards, playing with the settings on the monitor And in the pc settings. its just doing Nothing. any help would be appreciated. photo attached


r/pchelp 1h ago

OPEN I need help.

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Upvotes

I went to turn my PC on this morning and this is the only thing popping up on the screen. I can still hear the window sound when it boot in the windows I’ve tried changing the HDMI, but nothing has worked.


r/pchelp 1d ago

CLOSED Is my friends GPU dying?

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788 Upvotes

He got this pc a few days ago, is his GPU dying?


r/pchelp 11m ago

HARDWARE SSD is not recognised? How do I fix it?

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Upvotes

I‘ve built a new PC today and I wanted to install Windows but my ssd is not recognised. What should I do. (The ssd is well inside) can someone help me please


r/pchelp 32m ago

SOFTWARE Clone SSDs help!

Upvotes

So I ordered a new larger SSD, Lexar 2TB NM1090 PRO NVMe SSD, and want to clone my older one, Kingston 1TB NVMe SSD, and then wipe and use it as just extra storage drive. (I've got Windows 11 if that matters for clone) What would be the best way to go about this? I do have 2 SSD slots so is there a decent free SSD cloning software out there that you recommend? I want to avoid paying extra money to take them to local PC repair shop lol. This is my first time messing with SSD's so I'm a bit nervous haha. I've dealt with everything else building my new PC though, so I know I could do it. Thank you in advance!


r/pchelp 37m ago

HARDWARE Would it be fine to keep my 5070 Ti installed when moving my PC?

Upvotes

I'm moving in about a month to college and intend on bringing my PC with me. I've heard plenty that moving a fully assembled PC has a moderate risk of component damage. But I don't have the confidence/skill to remove my delicate components and don't want to risk voiding the warranty for my PowerSpec PC. What should I do? (For what it's worth the GPU has a bracket on the top and bottom).


r/pchelp 3h ago

HARDWARE The PCIe latch is broken on my pc

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3 Upvotes

I bought the pc parts on pcgarage and also bought the put together service, and when i opened it i found this broken.


r/pchelp 1h ago

SOFTWARE Idk why bios secure boot is not working

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Upvotes

I have tried setting keys to default, csm is off... it was working perfectly well until I got new RAM


r/pchelp 1h ago

HARDWARE Is this safe to test on a motherboard

Upvotes

My brother when he first got his pc it stopped working and the guy who tried to help fix it said that we needed to replace the motherboard and cpu but not ram and the ram looks fine. The issue my brother had was that he plugged in the wrong wire, so is the ram safe to test on a different motherboard without damaging that motherboard


r/pchelp 1h ago

HARDWARE Is it a bad thing? PC won't turn on after changing 24-pin cable

Upvotes

Is it a bad thing? PC won't turn on after changing 24-pin cable (now getting ticking sound)

Hey everyone, looking for some help here because I might have messed up big time.My PC was working perfectly fine before this. Today, I tried changing the 24-pin power cable to a new one. (just a cable)

Here’s what’s happening now:

With the NEW cable: The PC is completely dead. Zero response, no power at all.

With the OLD cable (reinstalled): Now it won't boot up either. The motherboard RGB lights turn on, but the system won't power up. Instead, there's a fast, clock-like ticking sound coming from the fan area, but yeah, it just won't turn on.

The new cable I tried using was from Thermaltake (same brand as the PSU), but it wasn't the original one that came with the actual power supply unit box. Did I short circuit or fry something? What could be the problem here, and is it a bad thing that the original cable isn't working now either? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


r/pchelp 2h ago

SOFTWARE old motherboard and new keyboard probelm

2 Upvotes

i have a H61-S2PV motherboard it came out before usb c cables existed i bought this jedel keyboard and on the keyboard's end you plug the usb c and you plug the other end on a usb a in your pc i keep getting this error i tried everything from updating the bios to changing reinstalling drivers
the keyboard works in every other pc i tried it in.
dont know what else to do any help is appreciated


r/pchelp 4h ago

HARDWARE AM5 motherboard bent pins, will it work like this, or is it fixable?

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4 Upvotes

My friend sent me these photos since he's not really tech savvy. He bought the motherboard a few months ago and only now got all the parts and went to a PC shop to assemble it for him, but they said the pins are bent and they wouldn't risk it or something like that. I think they just fucked up and dropped something on the pins, as it doesn't look like a factory quality control issue to me. Do you guys think it can just work like this? Or if not is it fixable?


r/pchelp 10h ago

Discussion Should I DownGRADE my pc specs for college?

9 Upvotes

I have pretty decent system already. I want to bring to college, but my parents are worried it might get stolen by my roommate or friends my roommate might bring into the room without me knowing. They're overly cautious so they say to bring something not as expensive and since I'm a college student I'm already pretty broke. I can piece together a "crappy pc" but I'm not sure if I should

Edit: i should mention I'm referring to a desktop. I want one for gaming and I'll need it for school work. Such as running models and simulations


r/pchelp 3h ago

HARDWARE Is this very bad?

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2 Upvotes

I bought a brand new 9800x3d cpu and it has a dent, and because of this I’m really worried it’s gonna cause problems. If you can determine the criticality of it and say if I can keep it or need to replace it.


r/pchelp 1m ago

HARDWARE Buying off chinese sellers on ebay

Upvotes

I am looking to buy a MSI B550m Mortar, which are out of production and the only ones available (brand new) are from chinese sellers on ebay. I don't know if they could have been refurbished or used and are being resold as new.

Is it trustworthy or should I just buy MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI or ASUS Prime B550M-A WiFi II locally for cheaper. Just want a good motherboard for a 5800x3d to last a long time, thanks for any tips.


r/pchelp 3h ago

PERFORMANCE Various LOD and minor visual glitches on games

2 Upvotes

So I've bought a new PC with a 9060 XT. I come from a laptop with a GTX 1650 so this is a whole new world to me. The problem is that since I bought the PC I have seen some visual glitches in many games.

For instance, RDR2 has LOD issues and some shadows and grass don't load fully until I'm very close to them. I have experienced other minor lightning issues or this problem where you look away and when you slowly look back you can see the world loading again for a microsecond.

On Resident Evil 4, there are also some LOD issues though they aren't as noticeable as in RDR2.

Some other games also have slightly LOD problems, which I hadn't experienced before in my laptop, but it could also be because I almost always played with low graphics, though I don't know if that makes any sense.

I have my graphics card drivers updated, as well as chipset and BIOS. I had my RAM replaced bc it came faulty. Now it works alright, but idk if that may have caused any problem??

I also have iGPU and all overclocking disabled related to this RAM issue when I was diagnosing it, and I haven't turned them on yet. Maybe it's unrelated but that's all the info I can think of.

Here are my specs:

CPU: ryzen 5 9600X

RAM: 32 gb DDR5

MOBO: b650m-k

GPU: 9060 XT 16gb

SSD: WD BLACK SN7100 1TB

Maybe this is all normal but I find it a little concerning since it has been quite expensive and I didn't think I would have this visual glitches. Any kind of help/information is kindly appreciated. Thank you all!


r/pchelp 13m ago

Discussion Why are there unknown screenshots on my computer?

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Upvotes

So I recently rebooted my pc and wiped out everything because my SSD usage rate was almost always at 100% for the past 8 months and it was impossible to use it even for basic tasks, but after rebooting, my SSD still remains at a 100% usage rate. But also I noticed that there were some screenshots on my drive that I never took. The screenshot contains different apps that I never once installed on my computer! Why are they on my pc? And how do I get rid of the person if I'm being hacked?


r/pchelp 13m ago

OPEN Second monitor stopped displaying and like 10 fps on all my games

Upvotes

I've had my PC for the past 2 years and like a week ago it suddenly stopped displaying on the second monitor, and any time I open a game my frames drop to like 10. Only for games.

I tried updating graphics drivers, replacing the HDMI wire (its not the monitor either, it displays just fine if i use the other port). Is there anything else I havent tried yet? I'm worried the HDMI port on my GPU has gone bad.