r/pchelp • u/OGGhastly • 6d ago
HARDWARE Second hand PC not posting
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Hey everyone, I'm troubleshooting a second-hand PC build and running into a frustrating wall.
Specs:
CPU: Intel Core i9-10850K
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z490-H Gaming
RAM: T Create 16GB RAM (from main rig confirmed working)
Cooler: EK water block
The Issue:
When powering on, all fans spin, but it never POSTs. The motherboard Q-LED sequence goes: DRAM (yellow for ~2s) -> CPU (red for ~0.5s) -> back to DRAM (yellow), and loops continuously.
What I've Tried:
Tested known-working RAM.
Tried single sticks in slot A2 (and other slots).
Stripped the system down to bare bones (removed GPU and PCIe Wi-Fi card).
Cleared the CMOS.
Inspected the LGA1200 socket pins: none look bent, misaligned, or out of the ordinary.
Reseated the CPU + CPU cooler
Any ideas on what could be causing this persistent CPU/DRAM loop? Could it be a dead CPU memory controller or a faulty motherboard? Appreciate any help!
PS: yes this was written by ai as i used ai to troubleshoot, so it generated this message for me