Question Any last ideas to try and get this computer working?

[mikeymikec]

A Haswell-era PC I built, spec:

i3-4330
Asus Gryphon Z87
8GB DDR3 (single DIMM)
128GB SSD (probably a Samsung 840 PRO or 850 PRO)
Optical SATA drive
Corsair CX430 PSU
Win10 64

I think the board is kaputt in some weird and wonderful way, and it's been acting a bit strangely for a while. For example, several months ago it was taking ages to POST and boot. I did a backup through a Win10 setup USB stick and the transfer rate from the SSD was absymal). It seemed to pick back up again when I switched SATA ports on the board. As a precaution, I replaced the SATA cable as well. Another weird bit of behaviour was that it would sometimes switch itself on from power-off. This was also the PC that several months ago refused to boot, cited memory, I reseated the memory and it started consistently from that point on, but perhaps that really was as simple and irrelevant as it sounds.

The most recent problem is that it POSTs, the display connects, screen backlight comes on but the screen is blank. Single beep to indicate that it thinks it successfully POSTed, but nothing at all appears on the screen, nor did Windows give any sign of booting (at the point that I still had the SSD connected). No keyboard caps lock light response.

Stuff I've tried:
Another monitor
Switching memory slots, another memory module
DVI/HDMI connections on board
A graphics card
Disconnecting storage
Another PSU
Another i3-4330 CPU I had spare
CMOS reset
CMOS battery removal, boot without battery

The only thing I haven't tried is RAM. I'm sure I can find a spare module if I root around a bit, but my feeling is, if it POSTs and the display comes on consistently, I really don't see it as being a RAM problem. Still, cheaper than another PC I guess.

I had another Z87 Gryphon board go a couple of years ago in a way that I can't remember the specifics but it was also similarly odd (what I do remember was that it presented as a graphics issue but wasn't).

 

[JackMDS]

Take the Mobo Out. Put it on a table on the bag that it came with.

Take the PSU put and connect it to the Mobo. Insert one memory stick and the graphic card.

Connect a Monitor to the Graphic plug KBD and Mouse to the USB ports.. Look at the Mobo instructions to find which pins need to be shorten for few sec. to start.

If it start try to get to the BIOS and check it.

If it works connect a SATA cable with SSD, or if it the NVMe type plug a boot unit.

Than take it from there according to the outcome.

 

[RLGL]

give it a visual inspection, look for bad caps.

 

[mikeymikec]

Thanks for the suggestions, negative on either unfortunately.

 

[In2Photos]

My in laws had a laptop that one day stopped working. They needed something quickly so they bought another laptop. A year or so later they asked me to look at the one that stopped working to see if I could find out anything. I tried all sorts of things. It came with 2x8gb of RAM and worked fine until it didn't work at all. At one point I decided to test the RAM. With 1 stick installed the system worked flawlessly. Crazy thing is that it didn't matter which stick or which slot it was in. Both sticks passed testing in either slot but the system wouldn't run with both sticks installed anymore. So I removed 1 stick and they've been using it ever since.

Try different RAM if it's not too much trouble.

 

[mikeymikec]

@In2Photos Yup, I tried that already, sorry I didn't mention it in the OP.

 

[Shmee]

It does sound like a board problem.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Direct key was a no go?

You did the full troubleshoot, and the board is the last suspect after the process of elimination. It is on the high failure rate part of the bathtub curve too.

 

[Torn Mind]

Dishwasher. Dry it up with isopropyl alcohol or a baking.

Nothing to lose at the point.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Ok, you're going to need a car and some jumper cables...

 

[igor_kavinski]

Can you get into the BIOS?

 

[lakedude]

Been a while but I recall some weirdness with either a video card or monitor or both expecting the signal to go to a different port.

Sorry I'm fuzzy on the specifics but maybe try VGA if you still have that available. Maybe also try the MB video if that is an option.

I had an old system that would get weird about every 6 months. I reseated everything (RAM, CPU, video, power, drives, etc.) and that "fixed" it for another 6 months. Finally got sick of it and got rid of it.