ASUS Z170-E with i3 6100 Red CPU LED

[sprtfan]

This is a new build. As soon as I turn on the computer, the red CPU LED comes on and stays on. It never gets to a boot screen. I tried disconnecting everything I could. Tried different ram slots. Tried to boot with out ram. Pulled the motherboard and tried to boot it out of the case on a static bag. The only thing I can think of that I haven't tried is another power supply. I doubt its the problem because it was working fine in my ASUS P8Z68-V Pro with i5 2500K yesterday.
I pulled the CPU and did my best to check for any bent pins and didn't see any. Nothing out of the norm happened while installing. I guess I'm looking at either a bad CPU or motherboard? Any easy way to tell which one? I don't have another skt 1151 cpu to test it. Thank in advance for any help.

 

[LTC8K6]

Clear the CMOS. Make sure you have the 8 pin CPU power plug in. Reseat the CPU. Make sure the CPU fan is plugged in.

The board is indicating a CPU problem.

I've only seen that once, and a new CPU fixed it.

 

[sprtfan]

I haven't cleared the CMOS yet, I'll give that a try. I did reseat the CPU but no change. The 8 pin CPU plug is in, I might try a different power supply though just in case. I guess I could buy a cheap 1151 CPU an see if it works or maybe I'll send the CPU back and just hope it is the cause and not the motherboard. Thanks

 

[MTDEW]

Did you try using the Asus CPU installation tool that comes with the motherboard to help ensure the CPU is seated correctly?
ASUS Z170 CPU Installation Tool

 

[sprtfan]

Did you try using the Asus CPU installation tool that comes with the motherboard to help ensure the CPU is seated correctly?
ASUS Z170 CPU Installation Tool

I didn't use the tool and never have used one before. I went ahead and tried it out and still have the same problem. I have a magnifying glass can't see any bent pins on the socket or the cpu. Not sure if I'd be able to tell anyway since I don't see as well as I once did.

 

[MTDEW]

I'm pretty sure that that light comes on for a second or two during the normal boot process, you may just be hanging on boot due to something else.

I wish I could check right now to be sure it does come on during normal boot for a sec or two (I have the same mobo).
But I can't right now ,I bought a cheap win7 key to get my free Win10 license and I'm at 95% of "Getting your upgrade ready"....then it will take awhile for it to install the win10 upgrade too, so I currently cannot manually reboot to check for you. (Sorry)

Do you have a mobo speaker installed?
Install ram in Grey slots & try mem ok button?
What ram are you using?

And yeah, I use a magnifying glass for stuff like that too, my arms became too short to read small print a long time ago.

 

[MTDEW]

Ahhh crap.....looking at page1-35 of the manual.
Yeah, all the post state LEDs light up one by one during boot and will hang on the LED where an error is found and it will stay lit up until the error is solved.
That's not good, I was hoping for you that it would be something else, simple mobo POST LEDs have never really been that great at helping diagnose issues for me ( I always preferred the codes), but that sounds like it is a CPU issue.

 

[sprtfan]

The red LED stays on for a very long time so I've given it time to turn off if it was just during post. I'm starting to think there is bent pin on the motherboard now though.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AjeNQl9VEybakrUySGJndYPkjJniRw

top left, probably hard to see but does not appear to line up with the others

 

[MTDEW]

Hows your 24pin Power connector?
Check it to make sure its fully seated correctly.

I know I had to try a few times due the mobo being a short PCB and it doesn't have standoffs to support it from flexing when you plug that in and I was a bit afraid of flexing the mobo too much... I ended up sticking a pen under it to support it from flexing until I got the power plug seated all the way in.

 

[MTDEW]

The red LED stays on for a very long time so I've given it time to turn off if it was just during post. I'm starting to think there is bent pin on the motherboard now though.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AjeNQl9VEybakrUySGJndYPkjJniRw

Left most row in that pic, top 3 pins. look a bit "iffy".
(first row on the left first 3 pins starting from the top)

EDIT: Actually after looking again it may just be the second pin down.
It being out of alignment just makes pin 1 and 3 look crooked.....I think they may be fine.
EDIT 2 :
Yeah, I looked again, its just the 2nd pin down that is a bit crooked. :thumbsup:

That one pin shouldn't be too bad to fix.
(I've seen vids of people fixing WAY worse!)
I wish you the best of luck! :thumbsup:

 

[sprtfan]

I'll give I a try again in the morning. First try didn't work and power supply beeps load when I have to turn it off and don't want to wake up the kids. Thanks for all of the help. Hopefully things will work out tomorrow

 

[sprtfan]

Well, it turned out to be the power supply. I guess this was a lesson in not taking things for granted. I had a functioning computer, removed the motherboard and installed a new one and couldn't boot. I took for granted that the power supply was fine since it was part of a working system right before I started. Once I took out the motherboard and booted it outside of my case and had the same error (using same power supply), I was pretty much set on it being a motherboard or cpu issue.
I shouldn't get to ahead of myself though since I've just tested it outside the case with a different power supply and do not get the error. I tried the old power supply though and still get the error. Time to put it all back in the case though and hope for the best.

 

[MTDEW]

Wow, I would not have guessed that it was the PSU either.
That's great to hear you have it figured out though.
It sure beats having to do an RMA.