Hi everyone,
I am currently building a new high-end SFF rig in the Cooler Master NR200P Max V2, but I have hit a brick wall. The system is completely unresponsive—Dead on Arrival behavior.
The Build:
• MB: ASUS ROG STRIX X870-I GAMING WIFI
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
• GPU: Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
• RAM: 32GB Acer Predator Pallas II
• PSU: Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold (Included with case)
The Problem:
When I press the power button, absolutely nothing happens.
• No fans spin (neither PSU nor CPU).
• No LEDs light up on the motherboard (no RGB, no standby light, no Q-LEDs).
• The system acts as if it is completely unplugged.
Troubleshooting steps taken so far:
I have spent hours debugging and tried to rule out everything:
1. PSU Test: I performed the paper clip test on the 24-pin cable. The PSU fan spins up immediately, so the PSU is getting power and turning on. Switch is definitely on "I".
2. Cabling: I triple-checked the modular cables. On the PSU side, both the 10-pin and 18-pin connectors are seated firmly. The 24-pin and 8-pin CPU connectors on the board are fully seated (no gaps).
3. ROG FPS Card: I know this board needs the vertical FPS card for the power button. It is installed correctly. I tried connecting the case switch to PWR_BTN, and I also tried shorting the pins manually with a screwdriver. Still nothing.
4. ROG Hive: Connected the external Hive module. No lights or reaction on the module either.
5. Bench Test (Breadboarding): To rule out a short circuit with the case standoffs, I took everything out of the case. I placed the motherboard on the original cardboard box with only the CPU, 1 stick of RAM, the FPS card, and the PSU connected. Even in this minimal state, there is zero reaction.
Conclusion:
Since the PSU works in isolation, and the board shows absolutely no signs of life (not even a standby LED) even outside the case, I am assuming the motherboard is dead (DOA).
Before I RMA this, is there anything specific to the X870-I that I might be missing? Does this board usually have a standby light?
Thanks for any help!
