Crosshair Hero VII moved to a new case, now it will not POST, Qcode 8 showing

[jnelsoninjax]

I moved the whole build (water cooling and all) into a new case, and upon reattaching everything and powering it up, it will not POST, it immediately shows q-code 8 as soon as the power button is pressed. I have cleared BIOS, flashed the newest version using the USB port and button on the board, and it still does not get past 8, in fact it never shows any other codes. I have pulled out the DIMMs and just have one in, I have unplugged the SSD, leaving the M. 2's. I have removed and reseated the 24 and 8 pin motherboard power connections, I have unplugged the corsair RGB control box, unplugged the USB 2 AND 3.1 connection, and even run without the GPU, which is vertical mounted connected via a riser cable which I just replaced today. I have not done anything with the waterblock (EK) since building the system 3+ years ago. I am getting RGB from the motherboard and all fans and the pump power up, so I am at a loss as what or where the issue is. Q-code 8 according to the manual is microcode, which means nothing to me at all.

[STARRAIN_ROG]

Hi jnelsoninjax,
Please refer to the instructions in the following link to check components.
https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1042632/
Also, please remove pc case and all external devices to test it with minimal components.
a. Keep the CPU, CPU radiator fan and a single DRAM installed on the motherboard
b. Remove all the USB devices and external cards from the motherboard, including the mouse, keyboard, USB flash disk, SSD, external PCI-E Cards, etc.
c. Remove all the cables connected to the Motherboard ,including LAN cables, audio cables. Only leave one monitor connected to verify the display.
d. Then try to re-boot the computer. If it can power on normally, the problem may be from the removed external devices. Re-connect the external device one by one until you find which external device or cable causes the problem.
Thank you.

[jnelsoninjax]

Let me be clear here, the PC will not POST. I have tried it with one stick of RAM, with nothing else plugged in, I have tried it without the GPU, checked the PSU with a tester, and it comes back with perfect voltages. I have completely removed the motherboard and blown it out with air to make 100% certain. I have cleared CMOS, flashed it with the newest version, and replaced the CMOS battery. The only thing that I have not done, and can not do, is access the CPU, it has been under an EK water block since being built 3+ years ago, and I have not touched it at all, so too much torque on the block is out of the question. I have tried various configs with the RAM, (1-2+ 3,4) and (1,3 2,4) but despite all this, the same error occurs: Q-Code 8, not 08, just blank on the left, and 8 on the right. There is no documentation as to what that specific code means, and it does not go past there. I am getting power to the motherboard, all fans spin up, the GPU fans power up, and the lighting on the board all turn on. I am at a complete loss as to what or where the problem is. If anybody has any suggestions please let me know!

[Rolda]

Try reading this thread.
It's a Crosshair VI, but it's the same.
Probably a CPU problem.

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?91842-Asus-Crosshair-VI-Hero-Q-Code-8-Not-Starting

I would try removing the CPU and reinserting it.

[Murph_9000]

From the Crosshair VIII Extreme manual: "8 System Agent initialisation after microcode loading" (although that's for a newer board, codes tend to remain roughly the same for the same CPU and board extended families).

Microcode is the hidden software that runs inside the CPU, managing more complicated functions and executing the more complex opcodes/instructions. It's kinda the secret OS hidden inside your CPU, and it's basically failing to boot or getting stuck there (that's what the code is saying). The BIOS is part of the picture there as well, for the CPU's internal boot sequence.

Have you tried removing the motherboard's battery for a short while, to completely reset the board? It's the CR2032 button cell battery which often lives somewhere near the bottom/south edge of the board. You should probably drop a new battery in after giving the board some quality no-power nap time (give it a minute or 5 with no battery), then clear CMOS as the first thing (removing the battery kills the data stored in CMOS, but you want to get it back to the clean state which comes from the actual clear procedure). It may be hidden under the removable shroud around the lower PCIe slots. Someone on reddit had a very similar problem to yours and the battery was the fix:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/rd8b28/crosshair_vii_hero_qcode_8_solved/

[jnelsoninjax]

Murph_9000 wrote:
From the Crosshair VIII Extreme manual: "8 System Agent initialisation after microcode loading" (although that's for a newer board, codes tend to remain roughly the same for the same CPU and board extended families).

Microcode is the hidden software that runs inside the CPU, managing more complicated functions and executing the more complex opcodes/instructions. It's kinda the secret OS hidden inside your CPU, and it's basically failing to boot or getting stuck there (that's what the code is saying). The BIOS is part of the picture there as well, for the CPU's internal boot sequence.

Have you tried removing the motherboard's battery for a short while, to completely reset the board? It's the CR2032 button cell battery which often lives somewhere near the bottom/south edge of the board. You should probably drop a new battery in after giving the board some quality no-power nap time (give it a minute or 5 with no battery), then clear CMOS as the first thing (removing the battery kills the data stored in CMOS, but you want to get it back to the clean state which comes from the actual clear procedure). It may be hidden under the removable shroud around the lower PCIe slots. Someone on reddit had a very similar problem to yours and the battery was the fix:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/rd8b28/crosshair_vii_hero_qcode_8_solved/

I have removed and replaced the battery, it was off the board for ~30 mins.

[jnelsoninjax]

Rolda wrote:
Try reading this thread.
It's a Crosshair VI, but it's the same.
Probably a CPU problem.

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?91842-Asus-Crosshair-VI-Hero-Q-Code-8-Not-Starting

I would try removing the CPU and reinserting it.

I am not able to remove the CPU without removing the water block, and I do not have the thermal pads needed to replace once the seal is broken. I also don't see how it can be CPU related when it was working fine before I moved the motherboard to the new case. I did not touch the water block or CPU, therefore, in theory, nothing has changed.

[Rolda]

jnelsoninjax wrote:
I am not able to remove the CPU without removing the water block, and I do not have the thermal pads needed to replace once the seal is broken. I also don't see how it can be CPU related when it was working fine before I moved the motherboard to the new case. I did not touch the water block or CPU, therefore, in theory, nothing has changed.

Why is it a problem to remove a water block?
Just unscrew it, clean the block and CPU and use thermal paste again. What thermal pads and why the broken seal?

[jnelsoninjax]

I purchased a new CPU (Ryzen 7 5800X) and after considerable work got the EK water block drained and removed and swapped the CPU, new thermal grease, everything. I got lucky and my BIL's PSU suddenly failed and he took mine, as I was not using it, and I RMA'd the PSU to EVGA and got a brand new in-the-box PSU, and installed it along with all new cables, refilled the water and hit power, and the same code is displayed 8, I have a monitor plugged into the GPU, and there is no signal. At this point in time, I am completely lost as to what the issue could be. I am going to attempt to test the GPU on my niece's computer and see if that may be the issue, but it is no longer under warranty. Could the issue be the motherboard?

[STARRAIN_ROG]

Hi jnelsoninjax,
If you have cross checked all components but the issue persists, or have concerns about the motherboard, please send RMA for further examination.
Thank you.