ASUS ROG Strix G18 Gaming Laptop 2024 can't boot past the ROG logo

[Meyar]

Hello,

I'm trying to boot my laptop and I can't get past the ROG logo. I have two primary suspects for the cause:
1: Windows 11 updated last night. I hadn't turned it on after that update before
2: I replaced the CPU and GPU thermal paste. I removed the liquid metal and replaced it with Grizzly Kryonaut.

Today after trying to boot, I get stuck at the ROG logo screen. I can't seem to get into BIOS or windows recovery mode. I've tried clearing the bios (shutting down + holding power for 15-40 seconds). 

I'm open to suggestions before I start crying.

ASUS ROG Strix G18 Gaming Laptop, 18" 240Hz WQXGA Display,Intel i9-14900HX, NVIDIA RTX 4080, 64GB DDR5, 2TB SSD

[Zalevskiy]

If you still have the factory RAM, try installing one stick (disconnect the battery first) and restart.

It's likely that the BIOS update has corrupted the NVRAM memory frequency settings. If that doesn't help, it could be anything, like a ball of liquid metal hitting the board and causing a short circuit.

But if you're saying this happened after an update, there's a chance you can restore the BIOS using an SPI programmer (yes, that's the idiocy of all 2022+ laptops, which have proprietary firmware). However, you'll need to contact a specialist like Wrong Chip. They'll fix BIOS dump errors, replace the serial numbers, and your laptop will boot. However, there may be some issues, such as certified drivers stopping working, and you'll have to replace them with WHQL drivers.

Asus gave us these disposable laptops. The jeans is good for 1-2 years, but my ASUS K501UXM has been working fine for 10 years now.

[ElectroStingz]

Hello,

Are you saying the laptop was working, did a Windows 11 update, then you turned off and changed the thermal paste? Which would explain your 2 choices, or something else?

Did it ever work after the thermal paste change? (if so how were the temperatures?)

Did any liquid metal get on to the motherboard?

The CPU VRM, GPU VRM and GPU memory chips, did you replace the thermal putty or leave what was already there? If left and it was solid / cracked there is a possibility that the heatsink is not making good contact on certain parts which can lead to instant overheating, to the point it will get stuck at the boot logo.

Did you spread the thermal paste on the GPU / CPU DIE?

[Meyar]

I just spent some time cleaning some 'spilled' liquid metal from the original paste. I think I got most/all of it but I'm still having the boot-logo problem. I'm going to spend more time in the next day or two with better cleaning tools hunting down any other 'contamination.' 

@ElectroStingz I did the windows update yesterday, shut it down, and didn't happen to turn it on again until after the thermal paste was changed, by which point it was stuck on the boot logo. I didn't re-paste the VRM chips, their paste seemed fine but I can go back through and re-paste them in the next couple of days if it might help.

As far as I know I got no paste on the DIE. 

[ElectroStingz]

If the liquid metal got on the motherboard and made contact with any component or solder joint this would be bad. It's fine if the liquid metal is all over the CPU protective barrier which should be an orange looking plastic film over the CPU. 

In the above, the silver rectangle part is the CPU DIE, this should have your thermal paste spread on it or liquid metal? (Not sure what you meant by no paste on the DIE). And that green chip on the right, the GPU centre here is covered in thermal paste too.

[Zalevskiy]

Laird Tpcm 7250 40*40*0,25mm
Denka FCR-AS (Asus 16TT0-R003V000) JAPAN

BIOS 313 (ucode 115h) 22H2

Disabled CPU Boost

[DNitro]

by the way I had some issues as well. this was one of them so. what I did is reinstalling the windows 11.
you just download the setup from Download Windows 11 and just run the setup. It'll repair the OS if damaged..