The original post: /r/buildapc by /u/MrRobin12 on 2025-01-21 14:52:23.
Hi everyone, I’m dealing with a frustrating issue with my PC and need advice to figure out what’s wrong. I’m also planning to upgrade the faulty part(s), but I don’t know which component is causing the problem.
The Issue:
The main problem revolves around the booting phase. Sometimes, I get stuck with a static white dash on a black screen. My PC won’t load the BIOS or Windows.
I built this PC back in 2016, and it worked fine up until late November 2024. Since then, I’ve been dealing with booting issues.
In December 2024, I noticed that while I could sometimes boot the PC, I couldn’t shut it down properly or boot it up again after shutting it down.
Using the Windows shutdown option didn’t work; the PC would just restart.
I tried putting the PC to sleep, but when I woke up the next morning, the computer had turned off by itself. After that, I couldn’t boot it back up properly.
Recently, I installed a new system speaker for the motherboard, which now gives one short beep for booting up. However, after the beep, I hear a static noise (likely from the SSD), and the white dash issue reappears.
I tried downloading a Windows 11 flash .ISO on my Android phone to create a bootable USB, but my phone won’t let me reformat the USB flash drive to exFAT. This has prevented me from testing with a fresh Windows installation.
Here’s my PC parts list for reference: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/P3DMZJ
And some images and videos: https://imgur.com/a/9K94vIU
Additional Observations:
When the PC does boot successfully, everything works fine—no issues with the PSU, GPU, CPU, RAM, SSD, or other components. I’ve used it for programming, virtual machines, gaming, and editing without problems.
I suspect it’s not the PSU, but I do have an older PSU with attached cables in a very tight PC case. Could the cable strain be causing issues?
I’m planning to replace the PC case because the power button sometimes gets stuck. Could this be the root cause?
What I’ve Tried So Far:
- Power cycling (holding the power button) – Works occasionally.
- Swapping or resetting the CMOS battery – Temporarily fixes the issue.
- Reseating the RAM – No noticeable difference.
- Checking BIOS settings: The only changes I’ve made are enabling TPM and Intel Virtualization Technology. I’m not sure if Fast Boot is on by default, but I haven’t noticed any difference when trying to disable it.
Potential Causes I’ve Heard About:
Faulty RAM: Didn’t seem to be the issue after reseating it.
Faulty SSD: Possible, but since the PC does boot occasionally, I’m not sure.
Case power button: Could it be causing the restart/shutdown issues?
Context:
I’m a university student and rely heavily on my PC for assignments, so I need to resolve this as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I don’t have the budget to replace multiple components without knowing the exact cause.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Edit 1:
If I power the PC on and then shut it down quickly in succession, the computer starts up again, but without the usual beep or anything displaying on the screen. However, all the PC fans and LED lights remain operational.
When I attempt to restart it after this, the CPU cooler fan stops spinning, and I am unable to turn off the PC by holding down the power button. The only way to power it off at this point is by flipping the PSU switch.
Edit 2:
I tried disconnecting the SATA cables from the motherboard, but it didn’t make a difference. I also tried starting the motherboard directly with a screwdriver (to rule out the PC case’s power button as the issue), but still nothing. Even removing the system speaker didn’t help.
Edit: 3
I tried swapping the power cable to the PSU, but nothing.
Any ideas or suggestions?