Trying to revive an old gaming PC | Linus Tech Tips | Page 1

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 2:47 PM

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Hello LTT Community!
I was trying to get my old PC up and running again as it was just laying in a corner of my basement for more than 2 years without running a single time.

I've plugged it into a power outlet and the Motherboard and GTX760 seem to get power since their LEDs are lighting up green. If I'm pressing the power button, nothing happens though. What do you guys reckon it could be? I'm sure the dust didn't make the components any favors but it probably wont be fixed by just removing dust (?)

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 2:55 PM

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since you probably have moved it,

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and its not on the same spot its going to need a cable check up .

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as in check all cables and see if they are properly attached

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sometimes the act of unplugging and plugging it back in , might be just enough to make it work

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and othertimes nothing changes

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 3:09 PM

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amber finch as in check all cables and see if they are properly attached

i checked and everything seems to be in place. Do you think maybe it could be the BIOS battery?

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 3:12 PM

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nah it would still boot up

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most likely PSU crapped out

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 3:29 PM

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Thats weird cause the components get power cause every LED lights up green

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 5:06 PM

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ah more information, what did you connect to the PC?

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screen and all?

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did you put the HDMI cable in the GPU? and not the motherboarD?

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 5:23 PM

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amber finch did you put the HDMI cable in the GPU? and not the motherboarD?

yes I connected my screen per HDMI to my GPU, also connected a Keyboard and Mouse (both by USB)

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 5:24 PM

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so any bios screen?

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 5:27 PM

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amber finch so any bios screen?

Nope, absolutely no sign of anything, not a single fan starts moving either

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And the lights don't change, still as if I turned it off, only the power LED's are just green signaling power

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 5:28 PM

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oh did you check the ram?

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if they are properly seated?

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even if this is the case reseating sometimes help

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 5:29 PM

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amber finch even if this is the case reseating sometimes help

tried that already but that didn't help

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do you think taking the CPU cooler off and trying to reseat the CPU might help?

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 5:30 PM

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well tried using less ram might help?

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as in only 1 stick

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 5:31 PM

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i'll try that

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 5:38 PM

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amber finch as in only 1 stick

just one stick doesn't show any progress either

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it almost feels like the power button is just malfunctioning cause there's literally nothing happening when I press it

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 5:54 PM

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yeah that usually points out to a bad PSU

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not enough juice to get it running completely

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 5:57 PM

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hm that's weird cause it ran two years ago

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 6:03 PM

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yeah well car batterys also run out of juice 🤷‍♂️

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And eventually something breaks down due to temperatures or due to dust.

desert prairie Feb 11, 2023, 6:05 PM

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amber finch And eventually something breaks down due to temperatures or due to dust.

ur right, I'll see if I can build in a new PSU - thanks for your help though, much appreciated 🫶

amber finch Feb 11, 2023, 6:05 PM

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There could be several reasons why your PC is not working even though it lights up with a green signal on the motherboard. Here are some common reasons that may cause this issue:

Power supply issue: If the green light is lit on the motherboard, it indicates that the power supply is working and providing power to the system. However, if the power supply is not providing enough power, your PC may not start up properly.

RAM issue: If there is a problem with the RAM, your PC may not start up properly even though the green light is lit on the motherboard. Try removing one of the RAM sticks and see if the issue is resolved.

Boot device issue: If your PC is not booting up, it could be due to a problem with the boot device. Check if the boot device is properly connected and if the boot order is correct in the BIOS.

Graphics card issue: If your PC is not displaying anything on the screen, it could be due to a problem with the graphics card. Try removing the graphics card and see if the issue is resolved.

CPU issue: If there is a problem with the CPU, your PC may not start up properly. This can be due to a damaged or faulty CPU.

Motherboard issue: If there is a problem with the motherboard, your PC may not start up properly even though the green light is lit.

These are just some of the common reasons why your PC may not be working even though it has a green light on the motherboard. It is best to troubleshoot and diagnose the issue by eliminating each possibility one by one.

~ ChatGPT. 🙂 .

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heh.. offcourse there are multiple reasons 😄

#Trying to revive an old gaming PC