My new build makes a ticking noise. That's all it does. No POST, beeps, or output signals.

Lewis_Hein

I have a new build. Here are the relevant specs:

Corsair PM1000x Gold PSU

ASUS ROG STRIX B650E-X

The machine gives exactly 1 sign of life: A very soft ticking noise at 1-second intervals. If I plug in a RTX4090, this is accompanied by a flashing red LED on the GPU that is synchronized with the ticking. That's it. No output whatever to an HDMI monitor. No power LED on the case. No response to the case power button.

I stripped down the system to the motherboard, PSU, case, CPU, and RAM. Then I tried all of the following:

Tested the PSU with the paperclip test. It tested good. (all fans powered on for a few seconds)

Checked the placement of the case power button and reset button connectors on the motherboard pins (repeat ~5 times)

Checked the power LED connectors, swapped them both ways, moved them to the other 2 pins labeled "Power LED" in the manual, swapped them both ways again

Jumped the atx power pins with a screwdriver blade.

Unplugged and re-plugged the 24-pin and 8-pin power cables from both the PSU and the motherboard multiple times. Verified that the latches are engaged

Verified that the stand-offs keep any motherboard pins from touching the case

Took the motherboard out of the case anyway and held it in the air to ensure nothing could short it out

Plugged an external speaker into both front and rear audio ports to check for beeps. No beeps. If I plug it into the front audio port, AFTER pressing the power button a faint pop emerges once per second synrchonized with the ticking noise. This noise does not stop if I press the power button again, only if I turn of the PSU.

None of this has made any difference at all. Even if the CPU or RAM were bad, it should at least turn on the power led, send some kind of wake-up signal to the monitor, or even a beep?

I am at my wits' end with this build. HELP!

PowerSpec_KenJ

It is definitely a power issue. The click is a protection circuit in the PSU and the LED on the GPU being in sync shows this is the likely cause. The power supply can turn on without a load, but it is likely the load that is causing it to trip.

Lewis_Hein

Update:

It is now fixed. I saw a small crack between the 24-pin plug and its socket and pushed real hard on it (supporting the motherboard of course) and got it a little further in. I am guessing that was the problem because lights and stuff work now.

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Lewis_Hein

Intermittent connectivity. A pin on the 20+4 was barely touching, the four pin segment has a ground and a wire for each of the voltage rails. Explains why you were seeing the power going on and off rapidly, without triggering a protection in the PSU that shut it down.