Computer won't boot unless I flip the power supply off and on

Brencis

So the only way I can turn on my PC is by turning off the power supply switch, waiting about 5 seconds, and then turn it back on. I have tried many things already and I still have the same problem, this is what I have done so far...

1. change the ram, continue with the problem.
   
2. change the power supply, continue with the problem.
   
3. change the processor, continue with the problem.
   
4. I took out all the hardware and build everything outside of the case to confirm that there was no electrical problem inside the case, and the problem persisted.
   
5. tried another video card, and the problem was still there.
   
6. tried with the integrated cpu graphics, and the problem continue.

Actual Hardware: 

• CPU - i9 9900k

• GPU - Gigabyte RTX 3070 Gaming OC
• MotherBoard - Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra rev 1.0
• Power - PoweSpec 850W 80+ Gold (PSX 850GFM)

• RAM - G-SKILL Trident Z Neo 16x2 (32GB) F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC

• M.2 - Inland Platinum 2TB SSD 3D QLC NAND M.2 2280

Any idea why I cannot turn off my pc and turn it on without having to switch on and off the power supply?

I will really appreciate the help

TS_BryantA

@Brencis Good afternoon and thank you for posting your question to the Micro Center Community. When turning the system on and off, do you change any of the settings in the BIOS? Or would you be running the system on default settings?

Alexv123

Are the front panel connectors plugged in for the case?

PowerSpec_MikeW

@brencis

This sounds like something is triggering OCP protection on one of the rails either on shutdown, or when the PC is off. Keeping in mind that off is more of a hibernate state and USB devices are still powered. USB's run on the 5V rail, so that's where I would look first. Disconnect any USB devices from the system. Internally, look at devices on that rail. Mainly devices connected to the PSU via SATA or Molex power. Test without these devices attached.

There is also a setting in the BIOS called ErP that you can toggle to turn off standby power when the system is off. This may be worth testing as well.

Brencis

TS_BryantA said:

@Brencis Good afternoon and thank you for posting your question to the Micro Center Community. When turning the system on and off, do you change any of the settings in the BIOS? Or would you be running the system on default settings?

I already found the problem, although I do not understand why. when I put the frequency in the ram to the original (3600) it gives me the aforementioned failure, I already tested the frequencies one by one and the only way that it works correctly is by placing the ram frequency in 2133, which is very low Compared to how this ram should normally go to 3600

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

I thought your post meant that it wouldn't turn on at all until you 'discharged' it. So you're having a failure to POST. Sounds like a cold boot issue, it can generally be remedied with tweaking. Make sure your timings and voltage are correct for the RAM. You mentioned you're altering the frequency. You did load the XMP profile first to set the timings and voltage, correct?

Brencis

@TSMikeWI already tried putting the xmp profile, I also tried manually putting the voltage at 1.35 and the frequency at 3600 and the problem is the same, it is very possible that there something that I am not doing right

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

That's going to fail without adjusting the timings as well. It's possible at 3600 CL16 that the XMP profile won't load.  Try this. Load the XMP profile, lower the DRAM frequency from 3600 to 2133. Save and restart. See if it works properly with the correct timings/voltage and a lower frequency.

Brencis

@TSMikeW Yes it works, but we continue with the low frequency

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

Alright. So now we inch it up one multiplier at a time and see where the problem occurs. 2400, 2666, ect. Lets see where the wall is.

Brencis

Got you, I'll try now

Brencis

@TSMikeW everything perfect from 2133 to 2533, when I go up to 2600 the problem start

Brencis

@TSMikeW If I deactivate the XMP profile and set the frequency to 2533, it still works without problems, could this mean that activating the XMP profile is not really making any changes?  so i would have to place everything manually?

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

It's possible. Verify the timings change under "Advance Memory Settings". The voltage is. This is an odd wall to hit with a 9900k. Shouldn't have any problem at 3200 CL16 with the kit you purchased. What BIOS version are you on?

Brencis

@TSMikeW

setting the times manually or automatically, either with or without the xmp profile I cannot go above 2533 mhz.

The Bios version is the last one, F10g

TSTDavey

Hello @Brencis just adding to @TSMikeW. I don't believe the I9-9900K really supports the higher memory speeds such as 3600mhz. Even though your board supports its, the CPU or processor is still the brain of your system. It uses the resources it needs to function as a processor. See the intel i9-9900K link below and look at the memory specifications. You could try to update the bios on the Z390 and see if that will get you above 2533 mhz to maybe 2666 mhz or a little higher. When you are at the desktop you can press on the Microsoft key plus R to open up the run box. Type in msinfo32 and hit enter. The system information box launches and look to the left under Bios Version. The Z390 has a bios update. If your bios version isn't at least F9, we recommend to update your bios to at least the F9 version dated 2019/10/28. A link to the bios is also below. If you are on the F9 version, than with the I9 chip, 2533mhz maybe the highest you can go.

Links: 
Intel I9-9900K
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/186605/intel-core-i9-9900k-processor-16m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz.html

Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra Motherboard Bios
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z390-AORUS-ULTRA-rev-10/support#support-dl-bios 

How to update Z390 Bios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb_l8i7d0qo
https://www.aorus.com/blog/How-to-Update-Your-BIOS-Part-1.php 

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

Verify the behavior with one stick installed only if you haven't already. Lets see if we can push past 2533 in single channel mode. Also, if we can do so with both sticks.

Brencis

@TSMikeW
I think I tried everything possible, this just won't work, so I decided to buy other ram and try to sell these, which one seems better to you?

https://www.microcenter.com/product/627423/gskill-trident-z-rgb-32gb-(4-x-8gb)-ddr4-3600-pc4-28800-cl19-quad-channel-memory-kit-f4-3600c19q-32gtzrb---black
or 

https://www.microcenter.com/product/511364/gskill-trident-z-rgb-32gb-(4-x-8gb)-ddr4-3200-pc4-25600-cl16-quad-channel-desktop-memory-kit-f4-3200c16q-32gtzr---black

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

The second 3200 CL16 kit, by a large margin. I wouldn't go over 3200 on Intel unless it's something you want to play with and manually tweak. If you want to load the XMP profile and go, stick to 3200.  CL19 latency is pretty lousy, the frequency increase wouldn't come close to making up for that.

Brencis

Perfect thanks 

Brencis

@TSMikeW
same problem with the new ram, this is making me crazy... I think the problem is the mainboard

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

It almost seems like a memory controller issue. Try rolling back to the F9 BIOS and see if we still have the same issue.

Brencis

@TSMikeW

Ready and.. 

we continue the same...

Brencis

@TSMikeW

really this is crazy, it reads the ram perfectly as long as I turn off the power supply first, but if I don't the only way to turn it on is if the ram frequency is equal to or less than 2533

Brencis

I'm thinking of returning the new ram and just leaving it like that, turning off the power supply when I stop using it.  I am only concerned that this could lead to a problem in the future

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

There's some underlying hardware issue here. You confirmed it isn't the RAM, so my next thought would be the IMC on the CPU. Is the CPU still within the 15 day return window?

Brencis

@TSMikeW

I do not think it is the cpu since I bought the first one on 09/09/2020 and it gave me this problem so I changed it for another of the same on 08/09/2020, like the same for the power supply.

and no, there is no guarantee by the store

PowerSpec_MikeW

@Brencis

Is there anything else unusual about your system? Peripheral cards that weren't mentioned? Using a GPU riser for a vertical mount?

Brencis

@TSMikeW
the only thing I would call not normal is that I have 10 fans

Brencis

@TSMikeW
the problem with the motherboard is that they do not have any gigabyte z390 series in my local store

Brencis

@TSMikeW

the motherboard turns on the cpu warning light when it started with some frequency greater than 2533 this always happened but I forgot to mention it, the same happened with the two i9 9900k


even so I still think that it is not the processor since I changed it