MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK + i5 14600kf won't boot

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Nov 6, 2024
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Hi everyone, I have already searched the internet and tried various solutions but none helped. I am in the process of assembling a new computer on a MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR5 motherboard. The processor is i5 14600kf, RTX4080 card, Navis F280 cooling. I've double checked and all components are compatible with motherboard. After connecting the necessary components and trying to boot the computer, nothing happens - the fans do not move, no LEDs are displayed on the board, etc.

The only response I got from the motherboard was a red LED on the EZ Debug LED panel when I completely removed the CPU from the board. Other than that, I also managed to do a Q-Flash of the Bios to the latest version after several attempts, but that didn't help either.

The power supply is ok, I ran some tests and it seems that it is not the problem. Do you have any ideas what else could be the problem, or should I just report the board for warranty?
 
You know, I have to ask this question just in case. Do you have any confirmation that the Power button on the case is physically working and/or connected to the correct motherboard pins? If the answer is no then you should double-check your connection. And if necessary, use a small screwdriver to short the pins to rule out the power switch.

EDIT: Also, I ran into this with 2020 build. The multi-device extension cable I was using prevented the PC powering up, I can only presume because it couldn’t handle the load. Either that, or I cleared something when I unplugged the PSU and plugged it directly into the wall socket.
 
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You know, I have to ask this question just in case. Do you have any confirmation that the Power button on the case is physically working and/or connected to the correct motherboard pins? If the answer is no then you should double-check your connection. And if necessary, use a small screwdriver to short the pins to rule out the power switch.
Screwdriver trick is exactly what I did and how I initialized red LED on EZ Debug LED panel (when CPU was not installed). Right now the whole setup is outside the case.

UPDATE: Just to be clear - I've already re-built the whole setup two times, I'm certain that everything is connected properly - both from PSU and Motherboard side ;)
 
Screwdriver trick is exactly what I did and how I initialized red LED on EZ Debug LED panel (when CPU was not installed).

UPDATE: Just to be clear - I've already re-built the whole setup two times, I'm certain that everything is connected properly - both from PSU and Motherboard side ;)
Just to be clear, did you jump the pins with the system fully assembled? Just so we can rule out the power button.
 
Okay. You sound like you know your way around the hardware. I think the next step is to tell us what power supply you’re using. Some of them are of extremely poor quality. The simple tester that comes with PSU (if that’s what you used) doesn’t always mean it will work under load. Just trying to rule out the power side of the equation.

No fans spin when you try to power on, right? What signs of life do you see on the motherboard, lights wise?
 
Okay. You sound like you know your way around the hardware. I think the next step is to tell us what power supply you’re using. Some of them are of extremely poor quality. The simple tester that comes with PSU (if that’s what you used) doesn’t always mean it will work under load. Just trying to rule out the power side of the equation.

No fans spin when you try to power on, right? What signs of life do you see on the motherboard, lights wise?
When CPU is installed there are no signs of life on motherboard other than red light on the back I/O panel when I try to Q-Flash.
When CPU is not installed - CPU Led lights up on EZ Debug panel when I try to turn on the whole setup.

PSU is MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 - I'll try to use it with my old PC setup and will see if everything works correctly.
 
With the Z790 Tomahawk, if there is no reaction from the board when turning it on normally, has a likelihood of being DOA. Especially when you manage to rule out most other possibilities. Also see here and this article. There seems to be a batch of those boards suffering from a physically cracked/damaged chipset.
 
Just connected PSU to my other PC and it worked like a charm so we can rule it out :D
With the Z790 Tomahawk, if there is no reaction from the board when turning it on normally, has a likelihood of being DOA. Especially when you manage to rule out most other possibilities. Also see here and this article. There seems to be a batch of those boards suffering from a physically cracked/damaged chipset.
I'm afraid this is exactly the case.
 
Man, you learn something every day. I haven’t seen a partially working motherboard like that before. I’m glad you had the extra hardware to diagnose it so quickly. Although, I can imagine it was still a pain in the butt.
 
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