Help/Advice on a watercooling build

[distilld]

Alright, I could use some help troubleshooting this. The PC starts to POST, flashes through several Q Codes, then settles on Q Code `00` which apparently is just the general catch-all error code. The DRAM LED under the Q Code display is orange when the dust settles, but using different slots and different DIMMs had no effect. The CPU fan also spins up to like 100% from its default but both the pumps and fans are running so I can't imagine it's a cooling issue (and I'd really hate to have to remove this water block unless I'm absolutely sure I need to).

Here's a video of what happens when I try to start it. I don't get any video output - not even BIOS. To rule out my GPU (the one I applied liquid metal to) I'm using an old GPU that I know works.

The video makes it sound louder than everything really is, you might want to start with your volume low.

[video=youtube_share;gY05H9Za8Gc]

 

[spiritedandy]

If it were me I would start from beginning checking everything . Default bios . And go through everything . Check cpu is cooling ok

 

[distilld]

If it were me I would start from beginning checking everything . Default bios . And go through everything . Check cpu is cooling ok

I tried using the motherboard's "Safe Boot" button which is supposed to boot using default settings regardless and is meant for use when the system won't boot due to unstable OCs. That didn't work. I then cleared the CMOS by pressing the Clear CMOS button, but that also didn't work. I've just removed the CMOS battery - going to leave it out for a few minutes before putting it back in and trying again.

 

[spiritedandy]

Check cpu has contact

 

[distilld]

Check cpu has contact

 

[spiritedandy]

I hope that is it didn't and it works now . It's easy to do wrong sometimes

 

[distilld]

I hope that is it didn't and it works now . It's easy to do wrong sometimes

Will let you know in a few......

 

[distilld]

Anything look wrong here? It looks like decent contact to me. I put more time than I should have into spreading the paste tbh.



Here's the before shot:

 

[EarthDog]

The application looks thick... I feel like you can use less. That said, I doubt thats that issue, but....

 

[spiritedandy]

Ohhh is that kryonaut extreme . Sigh prob not issue

Has contact been made on that looks smooth

 

[distilld]

The application looks thick... I feel like you can use less. That said, I doubt thats that issue, but....

Re-pasted. How does this look?

 

[spiritedandy]

I dont think its youre problem how much or less paste .
i youre first pic looks like it has not made contact when you lift it off should not be smooth like you just applied it . Just looked smooth like no contact was being made

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Ahhhh just seen other pic yes looks good sorry im overckocking and trying to reply sorry

 

[distilld]

PHEW.

Alright... it took a couple of hours but after putting together a new PC with a different motherboard (but using the same PSU and CPU) I was able to boot and POST to bios. So that rules out the CPU and the PSU as being the issue, at least...

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Also my office is a disaster now. Trying to cross the room is like playing a cruel game of Twister to avoid stepping on anything sharp, fragile, or both. I didn't think it could get any worse, but building a second PC definitely raised the bar.

 

[spiritedandy]

Lol excellent new indeed well done solving it
Im benching at moment think i can raise you disaster 1

 

[Voodoo Rufus]

Mother of goodness.....CLEAN YOUR ROOM!

 

[distilld]

Lol excellent new indeed well done solving it
Im benching at moment think i can raise you disaster 1

I don't know, that at least seems confined to a corner. Meanwhile, my office:



I swear it's not usually like this, and I promise I'll clean it up just as soon as I'm done with this...

 

[spiritedandy]

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Mother of goodness.....CLEAN YOUR ROOM!

I will lol

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Like the way you fit a tree in

 

[distilld]

Alright, I could use some help troubleshooting this. The PC starts to POST, flashes through several Q Codes, then settles on Q Code `00` which apparently is just the general catch-all error code. The DRAM LED under the Q Code display is orange when the dust settles, but using different slots and different DIMMs had no effect. The CPU fan also spins up to like 100% from its default but both the pumps and fans are running so I can't imagine it's a cooling issue (and I'd really hate to have to remove this water block unless I'm absolutely sure I need to).

Here's a video of what happens when I try to start it. I don't get any video output - not even BIOS. To rule out my GPU (the one I applied liquid metal to) I'm using an old GPU that I know works.

The video makes it sound louder than everything really is, you might want to start with your volume low.

After spending most of the day troubleshooting this, I think I have to conclude that the motherboard is dead. When I broke my M2 SSD I was trying to get the tubing into the fitting the whole way and it broke out of the slot damaging both the drive and the slot. I thought the slot damage was superficial (best case scenario) or at the very worst enough to make the slot unusable - in which case I'd be able to workaround it by using the secondary slot and maybe getting an Optane PCIe card in the future. I certainly didn't think it was bad enough to make the motherboard unusable. Unfortunately I can't come up with any other reasonable explanation. The exact same CPU + RAM + GPU + PSU combination works without issue with an older motherboard I have laying around. ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

Sadly, this means I'll need to put the project on pause for a few days until I can get a replacement. One day I'll finish it, I promise. I've invested too much to give up. Sorry it's taking so long!

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I also wouldn't bother water cooling anything M.2. Use what the board has.

You tried to stop me and I didn't listen. I owe you a beer.

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Like the way you fit a tree in

Priorities!

 

[distilld]

Is there a trick to getting rid of these bubbles that get stuck in eddies and don't want to move?

Also, little fragments of rubber or something keep getting stuck on those fins in the picture below. I already disassembled the waterblock once to remove some. They're pretty small so I assume they're not making a huge impact, but how worried should I be that they keep showing up?

 

[distilld]

Update: most of the smaller ones went away but this one looks like it might be a little more difficult to get rid of. It's not easy to tilt it since it's attached with hard tubing and the case weighs a ton. But if that's the only option then I guess I'll need to find a way.