Dead CPU or MOBO?

So I've been off from my gaming pc due to it suddenly shutting off and hasn't started up since. I bought a new PSU thinking that was my prob bu to no avail. So my best guest is my CPU, it'll start up with all accessories if I've got the CPU out but it'll only make a clicking sound from PSU with CPU in place

 

Did it smell bad?
If it did, look for burning around the VRM near the cpu or try running with 1 stick of ram and nothing else but video connected (cpu in).

Make sure your ATX (24-pin) connector and the 4 or 8 pin CPU 12V power connector is firmly secured.

What motherboard/cpu (nevermind, checked with pc part picker config). It's likely you should send your motherboard back if it's in warranty. If you had an overclock with no heatsinks on the VRM (some boards have them some don't), it could have blown it out. Not easy to fix without decent electronics and soldering knowledge and some luck. Make sure no pins on the motherboard socket or cpu are bent.


Clicking may be a short circut prevention method of the PSU.

Try removing motherboard/cpu/ram from computer, set on a cardboard box, hook it up on there, and try running it, if it works, check for something grounding out the motherboard in the case!

CPUs don't generally go bad, ever, the pins can though, but not usually ever unless you ran 1.4+ volts through them for a long time or way overheated it. Do try clearing the bios on the board though and see if that helps.
Look for discoloration or bubbling / flaking around the VRM area of the cpu (where the heatsinks are and there's little boxes/caps etc), likely one could have went.
Get another Z97 motherboard if removing the battery for a few minutes to clear BIOS does not work. It's not worth throwing it all out and starting over, not with the price of RAM today. It only starts with the CPU out because it's not able to use the VRM because there's no CPU. Call MSI and see what you can get a refurbished board for.

You might be able to find something here, but not all boards are going to have an updated bios to work with the Devil's Canyon/Haswell refresh 4690k CPU.
http://www.ascendtech.us/intel-lga1150-motherboard_c_mb1150.aspx

You can also check amazon new and USED stuff, or try Fleabay (Ebay).
So yes, you're not entirely out of luck, is best to repair the machine vs buy a whole new one for 4~10x more for not that much more performance.

 

Tried all to no avail unfortunately, looked up every way possible to reset cmos and tried those methods and nada. It'll power on fans and lights without psu cable to cpu on mobo connected. If the aforementioned cable is hooked up, the psu will only make a small click sound

 

Sounds like something went out on the CPU VRM.
Get another board, yes it's worth replacing, yes it'll cost a bit but for under 100$ if you get a mainstream H97 or a 100~200$ for a Z97 board, you'll likely have your machine up and running.
Buy it from a place where you can send it back if that's not the issue. Amazon is usually pretty good about returns but I haven't yet had to return a motherboard. There's plenty of options here.
Look up used or open-box or even refurbished (test all the ports right away!) if you have to pinch pennies.
Aliexpress (dot com) has some cheap stuff with 90 day warranties on it, but I wouldn't overclock on those.
You want CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP? HERE:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesal...=SB_20180422182156&SearchText=z97+motherboard
It's like Amazon direct from China Could take a good two weeks to get to you though, so just be aware, they're usually pretty good about testing stuff first (well, Huanan is, from what I know).
First one that came up was an 84$ PC MATE MSI BRAND Z97 MOTHERBOARD. So take a look, or check Amazon for used, open-box, or refurbished boards. Give your PC another lease on life, and hey, you won't even have to re-install Windows (you will have to re-activate if it's Windows 10, which may involve calling Microsoft, tell them your motherboard died and you'd like a new installation key).

It won't start when you plug in your cpu & cpu power plug (4 or 8 pin) because there's likely a bad voltage regulator module, choke, or coil that's burnt up and/or shorting out. It needs to be repaired or the board will detect a short OR the Power Supply unit will detect a short and it will not work - a nice alternative to FIRE ... which is the only other alternative. Also worth noting is also why you pay for a GOOD power supply.
You can get another MSI board to replace it, or choose less fire-prone alternatives like ASUS/Gigabyte/ASRock.

For what it's worth, if you buy a board without heatsinks over the VRM (above and to the left of the CPU socket on the board), DO NOT overclock on that board, if it has heatsinks, it's usually OKAY but keep in mind that tower coolers (like the Cooler Master kind), are tower coolers, not downdraft coolers, and without absolutely stellar airflow, your VRM won't get the airflow it normally would with an other-wise inferior OEM (stock) cooler or other type of downdraft cooler. Too long, too hot, and the VRM burns up or just quits.

If you want to keep your exact motherboard, get a quote from an electronics repair shop, or from MSI support themselves, and see what a replacement refurbished board would cost, 100$ or less to have your machine back up to full spec, isn't a bad deal for a several year old computer.
--Good luck!

 

Thanks so much for the info, I decided to just upgrade with these parts

 

I wish you better / longer luck this time around.
I am sure you'll enjoy the parts you got, though I will just warn you that Gigabyte motherboard shouldn't be overclocked too hardcore (a few hundred MHZ extra shouldn't hurt), it doesn't have the high-count VRM phases that higher-end motherboards do, just a warning (that's also why it's roughly 100$ and not 150~250$). However that being said, there's roughly 100$ difference between the core i7 and i5 chips, so it's not always worth spending an arm and a leg (or more than you have to - namely 100$ more) for a higher tier motherboard from the same brand when that could have been sunk into the CPU.
However, that CPU is pretty well off with 6 cores, 6 threads, and the nice Phanteks cooler to keep it cool and not deal with much noise (I have the exact same one but in red, 3.5 years and nary a rattle from it). The intel K-series cpu's have always run very hot since the 3xxx line-up when they stopped soldering the lid on them, using 'toothpaste' in-stead. So the cooler is a very sound investment, especially since intel OEM fan noise/performance is so intolerable, that it'd scream and still not hold it's 'normal' speed settings many times.
I don't think you'll have too much issue there (and there's nothing wrong with the motherboard you picked, it's a good, solid, reputable brand name). It's a pretty good match for an i5 6-core chip.

I had to delid my CPU just to keep it from hitting 76~80C on it's stock settings, turbo would hit 95-100C in seconds, without the delid and with the stock fan. With the Phanteks that knocked down 20+ C off the run speeds of the chip.

--Cheers & best of luck to you bud.