Can a mainboard damage a CPU?

[NeoTrantor]

I built my PC (i7 13700K on ASRock Z790 PG Lighting D4) in december 22 and it worked fine since then. Around two weeks ago I wanted to wake my pc from standby and it didn't wake up. I then completely powered off the system but it didn't turn on at all anymore. When pressing the power button, absolutely nothing happened.

So I began swapping and removing components (incl. PSU) and in the end the only thing that made a difference was pulling the CPU power connectors. Doing that, the PSU turned on and the fans started spinning but nothing else of course. CMOS battery was above 3v but I swapped it anyway. Resetting CMOS also made no difference.

So I tried two other mainboards from a different brand which made the PSU power on and the fans spinning up upon turning it on but nothing else. So no POST, no PC-speaker beeps, no nothing.

Now for my understanding it clearly had to be the CPU as it was the only component left that I didn't swap. So I made an RMA for the CPU and today I received the replacement.

Guess what... Same problem.

I'm really desperate bc the only theory that would make sense to me right now is that the mainboard is damaged in a way that it also kills CPUs and i'm really afraid the brand new replacement CPU has just been bricked.

Can that even be possible and if yes, can the mainboard manufacturer be made responsible for the damaged CPUs?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @NeoTrantor  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.  

I am sorry to hear what is happening with your PC, I will gladly assist you here. 

Even if the motherboard is damaged, it shouldn't damage the processor. 

Did you test the CPU replacement in both motherboards too? Is the same result? 

Take into consideration the following tips from this article as well: 

1. Make sure that all front panel header connector is firmly plugged into the board.  
2. Make sure the motherboard doesn't have broken or bent pins. Physical damage can affect the functionality of the processor. 
3. Check that all the cable connections monitor, power supply, and fans are correct. 
4. Just in case, make sure the monitor output is the correct one (HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, etc.).

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician. 

[AlHill]

Well, I am not so sure that a motherboard cannot damage the processor.   What if the motherboard socket is damaged and introduces shorts to the processor?   A bad/damaged motherboard can damage a processor.

Doc (not an Intel employee or contractor)
[Maybe Windows 12 will be better]

[NeoTrantor]

Hello and thank you for your responses.

I just got another Mainboard from a different manufacturer and put the new CPU on it. This mainboard has LED indicators for missing / failing components. The CPU LED lights up so my theory seems to be right

All connections have been made correctly of course (I'm building PCs since late 90s) and none of the boards I used had any visible damages like broken/bent pins etc.

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @NeoTrantor  

Thank you for the information. 

Even though the motherboard should not have this behavior toward the CPU, what Alhill mentions it's a possibility, indeed. However, I want to do some research about this before jumping to a conclusion and give you a proper recommendation for your case. 

Please allow me some time to check out all the scenarios and I will get back to you as soon as I come up with a possible recommendation. 

Best regards,  

Jocelyn M.   

Intel Customer Support Technician. 

[NeoTrantor]

Please excuse my impatience Did you already have time to further investigate this?

ASRocks says it's more likely that the replacement CPU was DOA than a mainboard that destroys CPUs. TBH I didn't expect them to say anything else but it sounds a little fishy. Or do you think that's even possible? Personally I dont think so but on the other hand everything that happened so far was very unlikely anyway.

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @NeoTrantor   

Thank you for your time. 

It could be possible that might have received a DOA unit, please contact your local Intel Customer Support for the RMA, although we recommend checking the motherboard with your System Manufacturer if the issue persists since the root cause could be something else than the processor. 

U.S. and Canada: Intel Customer Support 

Europe, Middle East, and Africa: Intel Customer Support EMEA  

Asia-Pacific: Intel Customer Support APAC  

Latin America: Intel Customer Support LAR   

Best regards,   

Jocelyn M.    

Intel Customer Support Technician.  

[NeoTrantor]

Hi @Jocelyn_Intel ,

I'll give that a try.

Thank you very much for your support!

[Jocelyn_Intel]

Hello, @NeoTrantor   

Thanks to you for your time, I am glad I could assist you until now. 

Since you have no more inquiries, this thread will no longer be monitored, but if you need further assistance with other matters, feel free to contact us back and submit a new post. 

Best regards,   

Jocelyn M.    

Intel Customer Support Technician.