Hello all, (This is my first post, go easy on me)
I started building my first PC this year!
Using spare parts from friends and pulling from a ddr3 pc my family no longer uses. I was able to get what seemed like a working list of parts, however I was warned that the motherboard was likely faulty by my friend. I assumed that it would likely need to be replaced but I decided that I would attempt some simple fixes with the old cpu.
I attempted to clear the CMOS by taking the coincell battery out then reseating it, tried the GPU in both lanes, tried the hdmi from the motherboard (No integrated graphics just hope) and from the gpu, and attempted 1 stick of ram with each stick.
Ultimately, power was visibly affecting each component, but no change to the lack of posting.
I have not bought new coincell batteries, tried an integrated graphics cpu, and have not attempted using a CH341a device to inspect or update the bios.
I am not sure those untested methods would get this board to work, so I would like to sell it but as it is unusable by me I doubt anyone would purchase it.
I decided to move on from that board as it wasn't working and it was relatively old. I have AM4 parts so I looked for an am4 board. I decided to get a x570 or a b550 that would natively run 5000 series cpu found one secondhand for 80 dollars. I inspected the board when trading and it seemed in order as there was a board in the antistatic bag. When I opened it to test the board it was a different board than advertised. (Sold as x570 tuf plus wifi, actually msi b550 mpg). I paid cash so I can't get anything back, just a poor review on marketplace. I attempted to use that board anyways as it was still compatible, but even with multiple attempts to test the board it would not post as the CPU light is on.
In my testing I assumed the 1700 was too old to work with the board, so I tried the 5500. This did not work as the board is likely not updated on the bios, so my next steps were to learn about bios flashback, find a usb 2.0 device and format it, rename the bios file and attempt to flash the bios with just the motherboard and the stick powered. It started the process but after 20 minutes I was skeptical, and after 4 hours I assumed it had failed despite the flashing light indicating work was happening.
The above board still does not work with the 5500 cpu, but I have no way to test it for 3000 series cpus. I have not replaced the coincell or attempted ch341a.
I doubt two faulty boards recoups the 80 dollars I spent on the second board. I don't think the other components I have are the issue, as visual inspection revealed no pins damaged or scratches on the components. I have a multimeter and have been going through repair videos, but it seems unlikely that I will have luck in diagnosing with just that.
Below are some of the components for reference.
MSI B350 Tomahawk Arctic (VGA Error Light)
MSI B550 MPG Gaming Plus (CPU Error Light)
Ryzen 7 1700 or Ryzen 5 5500 CPU
EVGA FTW3 3080 GPU
EVGA 750 G+ PSU
Corsair LPX Vengeance 2x8 Ram
TLDR: I was gifted a malfunctioning b350 and was tricked when purchasing a second motherboard, also faulty. Is it worth attempting to fix the boards through other methods? Should I sell them both at a loss to buy another board?