If you are experiencing a black screen at the startup of your PC, this could indicate a hardware failure either with the N7 Z590 motherboard or hardware that has been installed on it. The N7 Z590 motherboard features Debug LEDs that can help indicate what is preventing your PC from completing POST.
| What is POST? |
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Power-on Self Test, also known as POST is a series of hardware checks the PC will perform after receiving a Power-on signal. While this is a relatively unseen or silent process on many computers, some motherboards will feature additional hardware to help monitor the POST process including a piezo speaker (aka a "beeper"), debug LEDs, or a code readout (aka Digital Debug LED, Dr. Debug, etc.). If a component fails the POST process, the PC will halt until the system is shutdown and the issue is resolved. |
For the N7 Z590 motherboard, the debug LEDs for CPU, DRAM, BOOT, and VGA are located along the bottom edge of the motherboard as shown in the picture below:
| Before Starting - Reset the CMOS |
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Before getting into troubleshooting, we always recommend a quick clear of the CMOS settings on the motherboard as this can resolve a large number of POST related issues. For the N7 Z590 motherboard, this can be easily done by using the Clear CMOS button located on the rear I/O. With the Power Supply switch off, press and hold the case power button for 30 seconds to drain any residual power in the system. Release the power button, then press and hold the Clear CMOS button for 3-10 seconds. Release the Clear CMOS button, then power on the Power Supply and try starting the computer again. |
CPU Debug LED Issues
If you are encountering a CPU Debug LED, this could indicate either an issue with the CPU or that the CPU may not be compatible with the motherboard. For the N7 Z590 motherboard, this board should be compatible with all Intel® 10th & 11th Generation LGA 1200 socket CPUs. For more information please see the CPU Support list on the download page below:
If the CPU is compatible, the next step is to physically check the CPU and CPU Socket on the motherboard.
- Check the 4/8-pin CPU Power Connector, usually located in the top-left corner of the motherboard. If this cable is loose or disconnected it can result in the system not completing POST and providing a CPU error due to a lack of necessary power. Once the connection is confirmed, try starting the PC to see if there is any change.
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Power off the Power Supply Unit and remove the CPU from the socket. Check the socket pins to ensure they are undamaged, as damaged pins will result in poor or incomplete contact with the CPU and can prevent your system from booting. Do not attempt to repair socket pins as these pins are incredibly fragile and can easily break if handled improperly.
An example of a CPU with damaged socket pins.
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Check the contact pads on the underside of the CPU. If there is any debris or dirt on the pads gently clean it using a static-free cloth with isopropyl alcohol or a static-safe brush.
An example of a CPU with damaged/dirty contact pads.
- Reinstall the CPU, making sure that the gold triangle on the CPU is pointing to the bottom-left of the CPU socket as indicated by the white dot on the socket frame.
If the PC continues to provide a CPU Debug LED on startup, this could indicate that the CPU has failed and needs to be replaced.
DRAM Debug LED Issues
If you are encountering a DRAM Debug LED, this could indicate an issue with the DRAM modules installed in the motherboard are either improperly installed, incompatible, or have failed. The N7 Z590 only supports 288-pin Non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 DIMMs. Using unsupported memory modules (i.e. 288-pin ECC RDIMMs) may result in a DRAM Debug LED and a failure to boot.
For more information on troubleshooting RAM related issues, please see our guide here:
Quick troubleshooting for RAM includes:
- Removing all DIMMs from the motherboard, then installing one module at a time in the 4th slot (B2) to ensure that they are being read.
- Testing match-pair DIMMs in the 2nd and 4th slots (A2 and B2) to ensure that Dual-Channel memory is being properly read.
- Testing a known working DIMM in all 4 RAM slots individually to ensure that the slots are functional.
VGA Debug LED Issues
If you are encountering a VGA Debug LED, this could indicate an issue where the motherboard is not detecting a display. This can be caused either due to no graphics hardware being present, a defective or faulting Graphics Card, or an issue between the Display (monitor) and the PC.
For more information on troubleshooting display related issues, please see our guide here:
Troubleshooting Display & Graphics Card Issues
Quick troubleshooting for Display issues includes:
- Checking the Power connection for the Graphics Card both at the card and at the Power Supply.
- Removing the Graphics Card and checking the edge connector and motherboard socket for any potential damage or debris, followed by re-seating the Graphics Card.
- If you are not using a Discrete Graphics Card, ensure that your CPU supports onboard graphics. Any Intel® processor with a model number ending in F will not support onboard graphics.
- Test the display connection cable with a known working source (i.e. a game console or other PC) to ensure the cable is functioning.
- Try changing sources on the display.
BOOT Debug LED Issues
If you are encountering a BOOT Debug LED, this could indicate an issue where the motherboard cannot detect a bootable storage device (i.e. SSD, HDD, or USB Flash Drive) or there is a major issue preventing the motherboard from starting the UEFI (BIOS).
If you have a BOOT LED and no Display
- Try resetting the CMOS battery again as outlined earlier in the guide.
- Check all attached storage drives to make sure nothing is loose or disconnected.
- Check your Display source settings, as the system may be loaded into the UEFI and is awaiting input.
| Large Format (Ultra-wide) and High Resolution (4k+) Monitor Issues |
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Some large format monitors (i.e. Ultra-wide, Super Ultra-Wide, etc.) or High Resolution monitors (4k+ resolution) may not properly support the lower resolution mode used by many motherboard UEFI. While the N7 Z590 will attempt to automatically detect any high-resolution monitors and adjust, certain monitors may run into issues such as with Super Ultra-wide (32:9 aspect ratio) unless the monitor settings are adjusted prior to starting the PC. These settings can include enabling Picture-by-Picture (PBP) mode on the monitor or checking if the monitor has a Low-resolution setting. |
If you have a BOOT LED and an image appears on the Display
- If you are getting an error such as No bootable devices found, this can mean that a storage drive is disconnected or loose or that an Operating System has not yet been installed. Reboot the PC into the UEFI (BIOS) by pressing the F2 or Delete key on the keyboard at the NZXT logo.
- In the UEFI (BIOS), check the Storage Configuration menu (in Easy Mode) to make sure that your Storage Drive(s) are detected.
- If your drives are detected, check the Boot Priority to make sure your boot drive or the Boot Manager is visible. If there is no Boot Manager available, the drive may be configured with a Legacy Operating System or an Operating System has not yet been installed.
- For Legacy Operating Systems, enter Advanced Mode and enabled Compatibility Support Module (CSM) in the Boot tab, then Save & Exit.
- If the PC was previously booting into an non-Legacy Operating System, this could indicate that the operating system is corrupted or an SSD is failing. Reinstalling the Operating System may resolve this issue.
| Checking Storage Issues |
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If your Storage Devices (SSD, HDD, etc.) are not being detected, shutdown the PC and turn off the Power Supply switch and check the drives to make sure that they are properly connected. For M.2 storage, make sure that the drive is fully inserted in the slot and is secured to the standoff using the included M.2 screw. Additionally, confirm that the M.2 SSD is compatible with the slot used:
For 2.5" and 3.5" SATA storage, make sure that the SATA Power connection from the Power Supply is securely connected to the drive(s) and that the SATA Data connection is securely connected at both the drive(s) and the motherboard. |