Maximus VIII Hero won't power up

[Sam1981]

Just bought a Maximus VIII Hero with Core i5 6600K. The motherboard doesn't boot. Sometimes the on-board Start and Reset buttons are lit, otherwise they don't. When they do, if i plug in any USB peripheral in the USB Bios Flashback port, the Start and Reset buttons start to blink. Tried pressing the Bios flash button for 3-10 seconds, nothing happens. There is no Q-Code on the digital display no matter what. There is no on-board LED lit up no matter what. The CPU fan doesn't start. The ROG logo doesn't light up.

I tried everything I found on the web, nothing worked. What I have tried includes:
- CMOS battery plugged out for few mins and then put back in
- Used a screwdriver to short the CMOS battery connectors
- Switched the CMOS reset jumper and powered on
- Checked CPU socket pins, they are not bent or anything
- Took out the board out of the case
- Only CPU, Cooler, 8-pin CPU power and 20+4 power and CPU fan connected
- Took out the CPU and tried booting the board only
- Tried with 1 DIMM in proper slot
- Tried without DIMMs - no beeps
- Tried USB Bios flash (with BIOS update appropriately named)
- Tried on-board buttons for Start, Reset, Bios reset, MemOK

With the mobo and CPU included, my build is:
Skylake Build

Before, and currently, because the new board isn't working, my build is:
Old Core 2 Quad Build

I know the PSU isn't great, and should have been replaced for the upgrade. But it has no problems whatsoever with Q6600 and a GTX970 installed, even when I let it run thru the night or when I play games. One thing to note though, my old board requires only 4-pin CPU power. I'm thinking it might be a PSU issue (maybe the other 4-pins aren't working).

So my question is:
1. Is there something else I can try before returning the mobo
2. Is there any part in my build that requires attention, other than mobo problem

Points to consider (if it comes to buying/replacing parts)
I live outside the US
After spending this much on Hero and 6600K I'm really tight on budget

Specs:
Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 Evo 43.1 CFM CPU Cooler
Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 4GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory
Asus GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card
Cooler Master Elite Power 460W ATX Power Supply

 

[Kanan]

Welcome to TPU...

1. Is there something else I can try before returning the mobo

I don't think so. If you are sure that the PSU is okay, then return the MB, I guess it will work then. I hope you didn't shorted the MB, always touch a heater or computer case with both hands, before starting to touch any hardware PCBs or drives.

 

[Caring1]

Remove the CPU and make sure you haven't bent pins in the socket.
If they appear fine then the board sounds faulty.
Make sure your PSU has the correct cable plugged in to the 8 pin Atx socket for the CPU.
Do not use one marked for Pci-e.

 

[Niteblooded]

^ He already checked the CPU pins.

It really sounds like you either have a PSU problem or a motherboard problem since your motherboard is not receiving full power. At the very least you should see a Q-Code but it sounds like many of the status LEDs are not working or not working all the time. Even if you do return the motherboard I would think about investing in another PSU just to be safe.

Even if there is a difference between your old motherboard and the VIII Hero as far as the CPU power (4pins vs 8pins) go it sounds like you are not getting full power to the motherboard so I would probably lean toward it being the problem.

 

[OneMoar]

replace the psu a old psu that doesn't support haswell WILL cause issues
newer psus (haswell certified) have to support the low standby voltage signaling

 

[Sam1981]

Thanks OneMoar and Niteblooded. Yes it was a PSU problem. The PSU had 4+4pins for CPU power, however either it wasn't supplying enough power or wasn't compatible as OneMoar stated. I didn't know about PSUs that are Haswell certified, however, I got a Antec TPQ 850W and it is working perfectly fine. The motherboard LEDs and ROG Logo lit up on standby power... that was a sight to remember for a lifetime . Anyways, thanks for your help. Anyone with similar problem, even if your old PSU supported your old mobo with a lot of load, you need a better and newer PSU. I even checked a Cooler Master V650, it worked too. Now I'll get back to enjoying my upgrade Adios...