Burning smell, boots but nothing after, help me diagnose please

[Computer_Freak]

Hey guys

I recently upgraded my brothers home PC and took his old PC as his work computer.

only change was different hard drives and different case. the rest was the exact same.

now i built his PC and it would switch on but would have one long, and 2 short beeps (MSI mobo)

that meant its either RAM or VGA card.

i removed the ram, and reseated it, and changed VGA card, and switched it on, and when i switched it on, about 5 seconds after, i smelled a burning smell. it seems to come from CPU area (mostly CPU fan, it has aftermarket heatsink) and the screen stays black, like no signal is gooing to it.

i tried diff ram, and a different PSU. no luck, same issue. I want to try a diff VGA but im scared whatever the issue is its frying the cards.

what could it be?

thanks for the help in advance

 

[mr.doom]

It happened the same to me when I changed the case in my old PC. One of the stand off screws that hold the motherboard from the tray, or the retention bracket is touching the motherboard or the case itself and this shortening fried your motherboard. You will need to get a new one. If it would be the PSU, the PC wouldn't turn on at all.

Something is definitely shortening your motherboard. Before you buy one, take it out of the box, put it on the non-conductive surface, like wood and try turning it on without the case.