MSI Tomahawk not booting

[ttdelta2]

Hello everybody,

I have a MSI B450 Tomahawk Max II with AMD Ryzen 5 3600, GTX 1650 Video. Yesterday I tried to start the system but no sound, no light no fans spinning. Checked PSU, 120V in ok, no 5V/12V out. Bought another PSU unit. Now I have lights and fans running but no display (HDMi input). Checked with different HDMi cable and monitor, same thing.
Tried with a known working graphic card (same model, from a second PC), no change. Tried with new DRAMs, no change. Then I noticed the red-lit CPU LED on MB. That, according to MB manual, shows missing/faulty CPU. Removed CPU, RAM, reset CMOS (JBAT shorted) then downloaded and installed (from formatted FAT32 flash drive) the latest BIOS from MSI site. No change. Tried a previous version of BIOS, no change, CPU red light is still on and no image. Just to make sure, CPU pins were checked under magnifier, they are all straight, as expected, since it was installed when system died.
Please help!

[Rustys]

. Removed CPU

Did you redo the thermal paste properly.

[ttdelta2]

Yes. Cleaned then a fresh layer of Corsair XTM50.

[Rustys]

How much did you add.

Assemble the system outside of the box on cardboard.
Have you connected the BIOS speaker this may shed some light as to what is going on.
What is the pattern?

[ttdelta2]

Not much; just to spread evenly without passing the edge of CPU. I don’t have a BIOS speaker.

[Rustys]

What is the PSU make and model?

Have you tried factory resetting the BIOS?

Ever since they stopped adding the speaker to the motherboards makes it harder to diagnose (to save money).

Reseat the RAM, GPU, DATA cables, Power cables, PSU to motherboard.

[ttdelta2]

PSU is EVGA 700GD 700W. I did reset CMOS (BIOS to factory). I tried another set of identical DRAMs and another Video card. Power cables were reinserted since I have replaced the first PSU that was dead.
I did order another CPU. Waiting for it. The fact the “EZ Debug” light on the motherboard shows no-CPU made me think it is the culprit. I bit the bullet and ordered it.

[Rustys]

What about the other stuff I suggested?

[ttdelta2]

I did reseat RAM, GPU; I just did the data cable as wells; power cables from PSU, I did reseat twice.

[Rustys]

From what I can see all the basics have been covered correctly.

Let’s see if @PeterOz has any different ideas and or suggestions.

[ttdelta2]

Thank you!

[Rustys]

I did order another CPU.

Any idea when this should arrive.

There are so many reasons that this could be happening and who knows replacing the CPU may even correct this.

[ttdelta2]

Don’t know. Ordered from BestBuy, hopefully they move fast.

[Rustys]

Not a problem just wondering about a time frame if there was one.

[PeterOz]

Have you checked the voltage of the cmos battery
Odd I know but I have seen that before