First ever build not booting

Kenjiin

Kenjiin

Kenjiin

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Joined
27 Sep 2008
Posts
260
Location
Maidstone
Hey guys

Today I received my new graphics card and psu which I planned on just installing and using until the end of the month when I get my i5, mobo/ram. But the XFX 7870 didn't fit on my mobo because the sata ports were in the way.

So I dug out a brand new mobo I've had in the cupboard for over a year, still boxed, and just decided to install everything onto this new mobo.

...

Hours later, finally have everything installed but when I power on the comp it doesn't boot. All the fans spin, but my monitor stays on standby, keyboard doesn't light up, there's no led light from the Ethernet port. Also it doesn't beep when I turn it on.

Current build is:
Amd Athlon II, ASRock N68C-S UCC, XFX 7870 2gb, XFX pro 650w and 4gb (2x2) of HyperX blue ddr2.

Please help, I'm at a complete loss as to what to do :(
 
Ok have you connected the case speaker cable to the header pins on the motherboard? If this isn't connected you won't hear any beeps.
 
Needed to sleep cause this was hurting my head too much :(

I'm pretty sure the case speaker is where it's meant to be. I don't know of it matters what way you plug it in, but I tried both ways and with 2, 1 or no ram In either slot there is no beeping :/

I tried looking up which version of the mobo and CPU I have. Mobo says Rev 1.04 but I don't know how to check the CPU as I don't know where the box is. I kept the boxes when OCUK build this for me but the CPU box is the only one I can't find. I know it's a 2.9ghz and Athlon II x2 though, doesnt that list say all 4 versions of the 2.9ghz ones should be ok with 1.04?

This is really frustrating cause I just don't know how to troubleshoot this stuff :( just stuck looking at it. I thought I'd done everything right.
 
First thing is not to panic. Try to get it to boot with the minimum of components - 1 stick of RAM, graphics card if applicable, CPU - and try and get it to POST.

You've checked all cables, yes? Everything plugged in? I once spent ages trying to figure out why one build wouldn't boot only to realise I'd forgotten to plug the 4-pin CPU power connector in...
 
Ok, so I gradually removed bit by bit.

• removed gpu and plugged monitor into onboard VGA - no beeps, no boot up.
• unplugged DVD drive - same
• only 1 stick of ram, CPU and hdd plugged into psu - same
• basic 1 stick of ram, CPU and hdd but plugged into my old psu - same
• same again with no ram - same

So after doing all that doesn't it indicate the CPU or motherboard, or the combination of the two? CPU was working perfectly this morning.

After all that, what do you guys think the problem is? Doesn't seem like many options left :/
 
if its been sitting a year in a box then chances are the cmos/mb battery is dead,plop in a new one and see what happens?
 
A flat CMOS battery won't stop a PC booting, all it's there for is to remember any settings that you change from default. You can power a Mobo up without even a CMOS battery connected and it will work fine all be it with default BIOS settings.
 
Hmm yeah it didn't make a difference :/

If I applied the thermal paste wrong, could that cause this? It was my first time doing it and the paste was more like clay... Very hard to spread, ended up looking quite messy and I wonder if I put too much on.
 
So long as you didn't touch the CPU pins with your fingers or the clay it won't matter. CPU's are very sensitive.

You said the mobo was sitting in a box for a year. It wasn't in a cold or humid/damp environment was it? Best bet in this scenario is to try out a different mobo because it sounds to me that the finger is pointing at the mobo. If the other components were working fine before hand, transferred to a new mainboard and you get zero activity it just sounds suspect to me.
 
Is it in a case?
If so take it out the case and place it on a none conductive surface and try getting it too boot with the bare minimum (PSU, CPU + 1 stick of RAM) use the onboard GFX.
Make sure you have the 12v AUX power also connected to the mobo if it requires one.
 
Ill give it a go removing it from the case.

In terms of where the mobo was kept, for a good 6-7 months it just sat in the corner of my room, then I moved it in its box, which was inside the delivery box, into the airing cupboard >.> idk I never really planned on using it at all lol.
 
Same thing happens with it outside it being installed in the case.

If I remove the CPU and put it all back in my old mobo with my old gfx card with I need to reapply the thermal paste, or will it be ok because I only did it this afternoon and the PC hasn't even really been switched on for me than 3 mins yet.
 
Nvm I'm just gonna go to sleep, so exhausted from all this. Someone please let me know if it'll be ok to put the CPU back into my old motherboard tomorrow without reapplying the paste lol, I really don't want to.

Wish I could order my i5 and Z77 board now, have to wait until payday :(
 
For testing purposes there is no need to re-apply the thermal paste.
When you get it working then obviously re-apply the paste for optimum cooling performance
 
Ok... I think I may have found the problem...

I was putting back together my old comp came to removing the CPU, was getting ready to remove the heatsink... And the whole thing just came out, CPU stuck to the heatsink lol.

It won't budge, properly glued to the heatsink.

It is possible that I put the CPU in while it was already in the locked position, would the CPU still drop in easily like it did? Then maybe I just put the heatsink on top.

If I put the CPU in while the board was already in the locked position, would that cause this whole problem? Surely if I'd had the CPU locked in then it wouldn't just slide out like it did?

I feel stupid now, how the hell am I gonna pry the CPU from this heatsink lol, a knife?
 
Are you telling me that you put the CPU in the socket without lifting the lever to open up the pin holes?

So the CPU was just floating on top of the motherboard socket?

Still doesn't make sense though, because if everything else was connected correctly you should have got warning beeps from the mainboard to indicate a CPU fault.
 
Lol that's what I'm telling you, amazingly dumb right?

Idk, either way after actually doing it properly my system is up and running. Ill make sure not to do that with my new processor in a few weeks >.>
 
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