New build won't post

Dogboy73

Dogboy73

Dogboy73

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Joined
27 May 2004
Posts
693
Location
UK
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17796684

Details of the parts in thread above.

Put this together today for a mate. But when I powered up I didn't get anything on the monitor. Tried 2 monitors & cables. Nothing.

Checked all connections in PC & everything seems fine. The system & CPU fans spin, the HD spins up, the DVD drive opens & the gfx card heatsink gets warm/hot. Nothing on the monitor though & I don't get a bleep (checked the 'speaker' cable from the front panel as well).

I then phone Overclockers who suggested trying different RAM combo's & failing that it sounded like a dodgy mobo. Any other ideas from you guys before I strip the whole thing down again & send back?

Cheers.


EDIT: Also noticed, after phoning OC, that the nortbridge heatsink wobbles. Should this be firmly attached?
 
I would have expected some beeps if it were graphics, so it could be mobo or memory. Do you have another system you can test parts in?
 
nortbridge heatsink shouldn't wobble, should be locked to the mobo, usually by push pins, see if the pins feel loose.

any chance you can try another gfx card ?, or try the gfx card u have in another system ?
 
I would try reseating all components again, secure that Northbridge too as mp says. Does this motherboard have a digital LED error code display at all (like below) ?

led.jpg
 
There's no digital display on the mobo (it's the same as mine - Gigabyte P35C-DS3R). I'll have another look at the North Bridge heatsink when I go to work tomorrow & check those pins.

As I have the same RAM & Mobo I guess I could try bringing the RAM home & installing it in my system. If there is a problem with the RAM it couldn't possibly damage my system could it?

The gfx card is an ATi X1650. I have an ATi 1950 Pro, which I think uses the same drivers doesn't it? I guess I could also bring the gfx card home & try installing that in my system. If it all works then this re-inforces the view that the mobo is borked!
 
Checked the new build again this morning. The Northbridge heatsink seemed a bit more secure so I switched on the machine to see what would happen. Seems like it came loose again once it had heated up.

I might try & take the RAM & gfx card home tonight & try it in my system. But I've just spoken to OC support again & they still seem to think it's the mobo so I've asked about the returns procedure.
 
With that northbridge issue it leads me to think that, that motherboard could well have faults - it shouldn't be loose at all. As you say see what happens when you test the RAM in your machine this will eliminate other components!
 
I noticed as well that the Catalyst drivers for the card in this system (X1650) are the same as the drivers for my X1950 Pro. So I should be able to just swap the cards & everything should work, right?
 
Have you connected both power connectors? In addition to the main 24-pin connector there is a 4-pin one near the CPU socket. If you fail to connect the second connector it will do what you describe.

(That being exactly what I did with that mobo...)
 
Mr Jack said:
Have you connected both power connectors? In addition to the main 24-pin connector there is a 4-pin one near the CPU socket. If you fail to connect the second connector it will do what you describe. (That being exactly what I did with that mobo...)
Click to expand...
Yes I connected that. This is my 3rd build now so I'm pretty up on what goes where ........ just not what to do when things don't work :confused: I did more or less this exact same build just a few weeks back & everything was sweet.
 
Could very well just be faulty. I was doing a new build back in Jan and had to send the Gigabyte board straight back as it wouldn't post, they found it faulty after testing - these things happen.
 
mishima said:
Could very well just be faulty. I was doing a new build back in Jan and had to send the Gigabyte board straight back as it wouldn't post, they found it faulty after testing - these things happen.
Click to expand...
That's true. First time for me though. It's made me a tad paranoid about the whole static shock thing. I was thinking about gonig to M*****s to get myself an anti-static mat for fear that it could have been me that zapped the board at some point during installation. I did earth myself, as I always do, by first touching a radiator pipe before handling any components.

Saying all that though the Northbridge cooler definitely seems borked so by rights it should go back for that alone really.
 
Okay. Just tried the RAM & gfx card in my system (which has the exact same mobo) and everything is sweet. No problems posting/booting up there so it must be the mobo ........ or could it be the CPU? :confused:
 
In my experience I found that my mobo died just as you have written it. My mobo had the green LED light on however so I thought it can't be it however having ripped everything tried a new PSU, CPU, memory, heatsink (yes I changed heatsink too!) everything in my case I found it was my mobo.
 
Well least you know the ram isn't faulty, and the G-card is fine.

Last thing try his cpu in your board, just to double check :)

A system doesn't POST, at all, if the cpu is faulty. So try that if your willing, then you can send the board back as faulty.
 
Delvis said:
Well least you know the ram isn't faulty, and the G-card is fine.

Last thing try his cpu in your board, just to double check :) A system doesn't POST, at all, if the cpu is faulty. So try that if your willing, then you can send the board back as faulty.
Click to expand...
I can't really be arsed doing that to be honest. Means I'll have to clean up my heatsink/CPU & then re-apply the thermal paste/pads etc :( Would be good to check to make sure but it's a lot of hassle. Besides the Northbridge heatsink is not right anyway - as soon as the board heats up it comes loose. I've checked the pins & they seem to be in okay so I'm not sure what's happening there.

I might speak to OC about returning the CPU as well as the mobo.
 
How to reset CMOS should be in the mobo manual, find where the jumper is on the mobo and there are three pins usually 1-2-3 - you just have to move the jumper onto the bottom pins 2-3 for a few seconds and then put the jumper back to 1-2 (default position).

Its ridiculous that you have to go through all this just to test whether its a certain component thats faulty imo because you might not have all the equipment to test things - like the CPU testing you have to go and remove it from your setup if you want to find if this one is faulty and ruin the seal.

Quality Control obviously aren't doing their job properly. I would do as you say and send back the CPU and the motherboard just to be safe - peace of mind!
 
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