PC-Q08 / Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3 mini-ITX installation problems

YesSirICanBogey

YesSirICanBogey

YesSirICanBogey

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20 Aug 2010
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65
Hello,

I am not sure if this is the best section to post this but as I know some people in this form has build similar system with similar components, I thought I'd give it a shot.

I have just assembled my system (below).

450W Silverstone Tech. Strider PSU
64GB Crucial RealSSD C300, MLC-Flash
Intel i5 760, S1156, Lynnfield Quad
Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3, Intel H55 Ex
4GB (2x2GB) Corsair Dominator DDR3
Lian Li PC-Q08B, Black, Small Tower
Sony AD-7241S-0B 24x DVD±R, 12xDVD±
1GB Palit GTX 460 Sonic, 3600MHz GD

However, having connected everything, plugging it in to the wall, switching on my psu I/O and pressing the front panel power - nothing happens....

My assumption is that maybe I have connected the front panel cables wrong into the mobo. This might be because there is no + and - labelling on the cables. How do I know which one is which?

This is the first PC I build so any kind of problem shooting for first boot would be helpful. As absolutely nothing happens, it must be a problem with either the front panel cabling or the PSU, right?

The PSU I have connected with the 20+4 cable (the mobo has a 24pin connector) and one of the two 4pin into the 12v socket.

Thanks in advance....
Cheers.
 
For the power switch the +/- it doesnt matter which way round you put the switch to the motherboard.

Are you sure you have the right 2 pins? (ie you are not plugging it into the power led pins?

Also sounds silly but have you made sure you have the power switched on at the back of the PSU? and also check the wall socket. Sounds silly but I have seen people do it before.
 
ninja2000 said:
For the power switch the +/- it doesnt matter which way round you put the switch to the motherboard.

Are you sure you have the right 2 pins? (ie you are not plugging it into the power led pins?

Also sounds silly but have you made sure you have the power switched on at the back of the PSU? and also check the wall socket. Sounds silly but I have seen people do it before.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it doesn't matter which way around you put them in? When browsing for troubleshooting this was one of the point that was advised to check...

I am fairly sure it is the right 2 pins although the description does not match 100% on the cable labelling and the mobo instructions.

I am sure I switched on the power on the back of the psu, connected it to the wall and switched on the wall socket (even tried different wall sockets) :).
 
Yeah, I am sure, the switch is very basic and when pressed just creates a connection between the two pins. When I am benching a PC I will often just use a screwdriver to make a connection between the power on pins.

I am at work at the mo, but I will check my mobo when I get home and confirm which pins it should be.
 
as ninja suggested - use a screwdrive to connect the 2 pins you think it is. If nothing happens try another set (make sure that you are connecting a pair and not random pins. Also use a screwdriver with a plastic handle to be on the extra safe side - for your motherboard).
Other things are check you have the P4 power attached (located below the NB) and check that you don't have a screw loose or knowing around the back of the motherboard.

If still nothing, try disconnect other components so you've just got the motherboard/ram/cpu connected - you never know, I have seen a hard drive refuse to allow a computer to start before.
 
ninja2000 said:
Yeah, I am sure, the switch is very basic and when pressed just creates a connection between the two pins. When I am benching a PC I will often just use a screwdriver to make a connection between the power on pins.

I am at work at the mo, but I will check my mobo when I get home and confirm which pins it should be.
Click to expand...

Thanks man... Really frustrating. With the screwdriver, do you suggest I simply put this in between the two pins and this should trigger the same effect as having the plug on these two pins?

On my PSU (450W Silverstone Tech. Strider PSU), there is no 24pin connector (which it is on the mobo), instead there is one 20pin and one 4pin. I am assuming I should connect both of these to the 24pin connector on the mobo? In addition, for the 12v, I have a tranche from the psu with two 4pin connectors. As there is only a 4pin 12v socket on the mobo, I am only connecting one of these and leave the other one hanging.

Thanks for helping!
 
YesSirICanBogey said:
Thanks man... Really frustrating. With the screwdriver, do you suggest I simply put this in between the two pins and this should trigger the same effect as having the plug on these two pins?

On my PSU (450W Silverstone Tech. Strider PSU), there is no 24pin connector (which it is on the mobo), instead there is one 20pin and one 4pin. I am assuming I should connect both of these to the 24pin connector on the mobo? In addition, for the 12v, I have a tranche from the psu with two 4pin connectors. As there is only a 4pin 12v socket on the mobo, I am only connecting one of these and leave the other one hanging.

Thanks for helping!
Click to expand...

Yes, with the screwdriver just touch the 2 pins at the same time, it will act exactly the same as pressing the button. As Guardsmon also suggested if that doesnt do it try another 2 pins.

And you have connected the PSU correctly according to your post. If none of this works have you got another spare PSU anywhere?
 
I don't... I wish someone had this mobo/case/psu combination to confirm my connections -_-...

However, as said above, if the psu/mobo works, there should be a standby lamp lighten regardless if the front panel connectors work or not, right?
 
shadow_boxer said:
Just had a quick look on youtube check out;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPkBQNdd33U

I know it not exactly the same but might help with front panel connections
Click to expand...

I'll run through all the connections with this video running but after looking at it now (I am at work), I am 99% sure I have connected everything just like this (the front panel cables are actually marked identically with the exception of some cables being marked + and - in this video).

Wtf....
 
It's hard to imagine how you could have got the mobo power connectors wrong since they only fit one way (I have a Strider and yes, just plug in both the cables).

If the socket is on, the PSU switch is on, the power cable is plugged into the mobo but there is no LED on the mobo then is looks very much like a dead PSU or possibly motherboard. You really need another PSU to test which it is.
 
I just built a computer with the same motherboard last week. I did take a picture of the internals, so I'll check my camera and see if I can help at all.

At this point my next thing to do would be to short start the PSU to see if it works.

Providing that works, I'd take the motherboard and power supply out of the case and try it on a bench.
 
YesSirICanBogey said:
I don't... I wish someone had this mobo/case/psu combination to confirm my connections -_-...

However, as said above, if the psu/mobo works, there should be a standby lamp lighten regardless if the front panel connectors work or not, right?
Click to expand...

Your PSU>Mobo connections are fine, I have the same mobo and PSU combo and I haven't had such problems.
 
Baboonanza said:
It's hard to imagine how you could have got the mobo power connectors wrong since they only fit one way (I have a Strider and yes, just plug in both the cables).

If the socket is on, the PSU switch is on, the power cable is plugged into the mobo but there is no LED on the mobo then is looks very much like a dead PSU or possibly motherboard. You really need another PSU to test which it is.
Click to expand...

I do agree here... It really seems like something is malfunctioning. You said you have the same PSU/mobo, just to confirm, there is two 4pin 12v connectors from the psu but only one in the mobo. I should just leave the other one un-connected, right?
 
I called the technical support from where I bought the components and they said I would test it outside the case as the case might impact it all. They advised me to just connect cpu, mobo, and psu. If these components work, I should get a stand-by light on the mobo, right? Is there any other reaction I should look for here? For example, the psu fan would not start I guess as the system has not booted at this point....?

Should I maybe also, in this set-up, try the aforementioned booting with the screwdriver (connecting the front panel power connectors)?

Just trying to confirm which, if any, components are failing...
 
Guardsmon said:
If still nothing, try disconnect other components so you've just got the motherboard/ram/cpu connected - you never know, I have seen a hard drive refuse to allow a computer to start before.
Click to expand...

Sounds like your tech support are reading the forums :D

I'd go with the base setup outside of the case first. Have a read of this (your motherboard manual) Page 28 shows you the correct CMOS settings - check this. When booting check the Phase LED (there doesn't appear to be a standby light) - Page 29 and Page 25 has the front panel connectors displayed for you.

If no reponse try the screwdrive and if still nothing then unplug your PSU from everything and try jump start it (have a look at the link I posted earlier in the thread). If still nothing then its your PSU, if you get life its most likely a dead motherboard.

Simples :D good luck
 
I did what was suggested and tried connecting mobo/cpu/psu only and guess what... it worked.

Right... so I then went about doing "The Search for the Failing Component"...

£10,000 question....

CASE FANS!

I wend about connecting component by component and through the method of exclusion, I found the answer. With everything connected besides the case fans, it works...

How I have connected the PSU/mobo/fans is as follows (and I really cannot think about any other way of connecting it); on the psu there are two two-sided connectors for the case fans (it will only fit on one of the two sides). On this tranche from the psu, there is also the connector for the mobo. However, this is a 4pin connector and in the mobo there is only a 3pin. I have connected these 3 pins the only way it will come on the connector so I simply do not know what I can do differently...

Does anyone have this combination of case (probably the same in similar lian li cases)/mobo/psu and can tell me how this should be connected?

Is it common to have a 4pin connector but only 3 in the mobo for the case fan? I have not come across it before...
 
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