Rebuilt pc powers up, but nothing from the video card...

RostokMcSpoons · 29 Apr 2006 at 19:06

A full run-down of my spec:

Antec SLK3700BQE case
Abit N7-S2G mobo
Athlon 2500XP
Asus AX800XT-PE (AGP)
Arctic Cooling Silencer 5 v2
1gb Corsair Value Select
WD 120gb
Samsung SM335 DVD / CDRW
Windows XP Pro, SP2
Ati Cat 6.3

Whilst everything *seems* to be ok - all the fans spin up, two lights on the mobo, I don't get any POST beeps at all (I've tried the PC Speaker connection both ways around, but no joy), and I don't get any image from the video card

I'm about to go home (I can only access the net at work now, unfortunately) and try my old Radeon 9700 to see if that works. Are there any standard things I should look at or try?
I've reseated the card.
I've cleared the CMOS.
I've ensured the video card has a power lead connected.
I've ensured the mobo has both power leads plugged in.

I'm wondering if the advertised incompatability between the Silencer and Asus video card fan power lead is a problem:

We use ATIs respectively NVIDIAs standard power plugs. Asus is unfortunately not following ATIs/NVIDIAs solutions and therefore our plug doesn't fit. You can either cut both plugs and connect the wires correspondingly or you can also get 12 Volt power directly from the PSU. There you have to connect the wires as follows: black with black and red (VGA) with yellow (PSU). The yellow cable from the VGA is an RPM signal, that is not needed.

Well the Silencer's fan is spinning quite happily with the lead plugged into the card - but is there any way the card might think the fan isn't running and refuse to start up? Or am I barking up the wrong tree on that one?

Any other ideas?

RostokMcSpoons · 1 May 2006 at 21:27

Ok,

The Silencer fan spins fine. I'm happy it's all good.
I've plugged in my old 9700 card, and I get exactly the same result.
So it's not the video card.

I've double checked all the other connections, and everything else seems ok - I've got both power connectors into the mobo, I've run the system fan off the mobo as well as directly off the PSU, I've got the CPU fan running off the mobo.

I'm really beginning to think either the PSU or the mobo is duff

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

RostokMcSpoons · 2 May 2006 at 07:50

thanks for the replies guys...

both motherboard chipsets have big heatsinks on 'em - they feel cool to the touch, but it's difficult to tell if they're 'normal' really.

The mobo, case, heatsink and vga silencer are the new components, everything else has run (and still runs ok) in my Shuttle SN41G2 case.

Are the motherboard connectors the correct way round? Do you just get a blank screen when you switch on, but all fans work and the pc sounds like it's running? If not, perhaps try another PSU if you have a spare or can borrow one.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm getting. I've got the big 20(?) pin connector from the psu plugged in, it's got a detachable 4 pin section for the seperate 4 pin power connector on the mobo. I've not used that as it fits the connector in two different orientations - I've used a seperate psu lead that has the right plug *and* a retaining clip, so I know it's orientated correctly. I understand that the seperate 4 pin connector powers the cpu - maybe this is the problem - would I get the symptoms I have if the CPU is (effectively) missing? But surely the psu lead I'm using should do the job?

edit:
Would a cunning way of testing my psu be to plug it into my Shuttle mobo?
Of course if it's gone bad then I'd possibly be killing it, which is a worry :O

RostokMcSpoons · 2 May 2006 at 22:01

Okey dokey... I took the perhaps brave step of wiring the new PSU to the old motherboard and components, and fired it up.

It worked.

So that's ruled out the PSU, it's now down to either

1) a dead motherboard

2) me being stoopit and not plugging it all together properly.

I've checked and re-checked and read the manual from cover to cover in order to minimize the second possibility.

I've now got an RMA number from OCUK, and I'm going to use it in the next day or two.

Unfortunately Overclockers don't have any comparable Skt A mobo's left, so I'm thinking of going for a bigger upgrade (my wife didn't kick up the expected fuss over the new case, so she might not notice a new processor and different mobo!) I'll be asking for suggestions in a seperate thread...