Well damn. New rig and no display!

[SiriusB]

Bah! First new rig I have built from scratch and something aint right lol.

Plug in the monitor, switch machine on....nothing. The monitor is fine, I tested it on my old rig just to be sure.

To be honest I have no idea what it could be. Ive checked all the cables and I am quite sure everything is where its should be.

When the computer comes on all the fans spin up including the GFX card. The mobo has some diagnostic LEDs and counts down from 4 lit to just one lit - according to the manual and a post I saw on DFI-Street one lit led means the machine is sat in BIOS.

My spec:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
DFI UT Lanparty NF4 Ultra-D
OCZ 2x1GB Dual Channel
HIS Excalibur ATi RADEON X1900XT IceQ3
Seasonic S12 600W PSU

Any help would be appreciated

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Hey all

After speaking to a mate and showing him a picture it seems my PCI cards aren't sitting in their slots properly. As you can see from the image below you can still see the contacts on my GFX card.

The PCI cards are fitting flush with the PCI securing bracket on the case and are straight. So this leaves the mobo... it would appear the mobo is too low :/

I have used the spacers supplied with my CM Stacker and the odd thing is the ports on the back of the mobo line up perfectly with the rear bracket.

I really dont know what to do... is the case at fault? the spacers? mobo? me? lol. Any ideas?

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

the standoffs/spacers/whatevers are actually silver with this case, and yes i did use them

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

So you mounted the mobo when u installed it?



Try plugging the monitor cable into the onboard gfx card monitor port....

Have you cleared the CMOS?
Have you tried diff RAM slots? Have you tried just 1 stick of RAM?
Try booting without the gfx card
Take the mobo out of the case cuz its a dfi it has an "on switch" on the mobo I believe...Just keep the cpu, HSF and 1 stick of RAM in the mobo only...Try the RAM in every single slot if it dont boot....
Otherwise you need to check your a) CPU and b) RAM in a diff machine if you can confirm they are working its gotta be a dead mobo...(i think)

The problem isnt faulty hardware, more to do with iffy engineering or my iffy installation lol. As the photo shows the graphics card isnt seated in the pci slot properly. This would pretty much explain why it aint working

The issue is why is the motherboard apparantly too low at one end, but just right at the other end? [the ports line up with backplate exactly].

If it isnt the motherboards fault, and if it isnt the standoffs/spacers fault... then it must be the fault of the PCI card bracket - ie it is too high... but I cant see CM screwing that up on a 100 quid case

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

There was already one standoff in the mobo tray - a kind of hint as to the correct screws to be using. I attached the rest of the standoffs needed and screwed on the motherboard. I cant attach anything to the motherboards on-board graphics... cos it hasnt got any :| at least none that I am aware of!

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Yes it is the right slot My X-FI soundcard has the same issue, which is why I am 100% positive its either iffy case or iffy standoffs.

I have absolutely no reason to believe anything is shorting or damaged since its obvious to me the issue is the cards are basically not properly attached. The reason for this is still eluding me and I am ever so slightly annoyed lol.

Just going through all the stuff that came with the case and I cant see any other screws that look as if they are spacers or anything.

In the morning I am going to get a spirit level and see for sure weather or not the mobo is level or not. If it is level then it has to be the bracket where the cards get screwed onto that is fubar.

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Probably missing something written somewhere, but from that pic surely the graphics card is not plugged in all the way

Aha yes... thats my problem! Its down as far as it can go due to the rear bracket the card screws to. Issue is whether its the mobo mounting or the case at fault.

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

so the board even tho its sloping at one end is not directly touching the inside to of the case?

I dont know if the board is sloping - by eye it doesnt look like it... but yes, the board is NOT touching the inside of the case.

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Okay update:

I have just put the mobo in and used only two screws, one for opposite corners just to stop the mobo from moving around. I also kept them quite loose and found to my delight that the sound card JUST ABOUT fitted properly. I am beginning to suspect that either the provided standoffs are a tad short or the mobo is flexing when the screws are tightened.

In the morning Im going to see if I have missed a bag of plastic washers or something. I reckon if the mobo was just 1 or 2 mm higher up then all will be well! If the case didnt come with any then it looks like ill have to buy/scrounge some.

Thanks for your help and suggestions so far... keep posting though just in case you have reason to think its something else causing dodgy fitting!

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Have you kept the box your stacker came in? I know I have two different height motherboard standoffs

Maybe there is a bag of higher standoffs lurking around? If you like I can see if I have some spare ones of normal size and I could possibly send you them in the post if you need them?

P.S Therion fan??

I am 99.99% certain I haven't missed any other stand offs, but I will check again all the same. You couldnt measure the length of the standoffs could you? If you have got some going spare and they're slightly taller I would be really greatful for them!

Can you just measure the top part of the standoff and not the threaded part

And yes, big Therion fan

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

If you don't have any different sized stand-offs then Email me dude, I have loads.

The standoffs I have are 10mm long, not including the threaded part.. so if you have any that are taller... say 11-12mm that would be cool.

give it some welly, that cards goto go in loads more than that!

Only way that card is going in any further is if I saw the bent bit of metal off the card where it screws into the case or I remove the bracket on the case

Hi, then just for testing purposes, to see if the system is powering up OK, can't you build the PC outside the case by laying the mobo on something like cardboard or the mobo box and connect up basic parts and power on to see if there is life in the system.

Itll be a little awkward to do that since while putting the pc together I was doing some cable management. I am reluctant to undo all the cable management when I am pretty sure that there is nothing wrong with the hardware.

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Hey all.

Okay, I think I have discovered the problem! It would appear the mobo tray is slightly bowed. I almost missed it. As I was moving the case out of the way I noticed the tray moved inwards a couple of mm.

So now I have a dilemna... Do I take the case back and pray they have another one and risk the same problem... or do I just get some washers/spacers and just pad out the standoffs where they're lower?

Decisions decisions...

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

So, you have got the PC working ok now then? If so, i would take the case back. No need for you to have hassle everytime you change the mobo.

Not got it working just yet - plan for later on in the early hours lol.

Dont think it will be a big hassle... all I have to do is keep the spacers and i can probably fix it long term. Gonna get me dad to have a butchers see if hes got any metal I can use as a brace. Dont think I wanna risk not getting another one for the sake of a few millimetres.

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Everything is in the case and the PC booted up. Installing Windows as I type I will let you all know if everything checks out but so far no problems.

Thanks again for everyone who helped out... and for those who didnt post...SHAME! lol

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

How did you fix it in the end?

I put most of my weight onto the mobo tray and it appears to be staying put... I put a pillow underneath it too when installing all the bits to prevent it bowing outwards again when putting pressure on the board [power cables/pci cards etc]

Its all installed proper now and is working. At some point in the near future I think im gonna fit a supporting bar or rod to permenantly prevent it from bowing again.

LMAO

Nice one dude......thats great

Whats next O'Cing?

Yes! OCing is on the cards but not just yet. I want to get a feel for the system find its quirks and so forth. Happy with stock speeds for the moment anyway - hence why I went for the 4400 and not the 3800.

Give it at least a month I reckon then I'll start seriously considering it.

Spent a great deal of time reading about OCing AMDs and the process seems simple enough - just gonna need a tonne of time lol.

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

W00t!

This post come to you all from my new rig! *drools*

Well impressed with the big leap in performance - can go from Windows desktop, restart and be back to the desktop in less time it took my old rig to shutdown

My X2 4400+ temps are pretty good too:

Idle: 22-23 degrees C
Load [Prime95 on both cores]: 32-34 degrees C

Frostier than a polar bears dangly bits

SiriusB

 

[SiriusB]

Nice temps! Is that on air? You might've said before but I can't remember.

If so what cooler? My Venice runs at around 30-35 idle with the stock cooler.

Glad you got it sorted anyway dude!

Yes its on air. Using an Arctic Cooler Freezer 64 Pro. Not bad for about 15 quid

Rig is in a CM Stacker 810... 120mm intake, 2 x 120mm exhaust and a blow hole at the top.