New system boot issue - fans good but nothing on monitor

sandoggg · Apr 5, 2013

Just finished (maybe not) putting together my first system. I've installed ram and a gpu before but this was my first time from scratch.

I tried to do an external test before I put everything together but I couldn't manage to short the power pins so I just went ahead and assembled in the case (I was following the Newegg Tutorial).

After everything (everything?) was together I thought I was done so I tried to boot her up using the case's power button. Case fans and lights came on, HSF also started running. Nothing on the monitor, however.

1. I reset the monitor, it said it was looking for a signal, then couldn't find one so it went to sleep.

2. I took the monitor cable out of the GPU and put it into the mobo, still nothing.

3. Restuck the 8-pin CPU power cable.

4. Tried with one stick of RAM (I have 2 in slots A1 and B1, as suggested in mobo manual).

5. Restuck the HSF, it wasn't fully clicked in on all four corners. Also finally double checked the CPU manual about this..

I don't have a system speaker unfortunately. Can't see if my HDD is spinning because.. well.. it's a SSD. Another possible issue is that when I was getting ready to install the CPU, I put the HSF on my leg and saw some minor residue from the thermal paste that was pre-applied. Also when I pinned the tray back down onto the CPU itself I couldn't help but think it was pressing very hard..I didn't wiggle the CPU or anything to make sure it was in, I just dropped it in (in the correct orientation and placement).

If anyone wants photos or even a video I'll happily oblige, I still have my laptop. Personally I can't see what it could be besides the CPU, but I know next to nothing about these kind of diagnostics.

edit: mobo: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP
CPU: Intel i3-3220
PSU: ZM500-LE (Switching power supply(could that be it?..there's a switch on the back for 110 and 220, let me look at the manual))

edit#2: Just tested the optical drive for whatever reason. It opens. I'm in Japan and it's now 3AM so... Going to sleep. In the morning I'll be ready to give any and all information and try whatever you guys think I should try. Thanks~

Ramzzz2936 · Apr 5, 2013

first thing u should do is try with another monitor or even a tv if u have one with hdmi.(i didnt write this i find this on another post which had a similar problem as u and its solved for him/her hope it help when i build my pc i fucked up real bad dont want it to happen to anyone else)
Could be motherboard. If you have tried several power supplies, it doesn't leave much?

Work systematically through our standard checklist and troubleshooting thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-read-postin...
I mean work through, not just read over it. We spent a lot of time on this. It should find most of the problems.

If not, continue.
The following is an expansion of my troubleshooting tips in the breadboarding link in the "Cannot boot" thread.

I have tested the following beep patterns on Gigabyte, eVGA, and ECS motherboards. Other BIOS' may be different, but they all use a single short beep for a successful POST.

Breadboard - that will help isolate any kind of case problem you might have.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/262730-31-breadboardi...

Breadboard with just motherboard, CPU & HSF, case speaker, and PSU.

Make sure you plug the CPU power cable in. The system will not boot without it.

I always breadboard a new build. It takes only a few minutes, and you know you are putting good parts in the case once you are finished.

You can turn on the PC by momentarily shorting the two pins that the case power switch goes to. You should hear a series of long, single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence indicates a problem with (in most likely order) the PSU, motherboard, or CPU. Remember, at this time, you do not have a graphics card installed so the load on your PSU will be reduced.

If no beeps:
Running fans and drives and motherboard LED's do not necessarily indicate a good PSU. In the absence of a single short beep, they also do not indicate that the system is booting.

At this point, you can sort of check the PSU. Try to borrow a known good PSU of around 550 - 600 watts. That will power just about any system with a single GPU. If you cannot do that, use a DMM to measure the voltages. Measure between the colored wires and either chassis ground or the black wires. Yellow wires should be 12 volts. Red wires: +5 volts, orange wires: +3.3 volts, blue wire : -12 volts, violet wire: 5 volts always on. Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot.

You can turn on the PSU by completely disconnecting the PSU and using a paperclip or jumper wire to short the green wire to one of the neighboring black wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FWXgQSokF4&feature=yout...

A way that might be easier is to use the main power plug. Working from the back of the plug where the wires come out, use a bare paperclip to short between the green wire and one of the neighboring black wires. That will do the same thing with an installed PSU. It is also an easy way to bypass a questionable case power switch.

This checks the PSU under no load conditions, so it is not completely reliable. But if it can not pass this, it is dead. Then repeat the checks with the PSU plugged into the computer to put a load on the PSU.

If the system beeps:
If it looks like the PSU is good, install a memory stick. Boot. Beep pattern should change to one long and several short beeps indicating a missing graphics card.

Silence, long single beeps, or series of short beeps indicate a problem with the memory. If you get short beeps verify that the memory is in the appropriate motherboard slots.

Insert the video card and connect any necessary PCIe power connectors. Boot. At this point, the system should POST successfully (a single short beep). Notice that you do not need keyboard, mouse, monitor, or drives to successfully POST.
At this point, if the system doesn't work, it's either the video card or an inadequate PSU. Or rarely - the motherboard's PCIe interface.

Now start connecting the rest of the devices starting with the monitor, then keyboard and mouse, then the rest of the devices, testing after each step. It's possible that you can pass the POST with a defective video card. The POST routines can only check the video interface. It cannot check the internal parts of the video card.

sandoggg · Apr 5, 2013

I had checked this list before I posted, but here's my answers.
I haven't tried multiple PSUs..

1. Did you carefully read the motherboard owners manual?

Applicable sections, yes.

2. Did you plug in the 4/8-pin CPU power connector located near the CPU socket?

Yes

3. Did you install the standoffs under the motherboard? Did you place them so they all align with the screw holes in the motherboard, with no extra standoffs touching the board in the wrong place?

Yes, all 7, checked very carefully.

4. Did you verify that the video card is fully seated?

Not worrying about this too much yet but it should be locked in there. At the moment I'm still attempting to go off the mothergoard graphics.

5. Did you attach all the required power connector(s) to the video card?

Both are in.

6. Have you tried booting with just one stick of RAM installed?

Tried with one stick but not in every slot..

7. Did you verify that all memory modules are fully inserted?

Yes

8. Did you verify in the owners manual that you're using the correct RAM slots?

Yes

9. Did you remove the plastic guard over the CPU socket?

Yes

10. Did you install the CPU correctly? There will be an arrow on the CPU that needs to line up with an arrow on the motherboard CPU socket. Be sure to pay special attention to that section of the manual!

I aligned the notches, if that's what this means.

11. Are there any bent pins on the motherboard/CPU? This especially applies if you tried to install the CPU with the plastic cover on or with the CPU facing the wrong direction.

Hopefully not. I tried to take off the CPU to check things out but I got scared so I just reinstalled the HSU. I did everything properly the first time though.

12. If using an after market CPU cooler, did you get any thermal paste on the motherboard, CPU socket, or CPU pins? Did you use the smallest amount you could? Here's a few links that may help:

Was pre-applied. When I took off the HSU I saw the paste had about a 75% spread over the bottom 3/4 of the CPU.

13. Is the CPU fan plugged in? Some motherboards will not boot without detecting that the CPU fan is plugged in to prevent burning up the CPU.

Yes, it runs.

14. If using a stock cooler, was the thermal material on the base of the cooler free of foreign material, and did you remove any protective covering? If the stock cooler has push-pins, did you ensure that all four pins snapped securely into place?

This was one of the sections I expressed concern with in my initial post. As I said above, when I re-checked it just now it looked free of foreign material. If the push pins were an issue before they aren't now.

15. Are any loose screws laying on the motherboard, or jammed against it? Are there any wires run directly under the motherboard? You should not run wires under the motherboard since the soldered wires on the underside of the motherboard can cut into the insulation on the wires and cause a short. Some cases have space to run wires on the back side of the motherboard tray.

No, no

16. Did you ensure you discharged all static electricity before touching any of your components?

Frequently touched my case as I was building

17. Did you install the system speaker (if provided) so you can check beep-codes in the manual?

No, I might look for one today.

18. Did you read the instructions in the manual on how to properly connect the front panel plugs?

The manual was pretty lacking in this section from a newbie's perspective, however I believe everything is connected properly. Is it worth re-doing these cables with my problem?

19. Did you turn on the power supply switch located on the back of the PSU? Is the power plug on a switch? If it is, is the switch turned on? Is there a GFI circuit on the plug-in? If there is, make sure it isn't tripped. You should also make sure the power cord isn't causing the problem. Try swapping it for a known good cord if you have one available.

Yes, yes, yes, not sure. Unless my cord is discriminating against certain pc parts, I think it's working.

20. Is your CPU supported by the BIOS revision installed on your motherboard? Most motherboards will post a CPU compatibility list on their website.

Yes, checked list.

21. Have you tried resetting the CMOS? The motherboard manual will have instructions for your particular board.

not yet, should I?

22. If you have integrated video and a video card, try the integrated video port. Resetting the bios, can make it default back to the onboard video.

Tried GPU and motherboard, can't access bios yet.

23. Make certain all cables and components including RAM and expansion cards are tight within their sockets.
Check

sandoggg · Apr 6, 2013

I should have mentioned this before, the gpu and monitor are second-hand. second hand as in my friend gave them to me. He's confident the GPU is still good, but the monitor is an old LCD that he had lying around. His wife dropped it during transport a long time ago so the glass on the front is shattered off. He said it still worked.. It still powers on and says it's looking for a signal.. but could it be the VGA cable? Or do I need to try a new monitor period.

Ramzzz2936 · Apr 6, 2013

sandoggg :

there is a big chance of cable being bad try another one if still doesnt work try another monitor

sandoggg · Apr 7, 2013

i bought a new DVI cable and tried it in the motherboard. Still nothing. Then I tried the GPU slot. That's a bingo.. Glad I immediately assumed the problem was something beyond my knowledge.

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New system boot issue - fans good but nothing on monitor

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