Computer isn't booting (Isn't that a first?), brand new build, HTPC

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AutomaticCoding

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Dec 5, 2012
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First of all, I'd like to say:-
A. I'm sure all the hardware works together, I already own an identical machine like this, however, I needed two. I bought one to test it, it worked fine, so I bought the other one a week later.
B. The only difference between the two is that this one I'm using a 6 pin with 2 pins hanging off the edge for the motherboard 4 pin socket, however, I did that for the first few days of the other build and it worked fine. I also could boot without the 4 pin socket what-so-ever, however, it'd fail it's POST and boot cycle.
C. I've currently removed everything so just the PSU, one ram stick, CPU, CPU fan and MOBO are connected. No graphics card/other ram stick/case
D. I'm short circuiting the power switch to get it to boot, I see extremely small sparks coming when I do short circuit it, so, obviously there is power running through it.
E. If I plug a ethernet cable into the MOBO's NIC, my router detects that something is on the other end (The R flag):-
6mdQhSc.png

F. When I do short circuit the power pins, nothing happens, no fans, no lights (Not that there are any lights on any of this hardware), no internal speaker (Not that I'm sure it has a speaker, I've never heard the other identical box make a sound).
G. After awhile of doing random stuff (Moving cables, trying to to change cables, etc...) I got the PSU fan to spin once, but, once I pulled the plug out of the PSU & put it back in, I couldn't get it to spin again.

Now, I know the best course of action would be to rip apart my other build and start swapping the hardware parts around to see what works and what doesn't, however, the other one is all in it's case & has good cable management (Which took awhile), so, I'd really like to keep that to the last thing.

Here's the specs:-
GPU (Not installed):- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125443
MOBO:- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157310
Short cables (Half used, a few cables I had to get from the cables that were included with the PSU):- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812162010
PSU:- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256085
Ram (Only one stick is installed):- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
Storage space (Not installed):- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147185
CPU:- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504
CPU FAN (STOCK):- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504


Anyway, I'm going to include some photos below. There'll be two copies of each image, one uncommented and one commented; another thing is that TomsHarware automatically

An everything shot:-
iqWKMke.jpg

hhwJ1Gd.jpg


Working build shot:-
xq4toYx.jpg

3kLYhsX.jpg


Dead build shot:-
zf2AZBU.jpg

XgA11RG.jpg


Extras for the dead build shot:-
MQXQvTr.jpg

PLqLiI8.jpg


I hope this thread meets the "Has to be a throughout post" rule, not sure what else to post.

EDIT few notes:-
1. I have no way of measuring the power out of the PSU/around the MOBO
2. This is the third PC I've built in two weeks, I'm sure this power socket & cable works, since, I've used it for all three and all three worked.
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

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Dec 17, 2012
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you're gonna have to pull your other machine apart to test it.

my first test would be with the psu. I'd start with the psu and cables, since you know those work. see if your system will boot.

Then i'd go with the ram.

then i'd go with the cpu.

if you strike out your problem is likely the mb. i'd test out the new psu on your old system to insure it works. then the ram and cpu. so you are 100% certain what works and what doesn't.

sidenote: that's no htpc... that's a gaming machine in a htpc case.
 
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AutomaticCoding

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Dammit, the cables are really stiff and like to keep moving back to how I received them in the post, which, coincidentally is exactly where the fan is, so, I had to spend ~ an hour zip tying the cables away from my fans.

Can I ask:- Can I use two different PSUs to power one machine? if so, then can't I just use my PSU to power the GPU or something, and, assuming that that works then the PSU works? Or do I need a 24 pin MOBO to connect into it to 'wake it up'?

Sidenote:- I was considering putting steam on there now that steam has been released for linux & has big picture.

EDIT:- Also, if it was a PSU problem, how would the router know that something was connected into the other end? Wouldn't there be no power?
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

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Dec 17, 2012
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there are multiple "power rails" in a psu... the psu can power most of the computer up, but if one of the rails is faulty, the machine won't even make it to the bios. all your router is detecting is the LAN has enough power to turn on... and that doesn't take much power at all.

i'd say the same thing if you had an led or fans turning on. Simply put that just means part of your psu is working... that doesn't mean it's not broken.
 
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AutomaticCoding

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Now, I don't mean to sound like an ass, I'm just trying to learn, but:-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256085

"+12V rails: SINGLE"

Can I ask, well, if it's got a single rail how it's working then? Because what I gathered from you was:-
One rail may be dead, the rail that may or may not power the NIC

However, what newegg says (unless I'm mistaken, which I'm sure I am), is that it only has one rail.
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

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Dec 17, 2012
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it has 12V rail... it will also have a 3.3V rail and a 5V rail... All it takes is for one of them (likely the 12V rail) to fail, and your system won't boot. since none of your fans are spinning i'm guessing it's the 12V rail that's failed... but that's just a guess.

sidenote, some PSUs come with multiple 12V rails... those usually have Voltage regulation problems, so it's a build design that's usually avoided.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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Title made me chuckle, youv got my interest now :lol:.
Dont reply to each others posts, or at least delete the old ones if you do. Makes the thread far larger than it needs to be.

By short circuit the PSU, I assume your using the paperclip method?
Its where you get a paperclip or wire, and connect the green and any black wire in the 24pin connection. That is the "on" signal for the PSU and it should startup. Connect something like a fan to it and you can see if the PSU works, at least at a low load.
If you have been doing some other way of jumping the PSU, it is possible that you could have killed it.

Try taking out the RAM and attempting to power the build. If it doesnt work there, then you can be fairly sure the PSU or mobo is at fault (CPU is possible, but so very unlikely). Of the two, I would suspect the PSU. You can test that by quickly hooking it up to your working rig and seeing if it works.
 
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AutomaticCoding

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No, by short circuiting it I mean on the motherboard I used my fabulous scissors to connect the PW SW+ and PW SW- together.

As for without RAM, still an issue, and, I will test it with the working rig the second I get a chance, as it's being used as a HTPC people like to watch TV on it, so, when nobody is in the mood to watch TV I'll do it.

EDIT:- When I turn on my working machine, I noticed a very quick dim of the lights in my household (Very quick, lasts quite a bit less than a second, I'd say around a tenth of a second, although, it's just a guess), I also see the same dim in the lighting when I short circuit my non-working build.
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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Ahh, you will want to try jumping the PSU using the method I detailed. Doing it the way you specified means that either the motherboard or PSU could be broke, which doesnt help you figure out whats wrong.

Was thinking that if you reduce it to just the mobo, CPU and PSU, it just limits what could potentially be going wrong. If you have spare thermal paste you could even remove the CPU, because all your looking for at this point is some sign of life from the mobo.
Speaking of, have you connected the motherboard speaker? It should have come with your case (I know, makes perfect sense).

The lights dimming can mean one of two things. The circuit your trying to power the rig off is overloaded and cant power the rig, though I suspect that would trip the breaker rather than just not power something. Or it means absolutely nothing, just it took a bit for the circuit to react to the new power draw and provide the appropriate amperage.
 
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AutomaticCoding

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Dec 5, 2012
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Well, I finally hit the sack, woke up today, nobody was watching TV so:-
I tried using the NEW PSU with the OLD mobo, it powers.
I tried using the OLD PSU with the NEW mobo, it powers.
I tried using the OLD PSU with the OLD mobo, it powers.
I tried using the NEW PSU with the NEW mobo, nothing.

Can someone explain in what situation this would happen?

EDIT:- Apparently it doesn't like the six pin into the four pin socket, even though it worked for my last device. With it, it boots, without it, it doesn't. Now I need to find a four pin socket somewhere.

EDIT2:- Found a four pin connector on my cable self (Apparently there's a gecko living in my computer-parts cupboard, not sure what to make of that) and plugged it in, it booted then it power cycled constantly. I took out the ram & put it back in and now I'm on the BIOS. I still have one issue though:-

A. I have no CD drives (or disks)
B. I have no flash drives
C. I have no unused harddrives
D. Motherboard doesn't support PXE.

You guys can't really help with this issue, however, I'm screwed. Thanks guys, even though apparently it was all my fault, even though the last build supports a 6 for a 4 pin connector, this one doesn't.
 
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