Need Help with Epic Build Failure

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jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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Hi Community - I talked my son into build vs. buy gaming pc in effort to teach him bootstrapping & do it yourself. Purchased components from NewEgg shown below. System worked for 3 days, then wouldn't power on. NewEgg no help-pointed to mfg. Worked with ASRock tech support to test & diagnose. No Joy. They finally said ship it back. We bent CPU socket pins on deinstall. RMA'd mobo back to mfg. for replacement CPU socket pins & test. Rec'd back. Reinstalled mobo & components. System powers on and off repeatedly - no Dr. Debug error or post code. Followed full test methodology link on this site and bread boarding technique. Same result, not even beeps to indicate no memory when all memory removed. No Joy. Assumed CPU was problem. RMA'd CPU back to intel. Got it back y-day. Breadboarded again. System now just turns on then right off. Again, no post or Debug. Replaced power supply with new Corsair CX750. No Joy - still doesn't work. Would appreciate anyone's thoughts on additional diagnostics or solution ideas. Respectfully Pops

CPU: i5-3570 LGA1155 3.40GHz
MOBO: ASRock Z77 OC Formula
GPU: EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX650 Ti
RAM: 2X4GB GSkill Ripjaws X
HDD: WDC2500KS
ODD: 24x Super Multi DVD Writer / GH24
PSU: Corsair CX 750 Bronze
 
Solution
WarWolverineWarrior
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ingtar33

ingtar33

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Dec 17, 2012
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pull the gpu out, and use the onboard graphics... see if the problem persists. Lets make sure your gpu isn't the source first.

it sounds like you have a grounding problem or short. It can be caused by bad hardware, some case issue, or wires.

if it still happens without the gpu plugged in, i want you to disconnect every single power plug. You're going to meticulously go over all the molex plugs and wires leading into the plugs on the devices (like the 3 or 4 pin fan header plugs). check for lose wires, any lose wire can cause this type of error you're getting. especially an intermittent power issue like this.

if you don't find a lose wire, slowly and carefully plug all the plugs back into the motherboard. visually inspect to insure they're in properly and tightly. Make sure the fan plugs are on propperly (i had this issue once, and it was caused by a 3 pin fan plug only "plugged" into 2 pins on a fan header on the motherboard) so make sure all the pins are in the plugs properly. make sure all the molex plugs plug into the hardware properly, that none of the wires spin in your fingers or wiggle loosely.

See if the system still has it's issues. If it does something might be shorting out in a fan or your cd rom or a hard drive. so unplug all your fans, if at all possible use some fan from outside your device to keep the cpu heatsink cool enough for minimal operation, or a seperate cpu cooling heatsink/fan which you have not used thus far. we're trying to isolate the short... see if the problem persists.
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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All - thanks for quick responses and suggestions!
ingtar - I will do as you suggest and post back.
warwolverinewarrior - no I do not enter bios. It turns off even before Dr. Debug counter lights up. Thanks for link - I will read. I do not believe it is case button because I bread boarded the system out of the case with only power, CPU & GPU installed. I used the mobo on/off button vs. the case button to start. Behavior is same either way - so I assume that rules out case button, correct?
no2rdname - Cool Sig Icons and thanks for responding so quickly. I will do as intagar22
Again, thanks for helping out. Pops
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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warwolverine - Behavior of my system is dead-on to behavior in the link. However, my ASR mobo has reset button as well as power button on mobo. I have tried to turn on with case on button and then with mobo out of system connected to power, but not case using power button, then reset button - no joy. Also, cleared CMOS even though I don't think it is getting to the CMOS, but that didn't help either. thanks for suggestion and link, though! Much appreciated. Pops
 
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jwpllc

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No2rd name - any thoughts on how to determine where grounding out is occurring when mobo is outside of case? I know that replacement CPU came with paste already attached to cooler fan bottom, so I am assuming I couldn't have grounded out something with the paste. Thanks, Pops
 
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jwpllc

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warwolverinewarrior - the on/off cycling behavior was the initial behavior before I rma'd the mobo and the cpu. The behavior now is when I hit power switch. It turns off just after fans run for 1/2 sec. No cycling on/off.
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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Warwolverinewarrior - I got to thinking about what you said for the There is an overclocking set of 3 on/off switches on the mobo labeled "rapid oc". They are all set to "on". We did not want system overclocked and the install manual is silent on whether these should be on/off. Any harm in simply pushing all switches to off? I will got to ASR mobo website to check if there is anything there about the swtiches.

ingtar22 - working on your suggestions re: checking for power supply loose wires or improperly plugged in fans.
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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Thanks for quick reply. I originally responded to all not realizing how to respond to each individual. My apologies. .
1) Removed mobo from case & DC'd ALL components from mobo except 2 PSU power lines (1-24pin to mobo and one 8pin to CPU) this included removal of 2 4 gig ram sticks.

2) Pulled external GPU & rebooted. Behavior unchanged. Still turns off w/in 1/2 second of being turned on.

3) Disconnected 24 pin molex power plug to mobo and meticulously checked for loose wires/spinning wires and/or improper mating with receiver plug - no issues found. Re-seated and attempted to power on - no joy. behavior unchanged.

4) Unplugged 8 pin molex power plug for CPU/onboard GPU. Checked for loose wires or improper mating with receiver plug. No issues found. replugged into mobo receiver for CPU/GPU, attempted reboot. No joy/no change in behavior.

5) Unplugged 4 pin connector from cpu cooling fan that connects to mobo cpu fan header. Checked wires-all good.. Attempted reboot without cpu fan plugged in - No joy. I could not figure out how to unplug onboard GPU fan that sits next to CPU, but it spins along with CPU fan upon boot attempts..

6) For good measure and to eliminate poss. variable of bad PSU, I deinstalled corsair PSU and used original PSU (650 watt vs. corsair 750).- No Joy. (FYI I had previously pin tested every pin on every molex connector with multimeter and confirmed continuity, ground and power & voltage for each pin - I can be pretty AR when trying to solve causation of a problem)

Thanks for suggestions. Any other ideas?
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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WWW - thanks for quick reply and add'l thoughts. I turned the switches off and attempted reboot w/o ram sticks or anything but power on mobo. No change in behavior. Still turns right back off.

Appreciate the continued help. Any other thoughts? Pops.
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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Thanks for the thought. Any thoughts on how to determine where grounding out is occurring when mobo is outside of case? I know that replacement CPU came with paste already attached to cooler fan bottom, so I am assuming I couldn't have grounded out something with the paste. Thanks, Pops
 
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No2rdame

No2rdame

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I don't think you could've done any damage with the paste unless you just smeared it all over the mobo. It sounds like you've taken every step imaginable including what ingtar said. Do you have an extra PC you can test individual components with? If so, then you can test the GPU, CPU, PSU, etc. If all of them check out in the other machine then you can likely isolate it to something on the mobo. Also, if you test it outside the case and it works but then seems to short out inside, check every place that the motherboard connects to the standoffs to see if there is anything unusual such as solder runoff from the manufacturing of the board that might possibly cause the short.

If it seems to short outside the case that can be hard to determine the problem. You obviously breadboarded it, you checked the connections, so that would lead me to suspect something faulty on the mobo.
 
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WarWolverineWarrior

WarWolverineWarrior

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Yeah I would take it out of the case and disconnect it completely from the case and try it. make sure you set it down on non static surface. Wood or mobo's plastic bag it came from works. Try turning it on with power button on the board. I'm curious how long do you let it reboot before you turn it off completely?
 
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Solution
J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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All of the posts I have made here were with the mobo outside the case sitting on non-static on top of wooden table, so case-short is probably not the issue. But that doesn't rule out mobo short. But ASRock said they tested the board before sending it back. Must be a really isolated, inconsistent low probability issue/short.

I like your suggestion to test all the other components in another machine as that would definitely help rule them out. Unfortunately, I don't have another machine at my current location. Moreover, if the mobo w/ cpu installed w/o GPU, Ramsticks or any other components and will not stay on for 1/2 sec, then it has to be something with ASrock mobo.

I really, really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions and sharing your time and thoughts trying to help out a total stranger and his son.

Thank you. Much appreciated.
 
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J

jwpllc

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WWW - when you say try resetting the RAM, do you mean re-seating the RAM? if not, how does one re-set the RAM?

Thanks for your continued input and sharing. Much appreciated.
 
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WarWolverineWarrior

WarWolverineWarrior

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Place ram in different slots, play around with it. Did you reset your CMOS with Jumpers or did you take the battery out?
 
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J

jwpllc

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.

With regards to your last question above. I don't really turn it off. I hit the power button, cpu fan starts to spin for 1/2 sec, then it stops. I don't hit on button again and it does not come on even after minutes of not hitting on button. I have hit reset and then the on button, but behavior is same. It does not cycle on and off like it originally did before we rma'd the mobo. Thanks though!
 
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J

jwpllc

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I previously just hit the CMOS reset button that comes on this version of mobo. However, just to leave no stone unturned, I followed the CMOS jumper re-set process in the manual p39. No Joy.

Regarding the RAM - I don't think the boot is even getting to the RAM stage as i am hearing no beeps as was indicated should be the case in the link on how to breadboard. Nonetheless, I did the following just now to be sure:
1) Removed all RAM - hit mobo case power button - same behavior - no beeps to indicate problem with RAM.
2) Put one of the 4gb ram stick in slot one - recycled power - no joy
3) Put other 4gb ram stick in slot one, recycle power - no joy.
4) Repeated steps 2&3 in slots 2 - no joy
5) Repeated step 2&3 for slots 3 & then 4 - no joy
6) Put both ram sticks in slots 1 & 2 - no joy
7) Pub both ram sticks in slots 3 & 4 - no joy.

All things seems to be pointing to the mobo at this point. It's just hard to believe they fixed and tested and sent back a bad mobo after the first RMA request. I thought ASRocks QA/QC testing procedures were pretty robust.
 
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J

jwpllc

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Oct 17, 2013
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I never get to bios stage in the boot process. I hit power button, red CPU LED on right side of mobo comes on for an instant, cpu fan turns and then it turns right back off. It does not ever come back on after initial power on.
 
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