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Help, please. Father/son 1st time build won't start (but it did)

Tags:
  • Intel
  • Homebuilt
  • Systems
  • Antec
  • Build
  • Windows 8
  • ASrock
Last response: in Systems
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September 7, 2014 9:09:10 AM

Hi everyone,

I can't tell you how exciting it was when my son and I fired up our first-time build on the first try! We installed the OS--went fine. Connected to the internet just fine. The smiles and high fives my son and I exchanged will be remembered forever.

With the great help of this forum just a few weeks ago, using @modernwar99's suggested build list, we did this:

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 1GB Video Card
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BW ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

After about an hour of configuring (no overclocking yet), we were downloading Avast for virus protection and Steam/Team Fortress 2, the computer died--no power, no noise, nothing. We were in the other room, so can't report anything too specific.

Pushing the power switch now does nothing. We've tested the outlet, the surge protector, and even did a disassemble/reassembly to make sure something didn't come loose. We also looked over the post here called "PERFORM THESE STEPS before posting about POST/boot/no video problems!" Still nothing happens when we push the power switch.

Perhaps the PSU crapped out for some reason? Could something have gotten too hot while we were downloading and fried something? That seems somewhat unlikely. I wish I had some idea of where to start to diagnose this, so I'm asking you folks for some suggestions of what to try. I'm thinking of going to Fry's to get another PSU and see if that fixes the problem. Not sure though.

Thanks in advance to the collective knowledge of this community.

More about : father son 1st time build start

September 7, 2014 9:31:49 AM

two most likely scenarios, dead PSU (early life failure, it happens) or a mobo failure.

You could try the paperclip test to pretend to be the mobo and see if the psu starts (fan starts up etc.)
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September 7, 2014 9:35:20 AM

If something got too hot and fried, you'd likely smell it especially if you did a reseating afterwards. Just in case, you may want to take a closer look at the PSU or the mobo. If something fried, it'd be visually or olfactorily apparent most of the time, but if you don't think you put your CPU cooler on properly, that would be a good place to start. Also, perhaps a silly suggestion (but I've seen it happen before): are you certain the power switch on the back of the PSU -- not the case -- is turned on?
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September 7, 2014 9:41:06 AM

13thmonkey said:
two most likely scenarios, dead PSU (early life failure, it happens) or a mobo failure.

You could try the paperclip test to pretend to be the mobo and see if the psu starts (fan starts up etc.)


Thanks for the info. If there's a failure, the easier of the two would be the PSU, so I'll hope it's that. If I search here for "paperclip test" would I find something good? I've heard of that but can't say I know any details or how to perform it.

Thanks.
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September 7, 2014 9:48:05 AM

Deus Gladiorum said:
If something got too hot and fried, you'd likely smell it especially if you did a reseating afterwards. Just in case, you may want to take a closer look at the PSU or the mobo. If something fried, it'd be visually or olfactorily apparent most of the time, but if you don't think you put your CPU cooler on properly, that would be a good place to start. Also, perhaps a silly suggestion (but I've seen it happen before): are you certain the power switch on the back of the PSU -- not the case -- is turned on?


That's a good point and very reassuring. No odd smell whatsoever--and no visual discoloration. So maybe that's not what I'm dealing with.

I took out the CPU and reinstalled the Intel-supplied CPU cooler, which again went on as it should with the appropriate four "clicks." I didn't use any thermal paste, but it looked like Intel pre applied something to the bottom of the CPU fan as there was some type of gooey substance I noticed there. Could that have been the problem--that I didn't use any thermal paste other than what I believe Intel put on?

As to the switches, I'm not above overlooking even the totally obvious, so no offense taken there, but, yes, we tried and retried all the switches in every possible combo.

So does a non-working PSU seem to be a possibility here? If so, buying and trying a new one might be a worthwhile endeavor.

Thanks.
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September 7, 2014 9:54:31 AM

No, your CPU is fine. However, by taking off the CPU cooler again this time, you've broken thermal conductivity and may want to grab a thing of thermal paste to apply yourself (clean off the old thermal paste with isopropyl alcohol 99% or 91%). Only a dot is necessary, and it only costs $5 - $8. But anyway, if it was a CPU issue, and I'm sorry I didn't think of something that obvious initially, then your PC should at least have its fans start spinning when you try to turn it on. So yes, either a PSU or Mobo issue. Use the paper clip test.
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September 7, 2014 10:06:14 AM

You're right--that was simple. It confirmed no fans spinning with the paper clip bridging the green/black connectors in the 24 pin connector. Does that sound like a dead power supply?
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September 7, 2014 10:13:55 AM

Deus Gladiorum said:
No, your CPU is fine. However, by taking off the CPU cooler again this time, you've broken thermal conductivity and may want to grab a thing of thermal paste to apply yourself (clean off the old thermal paste with isopropyl alcohol 99% or 91%). Only a dot is necessary, and it only costs $5 - $8. But anyway, if it was a CPU issue, and I'm sorry I didn't think of something that obvious initially, then your PC should at least have its fans start spinning when you try to turn it on. So yes, either a PSU or Mobo issue. Use the paper clip test.


You just mentioned something interesting--when we built it, we put on and then took off the CPU cooler (to make sure we got a good seat and good clicks with the screws) and then re-installed it (before we fired it up for the first time), but in doing that we therefore unknowingly broke the thermal connectivity as you mentioned. Could that have messed things up? I'll be heading out to get some new thermal paste and taking the old stuff off as you mentioned, but I hope we didn't already cause a problem by that.

So if the paper clip test results in no spinning fans then that would mean a PSU failure and likely not a mobo issue? I'm hoping for that option.
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September 7, 2014 10:35:32 AM

given no spinning fans, that all points to PSU issue. The CPU may be a little warm due to the broken seal, but that's not going to have caused the problem you have, I'd say re-do the thermal paste as it's easier to do it now than later.
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September 7, 2014 10:42:24 AM

Thanks, folks. I'm going to Fry's to get a new PSU and some thermal paste. I'll watch some vids on removing the thermal paste--and then re-applying it. I hear you do it one way for AMD and another for the Intel Pentium chip that I have.
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September 7, 2014 10:45:04 AM

none of it is complex, cotton buds and iso-alcohol, or you can get specific cleaner, but you'll buy it in a big enough bottle for your great grandchildren to still be using it.
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September 7, 2014 10:49:20 AM

Yea, exactly what 13thmonkey said. The broken conductivity is a separate issue. Even in a worst case scenario such as there being no thermal paste whatsoever, your motherboard would shut itself down once it reached dangerous temperatures as a safety measure, but even that would not result in the issue you're facing now... or it's at least super unlikely that it would be the case. But regardless, your temps likely didn't approach anything that bad from removing it once. When you pick up another PSU, if you can return the old one and pick up another one that's a bit higher tier -- Corsair CX series for example. You also don't need 620 W for your build. If you're willing to sacrifice a little future proofing, you can get a good 500 W Corsair CX for a good price. I also wouldn't use cotton to clean off the old thermal paste (though once in a bit of desperation I did successfully use toilet paper without issue). You want something that won't leave fibers or pieces on your CPU, so try for either a microfiber cloth (i.e. cloths from an eyeglass case) or coffee filters.
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September 7, 2014 10:54:32 AM

I wouldn't go CX for longevity reasons. OP give us some options in your price range.
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September 7, 2014 11:40:56 AM

Thanks again guys. I was steered away from the Corsair for the reliability issues. Funny that after just one hour I have a failed PSU despite trying very carefully to avoid precisely that issue. I thought I was getting a good one. Ha.

Really, you don't think I should bother with the 620W? We plan on OCing the Intel Pentium 3258, and maybe upgrading some of the other parts in the future, but other than that I don't see anything too crazy in our near future (at least for this build).

Since I'd like to try to get this back up and running today, I'll see what my local Fry's in Burbank has. Based on my other components, is there anything you guys would steer me towards? Here's the build again:

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 1GB Video Card
Case: Enermax ECA3253-BW ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

If you guys have any good suggestions (regardless of where from, i.e., Newegg, Amazon, etc.) I'm all ears. A similar price range would be nice (the Antec was $42 @ Newegg), but especially after this ordeal, cheaping out on the PSU is a fool's game.

*And the old thermal paste cleaned up nicely with a coffee filter, some q-tips, and rubbing alcohol. Thanks for the tip. It's ready for the new stuff I'll also get.
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September 7, 2014 1:11:47 PM

I don't think that the antec is a bad psu, but just that you got unlucky.

600W is a nice number that will (with a good 600) take any of the single highest GPUs and a top end CPU and allow normal overclocking, so it's a good place to be for future proofing.
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