New computer not starting up. Need help isolating the broken component.

Evilmanta · Feb 9, 2015

We recently bought my friend some computer components as a birthday gift. He originally had a pretty old setup, and we thought we would help him get started on upgrades.
So we bought him:
• EVGA 500W 80PLUS Certified ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply 100-W1-0500-KR
• AMD A10-5800K APU 3.8Ghz Processor AD580KWOHJBOX
• GIGABYTE GA-F2A88XM-HD3 FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
• Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB Single DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL9 @1.5V UDIMM 240-Pin Memory Module BLS4G3D1609DS1S00

We reused his case and his hard drive (With Windows 7). I knew there was a chance that the hardware change would cause Windows to throw a fit, but at least I could see that it was booting into the BIOS. When we connected everything there was no display. We tried VGA and HDMI and nothing. Everything on the Mobo looks like it's spinning up and powering up. RAM is seated properly, and i can hear the hard drive spinning up. So that leaves the CPU? I just wanted to do a sanity check before sending it back in and getting a replacement.

EDIT: I should point out that we don't have a lot of diagnosis options (spare parts) to plug and play the components into. Much less with that FM2/2+ socket.

volcanoscout · Feb 9, 2015

You need to reformat the HDD and do a clean install of Windows. The new mobo will require different drivers than the old one which is probably why you're not getting any display. Without a clean OS install, the new mobo will be trying to use incompatible drivers installed in the old OS.

alexoiu · Feb 9, 2015

It might be a memory compatibility issue.
These are the 4 gb modules listed by Crucial as compatible:
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Giga-Byte/ga-f2a88xm-hd3
Can't you help your friend with a different module, just for testing?

Evilmanta · Feb 10, 2015

@Alexoiu He lives like 300 miles away. Otherwise I would. I'll see if he has any friends that he could borrow from. That's a good lead though, I'll look into it.

@Volcanoscout I would expect that even if the HDD had no operating system on it, that the BIOS would still show up on the screen. I'm not seeing anything.

ZeroWhite · Feb 10, 2015

Did you plug in the 12V+ 8-Pin Connector power above the CPU.

volcanoscout · Feb 10, 2015

Evilmanta :

Your original post seemed to imply that it was able to boot to BIOS - "but at least I could see that it was booting into the BIOS". I suspect you meant to say something more like "but at least I would expect that it would be able to boot into the BIOS". Anyway, if it's not even booting to BIOS and your friend doesn't have a lot of swap options, I would agree that trying a different DRAM stick or sticks is going to be easiest (and/or cheapest) diagnostic option.

Evilmanta · Feb 10, 2015

@Volcanoscout Sorry for the confusion. That is indeed what I meant to say.

volcanoscout · Feb 10, 2015

Evilmanta :

No sweat. Was the Crucial stick bought new? If so, and he can't get alternate sticks to test with, you (or he) can probably return it and get something that you know (or have higher confidence, anyway) is compatible. It's not a guaranteed fix, obviously, but if the system still won't boot you'll be able to reasonably exclude the DRAM as the culprit.

Has he attempted to boot with the HDD disconnected?

Evilmanta · Feb 10, 2015

He has not. I'm going to go through some of these steps with him today after work.

The crucial stick is new. So I can probably return it. Just gotta confirm some things first. Bought him an alternate stick from Amazon. Double checked with Kingston's website to make sure the Hyper Fury X was compatible. Going to try to boot mobo without RAM and HDD to see if we can at least see the BIOS. Thanks for all the help so far. Still open for more diagnostic tests to try!

shortstuff_mt · Feb 10, 2015

There is a link to a troubleshooting checklist in my signature. The checklist was created for this type of problem. If you follow all the steps in the checklist it should help you narrow down what's causing the problem.

volcanoscout · Feb 10, 2015

You won't have any luck booting without any RAM - that's a must have. Definitely try booting without the HDD - if it boots to BIOS, that's forward progress.

Evilmanta · Feb 12, 2015

volcanoscout :

Definitely tried booting with no RAM, and No HDD. Nothing out of the video ports. VGA or HDMI (Can't test DVI). I assume now it's the motherboard or the CPU. We tried with RAM, without RAM, with new RAM, without new RAM, pretty much every combination or HDD and RAM. No image at all. Also there are no beeps. I put the CPU in myself, and I am 100% sure it was put in securely and correctly. Matched up all the "designs" in the corners for the pins and stuff. Didn't force it in. So I'm left to think that the Mobo is bad. or the CPU is.

I would guess it's the mobo.

Evilmanta · Feb 12, 2015

shortstuff_mt :

Thank you for the link. I've tried all of that. Except resetting the CMOS. I'll have a look at that tonight. but I think the problem is just faulty hardware.

volcanoscout · Feb 12, 2015

Bad CPUs from the factory are pretty rare. If the CMOS reset doesn't help, I think a mobo return is probably in order.

Evilmanta · Mar 10, 2015

As it turns out, the Mobo was bad. Thank you all for your help! I tried all the various diagnostics you suggested and in the end the mobo was bad. I returned and replaced the mobo and there was video!

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