Problems with new PC - What would you do?

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Built a new PC today but everytime I boot it up, blank screen (nothing
no BIOS, no signal).

I used memory from another PC (two 512MB chips) - no change
I removed CPU and fan - no change
I removed memory - no change
Replaced with CRT monitors - no change

Q: What would you do next to find the faulty part or misconfiguration?

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 939 512KB Inc Fan
MOBO: GigaByte GA-K8NF-9 Socket 939 nForce 4-4X PCI-E ATX
GFX: XFX GEFORCE 6600 PCI-E 128MB DUAL DVI Passive Cooling
MEM: Crucial CT12864Z40B single 1GB
 
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jad

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my favorite line...reset the CMOS
If the speaker is connected properly and there are NO beeps, then it could
be the mainboard or the CPU.
Check the voltage selector in the back of PSU.

<sff11i@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126817826.673647.141080@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Built a new PC today but everytime I boot it up, blank screen (nothing
> no BIOS, no signal).
>
> I used memory from another PC (two 512MB chips) - no change
> I removed CPU and fan - no change
> I removed memory - no change
> Replaced with CRT monitors - no change
>
> Q: What would you do next to find the faulty part or misconfiguration?
>
> CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 939 512KB Inc Fan
> MOBO: GigaByte GA-K8NF-9 Socket 939 nForce 4-4X PCI-E ATX
> GFX: XFX GEFORCE 6600 PCI-E 128MB DUAL DVI Passive Cooling
> MEM: Crucial CT12864Z40B single 1GB
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

Thanks for the reply!

JAD wrote:
> my favorite line...reset the CMOS

I took the battery out for 10mins, does that also clear the CMOS?
Motherboard manual says something about "temporarily shorting 2 pins",
don't know how to do that.

> If the speaker is connected properly and there are NO beeps, then it could
> be the mainboard or the CPU.

I just checked:
Green light comes on,
DVD writer light flashes once,
HD light flashes once or twice,
Green light stays on,
Nothing else.
I have to shutdown by pressing the button for 5seconds.

> Check the voltage selector in the back of PSU.

Don't know how to do that, I'm googling it up.
BTW, the case is:
QuietPC.com Antec Sonata I Black Quiet Case inc 380W PSU and Acoustic
Material
 
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jad

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<sff11i@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126820201.411886.221040@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks for the reply!
>
> JAD wrote:
>> my favorite line...reset the CMOS
>
> I took the battery out for 10mins, does that also clear the CMOS?
> Motherboard manual says something about "temporarily shorting 2 pins",
> don't know how to do that.
>

Yes IF you unplugged it from the wall

>> If the speaker is connected properly and there are NO beeps, then it
>> could
>> be the mainboard or the CPU.
>
> I just checked:
> Green light comes on,
> DVD writer light flashes once,
> HD light flashes once or twice,
> Green light stays on,
> Nothing else.
> I have to shutdown by pressing the button for 5seconds.
>
>> Check the voltage selector in the back of PSU.
>
> Don't know how to do that, I'm googling it up.
> BTW, the case is:
> QuietPC.com Antec Sonata I Black Quiet Case inc 380W PSU and Acoustic
> Material
>
It a little switch on the back of the PSU by the Power cord choices
usually are 115/230v or 110/240
 
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Guest

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Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

JAD wrote:
> Yes IF you unplugged it from the wall

Tried it again with power unplugged and battery out for 20mins, no
difference :(

> It a little switch on the back of the PSU by the Power cord choices
> usually are 115/230v or 110/240

Had a look, that red switch seems to be missing, product image:
http://www.antec.com/productImage.php?ProdID=07381
The sticker only mentions 230V and the PSU is titled as "UK version" on
the website.

CountryLover wrote:
> Invest in an inexpensive POST card if you're putting systems together yourself.

I found one for £30. Using it, will I be able to definitely determine
whether it's a faulty motherboard or CPU?
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

Anything else I can do now to determine which component is faulty?

I can easily get a replacement from dabs.com if it's a motherboard or
CPU problem.

Wish I had another Socket 939 board to check the processor :(
 
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Guest

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Trax wrote:
> As mention'd do you have a PC speaker installed? It will tell you
> what's wrong, or a clue.

Sorry, I should have mentioned that there are no beeps at all and the
Speaker connector is installed correctly.

IIRC, motherboards should return different length of beeps to identify
errors?
 
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SteveH wrote:
> Is the CPU fan plugged into the correct header on the motherboard?

Yes, it spins fine too. Quiter than I thought it would be.
 
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tRaX

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sff11i@gmail.com wrote:

|>
|>Trax wrote:
|>> As mention'd do you have a PC speaker installed? It will tell you
|>> what's wrong, or a clue.
|>
|>Sorry, I should have mentioned that there are no beeps at all and the
|>Speaker connector is installed correctly.
|>


Check the white Power supply wire and insure the proper voltage, it's
your power good line and if it's not right on you won't boot up (goes
into a repeated reboot until the proper voltage is seen).

Flow chart http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm

Pin outs
http://freespace.virgin.net/matt.waite/resource/psu/atxpsu.htm

|>IIRC, motherboards should return different length of beeps to identify
|>errors?

Yep and on a good boot up you should hear a single beep.

--

http://www.crazyhamzters.com/flash/cunningstunt.html
 
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Guest

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Trax wrote:
> Check the white Power supply wire and insure the proper voltage, it's
> your power good line and if it's not right on you won't boot up (goes
> into a repeated reboot until the proper voltage is seen).
>
> Flow chart http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm

I'll check that out, but first should I try replacing the PSU with a
working one from another PC? I currently have an Antec TruePower 430W.
 
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tRaX

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sff11i@gmail.com wrote:

|>
|>Trax wrote:
|>> Check the white Power supply wire and insure the proper voltage, it's
|>> your power good line and if it's not right on you won't boot up (goes
|>> into a repeated reboot until the proper voltage is seen).
|>>
|>> Flow chart http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm

|>I'll check that out, but first should I try replacing the PSU with a
|>working one from another PC? I currently have an Antec TruePower 430W.

I would :)

--

http://www.crazyhamzters.com/flash/cunningstunt.html
 
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Trax wrote:
> I would :)

I just replaced PSU with a working one - still same without any beeps.

I checked the Clear CMOS jumper, it seems to be in Normal mode
according to the manual.

BTW, for some reason my GFX card has a single male power socket fixed
on it, am I supposed to plug a cable from the PSU into it as it fits
fine. I havn't done it yet because I thought it was a risk is a new to
me (never seen it before on GeForce).

GFX card is:
http://www.xfxforce.com/web/product/listConfigurationDetails.jspa?productConfigurationId=958

It is "passive cooling" so no fan, hence I can't tell if it's working
fine.
 
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sff...@gmail.com wrote:

> BTW, for some reason my GFX card has a single male power socket fixed
> on it, am I supposed to plug a cable from the PSU into it as it fits
> fine. I havn't done it yet because I thought it was a risk is a new to
> me (never seen it before on GeForce).

The manual doesn't say to connect anything to it and doesn't show it on
the product diagram. Although Addendum 2 says to connect it to PSU but
titled as "6800Ultra Card" whereas I have a "6600 Card".
 
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jad

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<sff11i@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126828949.174743.149060@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Trax wrote:
>> I would :)
>
> I just replaced PSU with a working one - still same without any beeps.
>
> I checked the Clear CMOS jumper, it seems to be in Normal mode
> according to the manual.
>
> BTW, for some reason my GFX card has a single male power socket fixed
> on it, am I supposed to plug a cable from the PSU into it as it fits
> fine. I havn't done it yet because I thought it was a risk is a new to
> me (never seen it before on GeForce).
>
UM yes sir! it needs the extra(optional on some older ATX PSUs) pigtail lead
from the power supply


> GFX card is:
> http://www.xfxforce.com/web/product/listConfigurationDetails.jspa?productConfigurationId=958
>
> It is "passive cooling" so no fan, hence I can't tell if it's working
> fine.
>
 
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Guest

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JAD wrote:
> UM yes sir! it needs the extra(optional on some older ATX PSUs) pigtail lead
> from the power supply

Amazing! That fixed the problem!

Thanks a lot to all that helped :)
 
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jad

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thats about the worst manual I have seen in a while...anyway it appears your
right, but then the connectors ARE there and need a power supply.
<sff11i@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126829161.048715.223260@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> sff...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> BTW, for some reason my GFX card has a single male power socket fixed
>> on it, am I supposed to plug a cable from the PSU into it as it fits
>> fine. I havn't done it yet because I thought it was a risk is a new to
>> me (never seen it before on GeForce).
>
> The manual doesn't say to connect anything to it and doesn't show it on
> the product diagram. Although Addendum 2 says to connect it to PSU but
> titled as "6800Ultra Card" whereas I have a "6600 Card".
>
 
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Guest

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Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

On 15 Sep 2005 13:57:06 -0700, sff11i@gmail.com wrote:

>Built a new PC today but everytime I boot it up, blank screen (nothing
>no BIOS, no signal).
>
>I used memory from another PC (two 512MB chips) - no change
>I removed CPU and fan - no change
>I removed memory - no change
>Replaced with CRT monitors - no change
>
>Q: What would you do next to find the faulty part or misconfiguration?
>
>CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 939 512KB Inc Fan
>MOBO: GigaByte GA-K8NF-9 Socket 939 nForce 4-4X PCI-E ATX
>GFX: XFX GEFORCE 6600 PCI-E 128MB DUAL DVI Passive Cooling
>MEM: Crucial CT12864Z40B single 1GB

Invest in an inexpensive POST card if you're putting systems together yourself.

One example:
http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=204+0494&dept=lch33&search=1to25-3&child=1to25-3
 
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steveh

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<sff11i@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126820201.411886.221040@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks for the reply!
>
> JAD wrote:
>> my favorite line...reset the CMOS
>
> I took the battery out for 10mins, does that also clear the CMOS?
> Motherboard manual says something about "temporarily shorting 2 pins",
> don't know how to do that.
>
>> If the speaker is connected properly and there are NO beeps, then it
>> could
>> be the mainboard or the CPU.
>
> I just checked:
> Green light comes on,
> DVD writer light flashes once,
> HD light flashes once or twice,
> Green light stays on,
> Nothing else.
> I have to shutdown by pressing the button for 5seconds.
>
>> Check the voltage selector in the back of PSU.
>
> Don't know how to do that, I'm googling it up.
> BTW, the case is:
> QuietPC.com Antec Sonata I Black Quiet Case inc 380W PSU and Acoustic
> Material
>
Is the CPU fan plugged into the correct header on the motherboard?

SteveH
 
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Guest

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"CountryLover" <crazygonuts@pcgeek.invalid> wrote in message
news:8cqji1l2heenq6tvr8li67g03k0igmg06p@4ax.com...
> On 15 Sep 2005 13:57:06 -0700, sff11i@gmail.com wrote:
>
> Invest in an inexpensive POST card if you're putting systems together
> yourself.
>
> One example:
> http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=204+0494&dept=lch33&search=1to25-3&child=1to25-3
>

That is an interesting product. I could not find many details in the
product description, though. Does this do more than the 4 lights on a Dell?
In case you are unfamiliar with a Dell, it has for LEDs that cycle through
several codes (at most16 of course) so you can see where a failure occurred
during POST. The product you suggested seems like it could do more, but it
was not obvious.

Peter
 
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jaster

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On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 17:15:11 -0700, sff11i thoughtfully wrote:

>
> JAD wrote:
>> UM yes sir! it needs the extra(optional on some older ATX PSUs) pigtail
>> lead from the power supply
>
> Amazing! That fixed the problem!
>
> Thanks a lot to all that helped :)

Sorry man that was a really funny end to a thread. Been there
done that.... but why o why didn't you RTFM on the GF6600 when you saw
the power connector on the graphics card?
 
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Guest

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Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

On 15 Sep 2005 15:41:25 -0700, sff11i@gmail.com wrote:

>Anything else I can do now to determine which component is faulty?
>
>I can easily get a replacement from dabs.com if it's a motherboard or
>CPU problem.
>
>Wish I had another Socket 939 board to check the processor :(

Odds are very low that it would be the CPU, unless you had
powered it on without the heatsink installed or installed so
badly that it wasn't making contact with the CPU at all. In
other words, CPU is among the last potential problems but
motherboard among the first.
 
G

Guest

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Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 00:47:32 GMT, "P Ruetz"
<parmailbox-news@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>"CountryLover" <crazygonuts@pcgeek.invalid> wrote in message
>news:8cqji1l2heenq6tvr8li67g03k0igmg06p@4ax.com...
>> On 15 Sep 2005 13:57:06 -0700, sff11i@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>> Invest in an inexpensive POST card if you're putting systems together
>> yourself.
>>
>> One example:
>> http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=204+0494&dept=lch33&search=1to25-3&child=1to25-3
>>
>
>That is an interesting product. I could not find many details in the
>product description, though. Does this do more than the 4 lights on a Dell?
>In case you are unfamiliar with a Dell, it has for LEDs that cycle through
>several codes (at most16 of course) so you can see where a failure occurred
>during POST. The product you suggested seems like it could do more, but it
>was not obvious.
>
>Peter

yes it displays the actual code, not just LEDs. However,
for the purpose of the OP, this may not help so much as POST
codes are used when a system IS POSTing and stops, while the
OP has a system that doesn't appear to begin posting at all.
 
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Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

On 15 Sep 2005 17:06:01 -0700, sff11i@gmail.com wrote:

>
>sff...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> BTW, for some reason my GFX card has a single male power socket fixed
>> on it, am I supposed to plug a cable from the PSU into it as it fits
>> fine. I havn't done it yet because I thought it was a risk is a new to
>> me (never seen it before on GeForce).
>
>The manual doesn't say to connect anything to it and doesn't show it on
>the product diagram. Although Addendum 2 says to connect it to PSU but
>titled as "6800Ultra Card" whereas I have a "6600 Card".

Yes, on any/every video card that has a power connector you
should use one, and "sometimes" it is manditory to get the
card working properly if at all.

If you had a spare video card, perhaps a low-powered PCI
card, it wouldn't hurt to try it instead (removing the
current card of course).

Basically at this point you should strip system down to bare
essentials, the CPU, 1 memory module, video, heatsink/fan.

Unplug all case wiring too and turn it on by shorting the
two PS-On motherboard pins with a screwdriver or similar.
You do not need keyboard, mouse, drives, connected yet.

If minimal config doesn't work, take the board out of the
case and try it on a non-conductive surface... NOT on an
anti-static mat or the motherboard box packing bag or foam
as they may conduct electricity (is what "anti-static"
does). After any such significant change, clear CMOS or
remove battery for 10 min with AC power off.

I presume you have plugged in the motherboard 4 pin 12V
power connector? If all else fails and you need to get
parts refund or replaced, start with the motherboard.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: 24hoursupport.helpdesk,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware (More info?)

sff11i@gmail.com wrote:
> Trax wrote:
>
>>Check the white Power supply wire and insure the proper voltage, it's
>>your power good line and if it's not right on you won't boot up (goes
>>into a repeated reboot until the proper voltage is seen).
>>
>>Flow chart http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm
>
>
> I'll check that out, but first should I try replacing the PSU with a
> working one from another PC? I currently have an Antec TruePower 430W.
>

Many motherboards are shipped with the Clear CMOS jumper in the "Clear"
position, which may stop the motherboard from POSTing. Just double
check that before replacing the power supply.

--
Cheers
Oldus Fartus
 
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