I was trying to do a major upgrade today (basically everything but soundcard, hdd controller, and drives). I've built several systems before, but for some reason this one just isn't going. I'm hoping someone can think of something that maybe I missed.
Here's the equipment I was trying to install:
Asus P5N-E SLI mb
C2D E6600 Intel proc (retail w/ retail heatsink)
2 gb ram (2 dimms)
Antec 650w psu
(and of course video, sound, hdd controller card)
I first got the psu, mb, cpu, 2 dimms and video installed earlier. Left out the sound and hdd controller to check for post on what I had so far. It was not posting. I would press the power button, and nothing other than a vague sound (not even a click) in the PSU. The standby LED was on on the mb, but that was it. The cpu fan was not spinning.
After tinkering around a lot, reseating everything, including the CPU. I tried removing the video card. I removed power connectors from all drives and chassis fans, leaving only the cpu fan, the 24pin mb power, and the 4pin 12v power. Nada. 1 dimm at a time--nada. CPU still won't spin.
I finally found that if I unplugged the 4 pin 12v power connector on the mb, I would get the cpu fan to spin--which is more than it would do otherwise. But every time I plugged in that 4 pin connector, it would go back to acting "dead" except for the standby LED.
Well, I figured maybe it was a problem with either the 4pin connector on the psu, or the mb plug for 4pin power. So, I tried my old psu, and sure enough exact same behavior. I figure at this point, to the best of my determination (I had no other mb or cpu to swap), it was the mb.
So, I bought another mb of the same kind. Installed it, this time with a minimal config--cpu, cpu fan, no video, one dimm, no power to any other devices. Had both the 24pin connector and the 4pin 12v installed. Powered on--yay! the processor fan actually worked this time.
So I shut down and installed the video card to check for video. Nothing. Now I noticed the cpu fan was not spinning again. So I removed the video card, thinking that might be a problem. But now, it is back to the same old behavior--nothing but standby LED, no cpu fan spinning. I unplugged the 4pin 12v to see what would happen. Go to power on--system emits a long shrieking beep and the cpu fan spins again. Great, so it's sort of like before. Power off, and try replugging the 4pin. Dead. Unplug the 4pin. The cpu fan will spin briefly, but that's it. It won't even beep any more.
So, any suggestions? I've tried reapplying some thermal paste, reseating the proc, etc. Does it sound like a bunk proc? Any ideas on the differing behavior when I added the new mb and then the system started acting dead again? I appreciate any help as I need to get this system working.
/edit: I just thought of something else to ask. The P5N-E has 6 places for screws. I have mb standoffs installed, and have the 6 screws in place (turned them -just-until they stopped turning--didn't tighten them any further to avoid overtightening.) My chassis has additional places for mb standoffs, however. Is it better to have the additional standoffs in place to support the mb and let it flex less while I install components, or should I not have the additional standoffs (ie could they short something.)?
/editing for clarity and to remove extraneous info
Here's the equipment I was trying to install:
Asus P5N-E SLI mb
C2D E6600 Intel proc (retail w/ retail heatsink)
2 gb ram (2 dimms)
Antec 650w psu
(and of course video, sound, hdd controller card)
I first got the psu, mb, cpu, 2 dimms and video installed earlier. Left out the sound and hdd controller to check for post on what I had so far. It was not posting. I would press the power button, and nothing other than a vague sound (not even a click) in the PSU. The standby LED was on on the mb, but that was it. The cpu fan was not spinning.
After tinkering around a lot, reseating everything, including the CPU. I tried removing the video card. I removed power connectors from all drives and chassis fans, leaving only the cpu fan, the 24pin mb power, and the 4pin 12v power. Nada. 1 dimm at a time--nada. CPU still won't spin.
I finally found that if I unplugged the 4 pin 12v power connector on the mb, I would get the cpu fan to spin--which is more than it would do otherwise. But every time I plugged in that 4 pin connector, it would go back to acting "dead" except for the standby LED.
Well, I figured maybe it was a problem with either the 4pin connector on the psu, or the mb plug for 4pin power. So, I tried my old psu, and sure enough exact same behavior. I figure at this point, to the best of my determination (I had no other mb or cpu to swap), it was the mb.
So, I bought another mb of the same kind. Installed it, this time with a minimal config--cpu, cpu fan, no video, one dimm, no power to any other devices. Had both the 24pin connector and the 4pin 12v installed. Powered on--yay! the processor fan actually worked this time.
So I shut down and installed the video card to check for video. Nothing. Now I noticed the cpu fan was not spinning again. So I removed the video card, thinking that might be a problem. But now, it is back to the same old behavior--nothing but standby LED, no cpu fan spinning. I unplugged the 4pin 12v to see what would happen. Go to power on--system emits a long shrieking beep and the cpu fan spins again. Great, so it's sort of like before. Power off, and try replugging the 4pin. Dead. Unplug the 4pin. The cpu fan will spin briefly, but that's it. It won't even beep any more.
So, any suggestions? I've tried reapplying some thermal paste, reseating the proc, etc. Does it sound like a bunk proc? Any ideas on the differing behavior when I added the new mb and then the system started acting dead again? I appreciate any help as I need to get this system working.
/edit: I just thought of something else to ask. The P5N-E has 6 places for screws. I have mb standoffs installed, and have the 6 screws in place (turned them -just-until they stopped turning--didn't tighten them any further to avoid overtightening.) My chassis has additional places for mb standoffs, however. Is it better to have the additional standoffs in place to support the mb and let it flex less while I install components, or should I not have the additional standoffs (ie could they short something.)?
/editing for clarity and to remove extraneous info
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