Home Built problems----Help? Please? =)

[MordenGiest]

Heya folks, first time poster here but been visiting Tom's for a few years now. I recently bought parts to make a new system and when I power on, all the stuff powers up but I don't think I am getting a POST because I have a black screen.

Here's what I have:

Case: Cooler Master 830 stacker
MOBO: ASUS P5N32E-SLI 680i Deluxe
RAM: Corsair XMS2-8500 1024 1066mhz (x2)
VID: EVGA e-GeForce 8800GTX Superclocked (768mb)
Sound: Soundblaster Audigy Platinum
PSU: Coolmax CTG Series 750w Sli nVidia approved
CPU: Intel Dual Core 6600 Conroe
HDD: Dual SATA 320 WD Caviars
CDROM: Plain ol Liteon
CD/DVD RW: Plextor

Ok, I've moved the RAM to different slots, no luck. The VID card is getting power, fan is running. Drives (both SATA and IDE drives) are working. Not getting any POST beeps though and the black screen as mentioned. Like the System is getting power but nothing else is going on. Thoughts or, preferably, solutions?

Thanks a ton folks, if you can help me out here, I'd be extremely appreciative.

Cheers,
MordenGeist

 

[alcattle]

First thing that comes to mind is the GTX needs 2 power wires plugged in. If you take out the RAM do you get beeps? Yes you can start the system without RAM

 

[prong]

From the information you posted I would suggest trying one DIMM of RAM in slot 1 or better yet different RAM. Another thing you can do is unplug the hard drives and optical drives and try to get to BIOS with the CPU, 1 DIMM RAM and video card only. Have you tried booting up without the soundcard? You can try unplugging the PSU, take out the battery and reset the CMOS jumper. CPU w/HSF, RAM in slot 1 and video card only (nothing else) may be worth a try. Be sure the 12 volt plug in from the PSU is plugged in to the MB to power the CPU properly. Video card has a power plug in from the CPU also. HTH

 

[MordenGiest]

Wow quick responses, you guys rock!! Ok, here's some more info:

First thing that comes to mind is the GTX needs 2 power wires plugged in. If you take out the RAM do you get beeps? Yes you can start the system without RAM

Yes, all instructions followed. Both 6-pin plugs are being used by the card. RAM out= still no beeps. Tried this one before I read this but thanks for posting cuz it shows I was tracking on the same mindframe

trying one DIMM of RAM in slot 1

Tried this one too before the no RAM above. No difference. Nothing.

Another thing you can do is unplug the hard drives and optical drives and try to get to BIOS with the CPU, 1 DIMM RAM and video card only.

Tried this one as suggested, no luck. Gonna try the CMOS thing next and see what happens but in doing all this I noticed something else. I tried two keyboards now, one was a PS2 connector (the basic first one I use for getting new rigs going) and a USB connector one. Niether one worked....no lights indicating getting anything going to them. Tells me the MOBO is having a problem somewhere. Very strange as this is the first time ever in several years I've had a problem building my own systems. I've built all of my own since 1991, 7 systems in all, this one being the 8th.

Thanks again for all the quick replies coming...don't stop!! This is great to get my head wrapped around the problem more!!

 

[dobby]

alcattle stole exactly what i wsa going to say - so i voted him highly - it sound like graphics problem, you need both PCI expess power connecters for the 8800gtx (you know im jealous) to work.

if it was a ram problem i would expect a miriad of beeps.

Now this could be the problem - if you look on your Mobo you you may find (above the pci ect slots) a auxilliery molex connect for supplying extra power to compoent ie video card. If you have one you may have forgotten to plug a molex plug into it

if al these fail, send the motherboard and the gpu back - get the same spec stuff again as it all seem like good choices - read your manual for your mobo there maybe a jumper you could switch for refresh

 

[alcattle]

ok, no RAM=no beeps is a stop sign, do you have a speaker hooked up?

Het Dobby, nice catch, never heard of that one, never had a "real mobo" either

 

[wallis]

try clearing the cmos and try again

 

[MordenGiest]

Whew...ok. In order:

Now this could be the problem - if you look on your Mobo you you may find (above the pci ect slots) a auxilliery molex connect for supplying extra power to compoent ie video card. If you have one you may have forgotten to plug a molex plug into it

Nope. The 8800GTX has no additional connectors for power other than the two 6-pins straight from the PSU. I'd have that one connected if it were available Went over the install stuff many times before coming here Thanks for the heads up tho cuz every thing commented here has been getting my head wrapped around it better

ok, no RAM=no beeps is a stop sign, do you have a speaker hooked up?

The case, oddly, didnt come with a speaker for boot-beeps....which is strange considering how much I paid for it :x. Anyway, I had another case lying around from one of my old rigs and took the speaker out of it first thing and hooked it in. Yes, it's installed correctly on the correct pins hehe No beeps. Not one.....not even a weak "help me" beep :lol:

try clearing the cmos and try again

Yep, tried this two ways: 1) the MOBO as a jumper pin for resetting the CMOS, and 2) the old-fashioned way of removing the battery/reinstalling it. Niether way did anything. This is likely due to the MOBO being DOA...the keyboard isnt even working and thats like a basic component that's supposed to work every time straight from the MOBO on a PS2 connector.

As the cliche' goes, "The lights are on but nobody's home," is an apt description of what I have now. All things connected, even from the MOBO, are getting power...just nothing else is happening.

I have one last option to try. The machine I am using now to talk to you guys is the rig I am upgrading from...it's no slouch, being a 3.06ghz, ATI 9800pro, same sound card as new one and 1gb RAM. I think I might swap the RAM and vid card over to see what happens just to say I did it to cover that base. I'm really thinking it might be the MOBO though...which is disappointing. I've been doing some looking around and this MOBO seems to be potluck: some are having the same problems as me, others are raving about it. I guess if it was working I'd be raving too :lol:

Anyone out there have a golden nugget of something that was missed?

Thanks all that have commented trying to help on this so far....MUCH appreciated *two thumbs up*

 

[alcattle]

I can't pull up the manual here at work, but pictures show a 4 pin header between the PCIx16 slots, what is it?

 

[MordenGiest]

Hmmm. Might be looking at the wrong board. Here's the one I have: ASUS P5N32-E Deluxe

No 4-pin in the location you noted. Spoke to a friend of mine that said it could be RAM incompatibility. Said he recently had a similar problem: black screen, no post, no beeps, etc. Threw in some generic RAM and it chugged right along, then went and got some better RAM that worked well with his rig. Told him abou ttakin gout the RAM to check things and he said that wouldn't verify and then told me he did the same to his, even with the new RAM and nothing would work either. Apparently RAM -must- be in place to get anything to work. I always thought, like a few others here, that at least basics could be checked and a BIOS could be reached without it. :?

 

[BustedSony]

No 4-pin in the location you noted. :?

The CPU power is an 8-pin, located at the top right corner at the end of the two regulator heatsinks. You MUST plug a power supply connector into this, otherwise you'll have the symptoms you've been having. If you don't have an 8-pin connector on the supply or an 8 to 4 pin adaptor then just plug the 4-pin CPU connector straight in, it will only go one way.

 

[alcattle]

can you get into bios, dah no screen to see... try a stick of cheap ram then

 

[MordenGiest]

No 4-pin in the location you noted. :?

The CPU power is an 8-pin, located at the top right corner at the end of the two regulator heatsinks. You MUST plug a power supply connector into this, otherwise you'll have the symptoms you've been having. If you don't have an 8-pin connector on the supply or an 8 to 4 pin adaptor then just plug the 4-pin CPU connector straight in, it will only go one way.

*grins* yeh man, I know. 8-pin is jacked in for the CPU. Like I said, I've built systems before so pretty familiar on how to get basic power running thru with the right connections and such hehe No power=no results...yep, know this already This goes beyond that though.

I've been doing some looking on the ASUS forums and such and it looks like this board has a whole section devoted to problems this board has. I'm gonna try some solutions I would NEVER have thought of to try that's posted there and see what happens. If any luck, I'll post results here and what was done so if anyone else happens along they might benefit. If these dont work then I'm RMAing this sucker and getting a different board. I hope that doesnt happen because I've been a fan of ASUS for years now...

 

[BustedSony]

No 4-pin in the location you noted. :?

The CPU power is an 8-pin, .

*grins* yeh man, I know. I've been doing some looking on the ASUS forums and such and it looks like this board has a whole section devoted to problems this board has. I'm gonna try some solutions I would NEVER have thought of to try that's posted there and see what happens. If any luck, I'll post results here and what was done so if anyone else happens along they might benefit. If these dont work then I'm RMAing this sucker and getting a different board. I hope that doesnt happen because I've been a fan of ASUS for years now...

A "Different Board" doesn't mean not an Asus. Yes the P5n has been troublesome. Like you I'm an Asus fan and have almost never got anything else. My early C2D system uses a P5W-DH which has performed flawlessly. The previous P4 which I sold and a P3 which I still have for video editing are both Asus, as was the Pentium mmx and 486.