Cant get past POST :( AM2NF3-VSTA Mobo

[martinuk]

Im upgrading a budget PC for a friend who had an AGP gfx card and ATA HDs and didnt want to change them so i went for the following components:

CPU: Amd Athlon64 X2 3600+ Socket Am2 2x512kb L2 Cache 65watt Retail Boxed Processor
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/127447

Mobo: ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA nForce3 250 Skt AM2 SATA 8 channel audio ATX
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/119408

RAM:Crucial 1GB DDR2 533MHz / PC2- 4200 Unbuffered Non ECC
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/63618

So i put these together with his existing components:
380W PSU
7300GT (AGP)
2 ATA HDs

Now comes the problem...! When i turn the power on, i get to the first POST screen where it displays the components (The CPU, RAM, HDDs and optical drives all seem to be identified correctly), then immediately the screen goes blank and the system will boot no further than there.

I am unable to enter the boot menu or the system setup (by pressing F2/F11).

I have tried resetting the bios with the jumpers, tried the ram with just a single stick and have tried it in all the available slots. Tried re-seating the CPU a couple of times, and tried a number of different HDDs and gfx cards. All to no effect unfortunately.

Could anyone offer any advice what to do next? Anything more i can do to try and get it working or is it time to RMA? If so, which part would you suspect is the faulty one??

Thanks very much for any help!

p.s. The motherboard is giving no error beeps unfortunately! It just seems to die and the screen goes blank (but the sceen power stays on weirdly..)

 

[notherdude]

Does power shut down? If no what appears to be running - cpu fan, hdd, video card fan?

You did plug power cable into video card I hope? If not that then

my first guess is insufficient power from the PSU. Do you know the 12v rail amp requirements for that video card? Is that a high quality psu? If you are not sure just tell us what's on the lable -name, and 12 volt rail amperage

 

[martinuk]

No the power doesnt shut down. The CPU and Case fans keep going.

This thread here says they recomend a minimum 350W power supply with 18A for the 7300GT, but im not sure if thats exact! Also the card i have is an AGP model so that may make a difference.

The current power suply its using is a 340W with 17A on the 12V rail, and no its not a high quality PSU . The thing is, i have tried swapping in a really old Nvidia Ti4600 (AGP) and still having exactly the same problems, so i would be surprised if its a graphics card issue. I can try swapping in a higher quality 480W PSU (by taking my computer apart *cry*) if you think its worth it?

Thansk for your help!

 

[notherdude]

Well, I would of have said switch in that better PSU but not so sure now that you have put in the old video card. I don't know the power req. for the old card. But I think you are going to have to try it if we can't come up with a better try. That PSU is likely below spec for what you have. I'd get a better one for that system in any event.

Before you do that try booting with nothing else hooked up. No HD, no add-in cards - just CPU, 1 stick RAM, video and monitor.

All 24 pins hooked up on power header?

Perhaps a different make of RAM is worth trying. Basically try to narrow it down. Rule out RAM and PSU by using known good/compatible and it's likely a defective MOBO.

 

[martinuk]

Tried booting up with nothing else hooked up and just 1 stick of RAM in and still no luck. All 24 pins of power are hooked up yes.

I will try with a good 480W power supply to try and rule that out but unfortunately i dont have any more DDR2 RAM so cant really test that! Im really suspecting this is a Mobo issue though so i guess if the better power supply doesnt work its time to send the Mobo back .

Thanks again for your help.

 

[coldmast]

This motherboard is a hunk of junk.

took a working hard drive, cd drive floppy drive and Graphics card from my old (working) PC.

hooked everything up set it going then nothing wouldn't boot past the opening screens, wouldn't run XP. in fact wouldn't even allow me to generate the disk your told to make.

put the kit all back in my old pc and strangely enough worked first time.

gonna order something different. don't even want to give it one star.

oh and in case you think i am a novice this would be the seventh pc I have rebuilt from scratch. first time for any major problems

Question: I am using the AMD® AM2 rev.G CPU. But the system always stops at POST after I turn on the system. I can't go into the operating system. What should I do?(12/19/2006)

Answer:For supporting AMD® AM2 rev.G CPU, please follow the steps to update the BIOS of your motherboard to the latest one.
1.Please press the "F2" key continuously right after turn on the system until it goes into the BIOS setup.
2.Please disable the "Cool'n'Quiet" function in BIOS setup.

3.Press "F10" key to save configuration changes and exit setup.
4.You can start to update the BIOS now.

How to update BIOS?
http://www.asrock.com/support/DOS.html
BIOS download page.
http://www.asrock.com/support/download.asp?c=All

http://www.asrock.com/mb/faq.asp?Model=AM2NF3-VSTA&s=

 

[notherdude]

Good find coldmast. He tried f2 but maybe the key is holding down f2 continuously. Sounds hopeful.

 

[coldmast]

...you sunk my battleship :tongue:

it is always something with Motherboards: what F button did they choose this time, it's easy just "rub the lamp three times"

you need the internet to put together a computer

 

[martinuk]

Brilliant! That worked! Thanks so much! (now who would have thought turning Cool'n'Quiet off would make the difference between the system aparently dying and working!!).

I think the reason i wasnt getting into the BIOS is as notherdude said, i wasnt pressing F2 continually. The Mobo seems to take an age to display the POST screen then its all over in a split second.

Now lets just hope the BIOS update goes smoothly

Thanks!

 

[coldmast]

- crosses fingers

try talking to it softly when your updating the BIOS




thats 100 posts, I'm a real boy now

 

[notherdude]

Fabulous. Good find coldmast. I suspect that MOBO was going back RMA if you hadn't dug up that gem!