Hello everyone.
 
I am an MIS major, but I don't know a ton about hardware. I recruited a fairly knowledgeable friend to help me build my new system. Upon our first attempt we had the following problems:
 
1) No video was coming from the PCI-E video card
2) The power button didn't seem to work to shut off the PC (when held down.. had to use the PSU switch)
 
So.. he believed it was the mobo.. so I RMA'ed it and went and got a new one. Now.. I have the following components:
 
Case: APEVIA(ASP)|X-SUPRAG-BL RT
RAM: GSkill F2-8500CL5D (1GB DDR2 1066) x 2
Video card: SAPPHIRE 100225L HD3870 512M
Processor: AMD|A64 X2 5200+ 2.7G AM2 65N
Motherboard: ASUS M3A AMD 770/SB600 AM2+ MB
PSU:  RP550V2-D-SL 550W
 
I am currently still having the exact same problems. We have doubled checked the wiring to be sure.. but at this point the only thing we can think of is it could be the video card.
 
If that is true.. then why wouldn't the first mobo (which did have on-board video) not work? Also.. I got a PCI (not PCI-E) video card from my work which I am fairly sure is working and tested that. Same behavior.
 
All the fans spin.. the CPU, PSU, Video card, and case fans are all working.
 
This was my fun project with my tax rebate (to stimulate the American economy, of course).. I can't fathom returning everything (well.. except the CPU which I'm stuck with anyway).. and I can't stand the idea of having to spend 100 bucks to have someone tell me what is wrong.
 
Can anyone help?
 
If the CPU was messed up wouldn't I still get video?
If the video card is the problem.. wouldn't the original mobo have shown video?
If it was the RAM wouldn't I still see something (similar to if it was the CPU)?
 
Please help! Thanks everyone!

Put the motherboard on a piece of cardboard beside the case so you can attach all the wiring. Be sure you double and triple check you have everything hooked up correctly.
Install the CPU, heatsink and fan, 1 stick of memory, the video card, hook up the monitor, see if you can get it to POST from there.
 
If the CPU was messed up wouldn't I still get video?  
No.
 
If the video card is the problem.. wouldn't the original mobo have shown video?  
Maybe, maybe not.
 
If it was the RAM wouldn't I still see something (similar to if it was the CPU)?  
No.

If I am not wrong the processor is not compatible with the RAM this might be cosing the problem check AMD.com. You can only use up to DDR2 800

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processor [...] 43,00.html
check the link this is would be my first guess. No output from grafic card first thing I do I make sure that I didn't knock the card out of allignment accidently (not likely). Second I would test it in another PC just to check if its not deffective. But since I see that you are using 1066 my guess its the RAM.

Did you plug in the 12v ATX 4 pin CPU power ?
 
Well looks like your ram requires 2.0-2.1v and your mobo is most likely defaulting it 1.5-1.8. You will need to get some lower volt ram to boot with so you can adjust the bios for your other ram.
 
And it is possible that the default video settings are to high for your monitor. I have ran into that a couple of times.

 
 
Nice find. I agree ram problem. 1066 should down clock though so I suspect volltage.

This motherboard won't default to 1.5-1.8 as it only can default to 1.8 but this would still let him post and he would still get the output from the graffic card. I had that problem with my build. I am pretty surre is the RAM that is screwing up. I just think it is RAM because I had the same problem with my build. no output everything connected everything working right. What it came down to I was runing 4GB and the updated BIOS only supported up to 2GB so I downgraded the BIOS and it worked fine. So try getting your hand on 800mhz ram best brand for ASUS mobo would be G.Skill its rated at 1.8. One more sugestion before you do that take out the RAM use only one stick, see if you can boot if yes than its the RAM. But since your RAM dose not meets specification its most likely that even with one stick you wont get output. Good luck keep us updated.

This motherboard won't default to 1.5-1.8 as it only can default to 1.8 but this would still let him post and he would still get the output from the graffic card. I had that problem with my build. I am pretty surre is the RAM that is screwing up. I just think it is RAM because I had the same problem with my build. no output everything connected everything working right. What it came down to I was runing 4GB and the updated BIOS only supported up to 2GB so I downgraded the BIOS and it worked fine. So try getting your hand on 800mhz ram best brand for ASUS mobo would be G.Skill its rated at 1.8. One more sugestion before you do that take out the RAM use only one stick, see if you can boot if yes than its the RAM. But since your RAM dose not meets specification its most likely that even with one stick you wont get output. Good luck keep us updated.

Yeah with ASUS is always the voltage. Sometimes is the BIOS they would realese updated BIOS with more bugs than the previouse one thats what I ran into with my MOBO But since you are using M3 mobo I don't think its the BIOS issue.  Everything points to RAM. But you might want to try to unplog everything and than plug one component at a time and see if you get output incase its something else that is causing the problem.

Thanks for all the help guys. I will definitely follow up on the links and suggestions as soon as I can tomorrow.  
 
Based on what you are saying, though, is it seems I can't run 1066 RAM with my CPU even though my Mobo supports it. Is this right? I had no idea there was even a potential for such a conflict.
 
Since Newegg doesn't allow returns of CPUs after 7 days I assume my only option is to downgrade the RAM?
 
Thanks again everyone!

Is the 8 pin connector from the power supply to Video Card pluged in??

Yes, it is.

Any beeping? , if there is tell us what kind of beeps you hear , also make sure there is a case speaker plugged in so it can beep lol.

Well it will be an even trade that cpu and new ram will set you back close to to the same amout. And even if your MOBO supports the higher RAM is to make the way for Phenom because phanom work of 1066 speed ram. But you need to take everything into account. Since your processor dosen't support that speed of ram it might be creating conflict. It is true that 1066 RAM is nothing else but factory oveclocked 800 and should default back to 800mhz unless manual set in bios. But I can't verify that and I would say that in most examples it depends on how your MOBO will accept the ram. I think that your mobo mybe recognizing the ram at its oveclocked setting and there is a conflict with your cpu. Just please make sure that all your powers cables are connected  before sending anything back and that you did apply thermal paste to your cpu/cooler and that your graphic card dose not requires to be powered separetly try everything few times before you send it back sometimes it can be a small thing that is cousing the conflict. Ask friends if you can plug your component to their PC to check if its working and than start sending back one part at a time.

Oki I went through some review on line and I know now for sure that your ram is overclocked 800mhz but the thing is some people report the ram running grom the start at 1066 and some report the RAM being downgraded by the board to 800mhz so is hard to say what your MOBO did but if it recognized at 1066 than this is cousing the conflict because your CPU can control only up to 800mhz but if your ram default back to 800mhz than its something else that is causing the conflict. Start booting with one ram only at first, do yourself a favor get a friend to try your Graphic card on his pc and see if he will get a disply than exchange the ram even better ask friends if you can barrow theirs to test it. And see what happens than.

Again everyone.. thanks for all the help! I am going over a friend's house tonight to try my video card in his machine.. as well as try his RAM in mine. Unfortunately he only has DDR.. but that should work anyway I would guess (although at this point.. I think my guesses are only in the same state, not ballpark, at best).
 
I'm learning a lot of stuff I didn't know. Now... why would a mobo have voltage specs for RAM? Seems like a crazy, uneccesary complication that some standards committee should fix. All RAM should have the same voltage requirements!!!
 
So... I'm going to return the RAM. I'm assuming my video card works.. and I'm assuming the CPU works (we applied the right amount of thermal compound to it).
 
I'm still completely perplexed why the system wouldn't give any video at all if the RAM wasn't working properly with the CPU, though. At the very least shouldn't I get some kind of failure message on the screen?
 
Also.. if the RAM voltage requirements were too high.. (thus the RAM wasn't working at all.. let's assume it wasn't even there) ... would this also lead to the problem of the case's power button not working to shut DOWN the system? It seems like maybe I'm dealing with several issues and I should just throw everything in the dumpster and go buy a Dell or Gateway.  
 
I'll keep you updated (since I know you're all waiting on the edge of your seats).. but if anyone has feedback on my questions above that would be great. Thanks!

Memory 4 x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR2 1066 / 800 / 667 / 533, ECC and non-ECC, un-buffered memory
Dual channel memory architecture
* DDR2 1066 is supported by AM2+ CPU only
** Refer to www.asus.com or user manual for Memory QVL (Qualify Vendor List)
***When installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows® 32-bit operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less than 3GB is recommended.

Voltage helps overclocking increase voltage on your mobo and your ram clock at a higher speed

I might be wrong about it but I belive only ddr2 wouldn't work with this mobo somebody correct me if I am wrong  
 
try booting with only one stick of ram

Are you using stock cooler on the CPU? Was it retail? Yes? The thermal campound was applied on the cooler stock? You didn't add any more right? If yes than that was your mistake?
 
Once you put the cpu cooler you didn't removed it and than put it back on again without cleaning off the CPU and Cooler and applying new compound?