This is just a new built for a friend but anywho as i first turn on the system all the fans are working and the hard drive seems to be spinning. however,

1 - the LCD monitor connected to the zotac 8500gt receives no signal, despite the fact that the fan on the 8500gt is running.

2 - the dvd-rw won't open. IDE and 4 molex are both connected, set to slave.

3 - does the s3g have led lights on the motherboard that lights up to show that the motherboard is currently receiving power? cause i don't see any lit up.

4 - when i plug my optical mouse into a usb drive, the red optical light turns on for a fraction of a second and then remains off.

Is this all normal? Or am i looking at a faulty mobo.

I am getting no after beeps either.
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Specs? Clear cmos. Try each stick of ram in each slot.

Specs are

GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3G LGA 775
ZOTAC ZT-85TEH2P-FSR GeForce 8500 GT 512MB
ePOWER EP-550XPF 550W ATX12V
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Western Digital Caviar SE WD5000AAJS 500GB
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE

tried clearing CMOS and ram trick. still not working.

If you have tried everything, time to ask for a checkup at a store or return the mobo.

No beeps =

1. There should be an led on the board which is lit even when the PC is turned off (assuming it's plugged in and psu is turned on).
2. It seems to me the DVD drive should open if the PC is turned on reguardless of whether everything else is working.
It could be a power issue.

I would start this way:
1. Double check the cpu heatsink is attached properly and the fan is plugged into the CPU_FAN header.
2. Double check the memory is seated properly.
3. Double check video card is seated properly.
If all three of these things are fine try powering the computer. Double check the cpu fan spins and watch for video output. Assuming these three things are not broken you should at least be able to get into the bios.

StrikeX2, did you find a solution to the problem?
I am having exactly the same problems as you describe, the same motherboard but an EVGA 9800 GTX.

The dvd-rw drive will open only when the IDE cable is not plugged in.

Tried everything suggested so far short of returning the mobo

Full Specs:
GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3G LGA 775
EVGA 9800 GTX 512MB KO 740Mhz PCI-E Dual DVI
Corsair 4096MB TwinX XMS 6400 DDR2 RAM (2X2GB)
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 2.53GHz 1066FSB
Win Power PSU 800W ATX 12v
Lite-on DH-20A4P-21C IDE 20X DL DVD-RW
Seagate 750GB Barracuda SATA II 300 7200rpm 16MB cache
LG 22" W2242S widescreen monitor

ok so i fergot to plug in the 4pin 12v atx power supply.

yeah its embarrassing, but i hope it helps some other poor fool out there.