first time build... need some help please

[chichi88]

i just constructed my first home built pc... now i have a dilemma. I think all the components are in the right places with the right power feeding into them, since all the fans spin and LEDS light up. When i boot up with a keyboard plugged into a USB port... nothing happens... it hangs at a startup screen (Its got a logo, the model of my motherboard and says "Press DEL..." "Press TAB..."... thats all). if i leave the keyboard out the system goes to the next screen (black with all the details of my system) and tells me no keyboard was found. and if i plug the keyboard into the PS/2 keyboard port it hand on the first screen again but instead of "Press DEL" it says "SETUP LOADING..." and freezes. the keyboard is a microsoft wireless desktop elite keyboard and below are my systems specs

ASUS P5N-T Deluxe motherboard
Intel Q6600 Quad Core CPU
Kingston Hyper X 4GB DDR2 800
SATA W.D. 750GB HDD
ASUS 512MB 8800GT x 2 (SLI)
COOLERMASTER 750W real power pro
pioneer SATA 215BK 20x DVD RW

i think its just the keyboard but if its something more serious i would definitely like to know. ive also read that the BIOS on this motherboard sometimes needs an update, but its a bit hard without a keyboard so any help would be greatly appreciated.
thank you

 

[Proximon]

A wireless keyboard usually has a button to press to sync it with the receiving unit. If that doesn't work, borrow a wired keyboard to set up with.

You could be having other issues, hard to say until you eliminate the keyboard thing.

 

[chichi88]

Thanks... thats what i thought.
i was reading up on the ASUS website for my motherboard and discovered the ram i bought is not on the QVL list. Is this a problem that can be fixed (ie BIOS update or something) or should i get different ram?

 

[Proximon]

You never know. The RAM manufacturers site is usually a better source for compatibility.

Often, you have to boot into BIOS with different RAM, and adjust your RAM settings manually before installing your RAM.

 

[chichi88]

thanks again
another noob question... is there any way of telling whether the system has "accepted" the RAM from the boot screen? when it does come up it says "Memory testing: 4193280K OK(Installed Memory: 4194304K)" Is this talking about RAM??

 

[chichi88]

forget the RAM question for the minute... back to the keyboard problem. i tried a wired usb keyboard... didnt work. would a PS/2 wired one work? i dont know if the usb ports need to be enabled because none of them do anything (there are 6)

 

[Proximon]

Are you plugging the keyboard directly into the back of the PC? Modern systems support USB keyboards and mice at boot, without drivers.

If your USB ports had been turned off in the BIOS, that might be a problem. Likewise if you are plugging into a port you never connected to your motherboard.

Definitely try a PS/2 KB.

 

[chichi88]

after leaving the computer unplugged for a while got the keyboard to work about 1hr ago. accessed the setup screen... keyboard working like nothing was ever wrong. Looked at some settings... USB ports were enabled, everything else seemed normal (to me anyway)... updated the BIOS via USB (to version 1001)... rebooted... back to square one. hangs at the first logo screen again. left it for about 45min... came back... same problem. will continue trying but any ideas??

 

[Proximon]

Sounds like a heat issue, or faulty hardware that only works correctly when cold.

In other words, either something is getting too hot, or something fails once it's warm.

 

[chichi88]

That could be it... ive been able to access the setup a few times now and the keyboard seems to work consistently. ive got a Zalman CNPS 9700 as the CPU cooling and the Antec Nine Hundred as the case, so i think there is plenty of air flow and cpu cooling. do think it is worth trying to install an OS (windows vista ultimate x64)??

 

[chichi88]

also, when it does boot up, the POST tells me the RAm is 667MHz instead of 800MHz like it should be. is this a problem?