Tom's Hardware > Forum > Motherboards & Memory > MSI-Microstar > Just built a desktop and I can't get anything on the monitor

Just built a desktop and I can't get anything on the monitor

Forum Motherboards & Memory : MSI-Microstar - Just built a desktop and I can't get anything on the monitor

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I just built up a PC to use as a media PC and I can't get any signal on the monitor. Heres the setup

MSI G31TM-P21 iG31 mobo
P4 3.4ghz
2 gig DDR2 ram
750gig Western Digital SATA hard drive

The only thing I can think of that would be the problem is the number of wires on the CPU cooling fan. The mobo has 4 pins for CPU fan and the fan I have only has 3 wires. Could this keep the system from booting up?

I know I had this problem with my dads PC a while back, but it was a 2 wire fan with a 3 pins on the mobo and the system would turn on then off instantly, but mine stays going, the hard drive is spinning and the CD drive LED flashes like its reading the disk, but when I open it, it shuts immediately after it opens.

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Does the fan run and continue to run? If so, let's assume it's ok. Note the figure on page 16 of your manual for the proper connection. If the fan won't run, then yes, it can stop the system and will turn it off to stop damage to the cpu.

You mention no signal on the monitor. So the system is powering up and staying on, but nothing on the screen

Do you have a speaker? If so, you would hear a Beep when it starts to POST.

Here's things to try. First, unplug from wall and clear the CMOS. See page 20.

See if it works now. If not, unplug all connections to the hard drive and the CD and any other device attached except the monitor.

Disconnect all the case led and other wiring except the power switch.

See how that goes and let us know.

Reply to mongox

Quote :

MSI G31TM-P21 iG31 mobo
P4 3.4ghz

Does the MB/BIOS support the CPU? No.

http://www.msi.com/index.php?func= [...] incat_no=1

------------------------------ "To better understand why you need a personal computer, let's take a look at the pathetic mess you call your life."
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Badge, good call! Gotta start with the basics sometimes...

I saw the socket 775 and didn't look further.

And... the MSI site just went down. I think this MSI would support the CPU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813130242

Message edited by mongox on 10-04-2009 at 06:47:55 AM

Reply to mongox

LOL...this has been asked/solved many times in the past. 8)

------------------------------ "To better understand why you need a personal computer, let's take a look at the pathetic mess you call your life."
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So could I have damaged the CPU installing it on a motherboard that doesn't support it?

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to trevomatic

trevomatic wrote :

So could I have damaged the CPU installing it on a motherboard that doesn't support it?

Probably not as long as you didn't errantly adjust the voltage to the unit.

Message edited by badge on 10-04-2009 at 11:35:13 AM

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Alrighty, picked up a Core 2 Duo 2.93 ghz processor and it fired right up, now I'm just having trouble gettting Windows installer to work right, thanks for the help.

Reply to trevomatic

Uh oh, I had installer running, windows started, then bam, black screen of death, now Im getting nothing. Where do I start?

Reply to trevomatic

Make sure that BIOS has been set to Optimal Defaults or similar choice. Try installing Windows again.

------------------------------ Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H, AMD Phenom II x2 550 BE (4 cores@3.6GHz), G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1066 (820@CL4), Scythe Katana3, Hec 585W, Samsung 2232BW+, WD Caviar Black 1TB SATA, Sea 500GB USB, 12 IDE HDs w/Masscool IDE-SATA Convertors, Ugly Old Case, Win XP 32bit
Reply to mongox

I reset the Bios and now the screen will come up, but I can't get beyond the startup screen identifying the Motherboard, can't even get to set up, what the hell is going on with this thing?

Reply to trevomatic

OK, so is it saying it can't find a boot device -- or looking for one?

Where exactly in the POST does it stop? Does it chk the memory? List the hard drives?

By can't get to set up, do you mean the BIOS or what?

It stops at the opening motherboard screen, the very first screen you see when you turn it on, and just stays there. I press Del and nothing happens, it doesn't ever get to the black screen and start listing components.

Reply to trevomatic

First, try clearing the CMOS - see if it works. If so, go back and set the Optimal defauts.

If resetting BIOS again doesn't do it, need to pull disconnect everything but the cpu fan, power cables to motherboard and monitor.

Alright - I got it up and running. The processor was bad, replaced it and the whole system fired right up, then I couldn't get Windows Installer to work, turned out I had a bad stick of RAM. Thanks for all your help

Reply to trevomatic

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Just built a desktop and I can't get anything on the monitor

Forum Motherboards & Memory : MSI-Microstar - Just built a desktop and I can't get anything on the monitor