New eVGA 730i based HTPC build help - No video output!

infiniteengine

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Apr 19, 2009
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So I just completed my first build and I've run into a problem...no video.

I always do pretty extensive research before making my own post when I encounter a problem like this but none of the several threads I found where people were having similar problems were able to lead me to a solution. I've gone over the Tom's Hardware checklist as well to no avail.

-I'm using the onboard video, so I can't just try the GPU elsewhere
-The 24pin and 8pin connectors are securely attached to my Corsair 400W PSU
-All other connections seem to be made securely including the CPU fan power, SATA power and data in slot 1, case fans to PSU, case USB tlo first USB pins (labeled 4/5), case HDA audio to pins labeled CFPA behind the upper PCI slots, and case PWR, PWR LED, HDD LED, and RST cables plugged into the corresponding pins next to the SATA slots.
-I have reset the CMOS multiple times, unplugged the PSU overnight and then reset the CMOS, and all other suggested combinations of this.
-I have tried 1 DIMM in all slots as well as two.

Here's what happens:
-I plug in the PSU and flip the switch; LED1 by the CPU lights up.
-I power on the computer (both the mobo and case power button work) and everything seems to come to life. The two case fans and the cpu fan power on, the HDD can be heard spinning up, and LEDs 2 and 3 turn on. The mini display area shows A0, a few number/letter combinations I missed, C3, 25, 26, 33, 44, some more numbers and then finally come to 7F. There is absolutely no response from the LCD screen to indicate it has recognized any input through DVI or HDMI.

-F1 on my USB keyboard changes 7F to alternating numbers 45 and 46
-Holding delete brings me to 1E until I reset the CMOS and reboot.

Here are my components for reference:
Case - Antec Three Hundred
PSU - Corsair 400W CMPSU-400CX
Motherboard - eVGA 730i using onboard video
Processor - Intel E5200 w/ stock cooler applied with a thin line of Artic Silver 5
HDD - Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB
RAM - Patriot Extreme Performance 2x2GB DDR2 800 PC-6400

The only obvious thing that strike me as a little odd are the fact that even with all metallic holds screwed threw to the brass standoffs the mobo doesn't sit flush with the metallic I/O plate (its really close but not exact.) I'm betting/hoping that since this is my first build I just did something really basic wrong. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, I really hope I don't have to RMA! Thanks!
 

infiniteengine

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Apr 19, 2009
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18,520


Arrgghh, yeah that would make it a lot easier to troubleshoot and zero in on where the problem is, but this is my first desktop in my current apartment (my old one is at my parent's house in Miami.) I've been thinking about buying a cheap video card to see if the onboard video is the problem, does that sound like a good idea? Is there any way I could update the BIOS without any additional hardware?

I completely took it apart and found out why the mobo wasn't flush with the I/O plate and its actually kindof embarrassing. I somehow managed to put a a brass standoff that was screwed into ANOTHER brass standoff into one of the case holes making it twice as high as the others. I fixed that and it turned out to be unrelated.

Having extra parts makes everything so much easier but the billion spare parts I do have are all for laptops (I feel like most people are the opposite.) I found a decent Lenovo in the trash recently and after dealing with a locked BIOS and HDD (a real pain to deal with on Lenovo's) it now serves as my guinea pig computer for all my laptop related projects.