All new system, won't post at all.. Im going to cry

troublebreathing

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Sep 23, 2009
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Hi everyone. I just bought a whole new rig. Everything arrived in the mail today, and i spent a good portion of the day putting it together. I finally got it all together, plugged it in, turned it on, and it won't even post.
All the fans are on, and the dvd drive lights up, but i get nothing on the screen. No signal.
I have no idea what is wrong. I searched around for tips on the issue, and ended up taking everything out of the case, and only plugging in the necessary things (ram, vid card, cpu, power)
If anyone has any tips, or even a way to figure out which component is DOA ( if that's the case) I will be forever grateful.
My system -
Intel i5 750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215
ASUS P7P55D LE http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131410
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RS550 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171038
Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid ATX case http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00243HHNY/ref=ox_ya_oh_product
 

El_Capitan

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Mar 17, 2009
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If you don't have a video card, that's probably why. Your motherboard doesn't come with onboard video.
If you do have a video card that's connected, it'd be useful to know what kind of video card you have.

Otherwise:
1. Make sure your memory sticks are connected in the correct slot placement your motherboard recommends.
2. Double check to make sure your memory sticks and video card is connected to your motherboard correctly.
3. Verify you have connected all your power connections to your motherboard from your power supply.
4. Reset your BIOS by clearing out your CMOS.
5. Start your computer and see what happens.
 

ibnsina

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Sep 4, 2009
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Read the following which I have I written before, it should help you find the cause of the problem. (It might help if you read part 3, first)
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PART 1
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Firstly touch the metal case to remove any static that have build up in your body.

Unplug the power Cable from the back of the Power supply. Also unplug keyboard, mouse, and speaker cables.

Reset the Motherboard, there should be a reset button (jumper) on Motherboard. Or simply take the battery out and put it back in. Refer to motherboard manual for further instructions.

Carefully remove all parts from motherboard, leaving only the cpu and the fan. Then unplug all cables (i.e HD, DVD, case etc) connected to the motherboard except the Power supply cable and of course CPU fan.

Now add the Graphics Card, make sure it sits on the slot properly.

Now add just 1 Memory card in Slot 1. Make sure you insert it the right way. There's a guider at the bottom of card to help you, if you notice one side of metal connectors is longer than the other side. You should hear clicking sound once insert it properly. (You can leave other memory cards till later)

Now connect the main power cable to back of Power supply and connect the Monitor cable to the Graphics card. Make sure the monitor is switched On.

Now is time to switch on the Motherboard, either by pressing the internal Power button located on MotherBoard or by locating the power Switch cable coming from the front of the Case and connecting it to the motherboard jumpers (it might be labeled PW or PWR).


The screen should display the bios screen. If it does that means these parts are not the cause of the fault. If it doesn’t then go to - Part 2


Then what you do is Disconnect the power and add the parts one by one to the system. Each time you add part or connect a cable, turn the system on to make sure it works.

Basically this is one way to find what is causing a blank screen.


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PART 2 (still have blank screen)
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Unplug the power Cable from the back of the Power supply. Also unplug keyboard, mouse, speaker cables etc

Carefully remove all parts from motherboard, leaving only the cpu, the fan. Then unplug all cables connected to the motherboard.

Very carefully unscrew motherboard and take it out from the case. Place it on top of the Motherboard box, with the anti static bag underneath it (or on top plastic or wooden board.)

Now add memory to slot 1 as before. Remember it must click when insert it. Next add the Graphics Card, make sure it sits on the slot properly.

Now connect the power cables from the power supply to the motherboard.

Now connect the main power cable to back of Power supply and connect the Monitor cable to the Graphics card. Make sure the monitor is switched On.

Now is time to switch on the Motherboard, either by pressing the internal Power button located on Motherboard or by making a metal contact to motherboard Power jumpers (it might be labeled PW or PWR).

The screen should display the bios screen. If it does that means these party are not the cause of the fault, it could be that you did not install Motherboard to case properly.


However if the fault still exist, it means it could CPU, Graphics card, Memory or Motherboard that is causing the fault. Go to Part three;

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Part 3- beep codes
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When an IBM compatible computer is first turned on, the hardware runs a Power-On Self Test (POST). If errors are encountered during this POST test, they are usually displayed via an audio beep or in the form of a code number flashed across the screen. With this audio code in hand, you can determine what part of the system is having problems and find a solution.

The pattern of beeps whether its the number of beeps or the length of those beeps will give you an indication of the actual problem. It’s a distress signal from the computer in a Morse code like pattern. Unless you have a diagnostic card to tell you more about the particular problem, you will have to use the charts to decipher the computer error and get your machine back up and running.

 Remember to connect the case's speaker cable to motherboard to hear these beebs.


This following gives troubleshooting tips for when you hear beep codes and your desktop board does not boot up successfully. (source Inte.coml)


You are getting 1, 2, or 3 beeps that indicate a memory failure.

1 beep - Refresh Error (with nothing on the screen and it is not a video problem)

2 beeps - Parity Error

3 beeps - Base 64 K memory failure
Reseat the memory.
Make sure that the contacts on the memory and the socket are clean.
Try removing one bank of memory modules at a time. Note: Some systems might need to have a memory module in Bank 0.
Try using memory modules from the same manufacturer with the same part number and speed.
Check for a faulty memory module by trying the memory in a known good system.
Trying known good memory in the system.
Check the power supply and check for power fluctuations.
If the steps above do not resolve the problem, the desktop board may be defective. Try a different desktop board.


You are getting 4 beeps indicating a timer not operational:
Check for foreign objects such as screws that may ground the desktop board and make sure that screws that hold the motherboard are not too tight.
Try a different desktop board.


You are getting 5 beeps indicating a processor error:
Check for foreign objects such as screws that may ground the desktop board and make sure the screws that hold the board are not too tight.
Make sure the processor is seated properly.
Try a different processor.
Remove the desktop board from the chassis and reinstall it.
If the steps above do not resolve the problem, the desktop board may be defective. Try a different desktop board.


You are getting 6 beeps indicating 8042 - gate A20 failure:
Check for foreign objects such as screws that may ground the desktop board and make sure the screws that hold the motherboard are not too tight.
Try a different keyboard.
Try a different processor.


You are getting 7 beeps indicating processor exception interrupt error
Make sure the processor is seated properly.
Try a different processor.
Try a different desktop board.


You are getting 8 beeps indicating display memory read/write failure
Make sure that you have a video card on your system.
If possible, swap the memory on the video card.
Try a different video card.
Try a different desktop board.

You are getting 9 beeps indicating ROM checksum error
Try reflashing the system BIOS.
If possible, try reseating the system BIOS chip.
Try a different desktop board.


You are getting 10 beeps indicating CMOS shutdown register read/write error
Try a different desktop board.


You are getting 11 beeps indicating cache memory bad
Make sure the system is configured properly (CMOS Setup Program and jumpers on the board) for the RAM cache.
If possible, replace the RAM cache.
Try a different processor.
Try a different desktop board.
.




Good Luck !! I hope this has been helpful


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A program like www.memtest.org can be used to test the memory.

Test your HD with Sea Tools , it’s a comprehensive, easy-to-use diagnostic tool that helps you quickly determine the condition of your hard drive. http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools/

Use Intel® Desktop Boards to make sure the cpu fan is working properly and there‘s no overheating issues. http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/software/dcc/index.htm



 

troublebreathing

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Sep 23, 2009
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18,510
Hey, thanks everybody. I finally figured out that one of the memory channels on the motherboard is bad. It booted right up when i put the ram in the second channel.

Is there something wrong with my PSU? What do you guys think of my rig?

edit: I forgot to mention what video card i have. I'm using an old x1900xt until the 5850's become available.
 
Any PSU bought today should have full range Active PFC (no little red voltage switch), and be 80+ certified (or better). Antec, PC Power & Cooling, Corsair, Seasonic, and Enermax are among the quality brands. The newest Coolermaster (some 80+ Silver) are nice too, but you don't need 700 Watts. 550 Watts would be sufficient for any single video card.