Albion221

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I am upgrading my PC and installing a new motherboard, CPU and memory.

The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3
CPU AMD Athlon II X2 250 Dual Core 3.0GHz 2MB L2 Cache
4GB Ram

This is not my first upgrade and i have built computers before with so i do have some idea what i am doing.

I have fitted the Motherboard and connected the leds and power switch. The CPU and cooler and Memory was fitted and supposedly tested by the company i bought them from. My problem is that when i start up the CPU fan does not spin it does a couple of half turns then stops. If you give it a bit longer it does eventually start spinning. But i am sure leaving it like this will damage the CPU so i have not left it any length of time.

I should add that the case fan works with no problem.

Sadly the Coolmaster case does not have a speaker so there is no guide what may be the problem

My instinct tells me the Motherboard or the CPU fan is faulty and as i have just bought it i should return it for a refund. But before i go to the trouble of repacking it and posting it am i missing something?
 
Does the PC POST and boot up fine? If yes, is it going through the process when the CPU fan isn't spinning?

Take the fan off and look to see if it's gunked up with dust or something. If it looks clean, replace the fan.

 

Albion221

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I have not tried to get into POST yet because with the fan on the heatsink not working properly i dont want to damage the CPU by overheating it. I know that running the PC with no heatsink fan will fry it but would that happen very quickly or do i have a few minutes before damage occurs.

BTW i should have said the heatsink fan is new its a standard AMD heatsink that came with the CPU.
 

Paperdoc

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This could happen IF you have a fan speed "controller" added into the wires to the CPU fan, and it is set to run less than full speed. IF you did that, the mobo's normal speed control system (often enabled by default) might start out supplying less voltage until the CPU temperature warms up, PLUS the extra "controller" might reduce that even further and the result would be poor fan start-up because of low voltage. HOWEVER, you did not say you did this, and I suspect this is NOT your problem.

My other thought is something to check with Gigabyte Tech Support. On my system the CPU speed and case fans all start up at full speed first. Then in a few seconds as all the POST routines finish it actually starts using the mobo BIOS's built-in speed control systems and slows them down, depending on the measured temperatures in three spots. Now, I can imagine that if the BIOS defaulted, instead, to using the control strategy right from the start, the cold initial temp of the CPU might make it slow down that CPU cooler fan until the CPU warms up in about 5 seconds. I've never seen a mobo fan control system work this way, but ask Tech Support how it is supposed to work.

My understanding is that, from a cold start with a good heat sink well fastened to the CPU but no fan running, you should have 10 seconds or more before the CPU internal temp starts to climb too high. BUT it certainly will NOT be as long a a couple of minutes, maybe not even one full minute. So if your CPU fan actually comes up to full speed, or nearly so, within 5 to 10 seconds, you probably have no problem.
 


You said in your first post that you turn it on, the fan spins, stops, then starts up after a little time. <--This is the time when the PC will run through it's POST sequence. Once you push the power button, the PC will POST and then try to boot into windows. You should hear a beep and see the black BIOS screen.

I'm curious if the PC stays on or if it is booting up, restarting, or powering off. The CPU will heat up quickly without a working HSF. If you're booting all the way into windows, the CPU likely isn't overheating.
 

Albion221

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Okay i found out what was going on with the CPU fan. Its a new "feature" which controlls the speed of the CPU fan and only turns it when the CPU gets hot.

It now starts when i switch it on and the case fan starts. then the CPU fan turns after a minute or so is running normally but that is all that happens.

I have fitted a new GForce 8400GS graphics card but although the fan on thr card is spinning no signal is going to the monitor and i do not get any picture.

I have removed and reseated the Graphics card a number of times. And as far as i can see it properly fitted but that makes no differance.

Sadly the stupid company who built the case did not fit an onboard speaker so i have no beeps to help me try to find out what the problem is
 

Albion221

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I have checked and nothing like the speaker you showed came with the motherboard. It just had a couple of cables and 2 CDs. The is a black and yellow cable with 4 pins that plugs into the motherboard but even with that connected there are no bleeps.

I have checked the CPU fan and that is connected properly.
 
I would suggest breedboarding.
Try removing the motherboard and place it on a piece of cardboard next to the case. Connect the PSU, hard drive, video card, 1 stick of RAM, and power switch. Then try powering up.
 

Paperdoc

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The most common source of "dead" vid card trouble I see around here is failure to connect the power supply cable to the vid card itself (or, linked, a poor connection in that cable / connector).
 

Albion221

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I have read the article about breadboarding i will give that a try later today and let you know how it goes. It could be a dead video card its new but i suppose its still possible its faulty.

Quick question a motherboard speaker would make sorting out the problem much easier. Is there a company in the UK that sells them or a company in the USA who would not mind shipping them to the UK
 

Albion221

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Okay i got a motherboard speaker and connected it. I then tried breadbording with the motherboard, CPU, cooler and memory attached.

The result was silence no beeps nothing just the CPU fan spinning.

I tried swapping the memory around no change i then tried the motherboard speaker in a working computer just to make sure the speaker was working it is.

I don’t really see what else i could try i dont have a spare CPU or motherboard lying around. I think that either the CPU, or Motherboard are faulty. Am i missing something here, is there something else i should try. I am sure they were faulty when i received them i have installed motherboards before and built computers. And i was wearing an anti-static wristband while fitting the computer. Does it often happen that new PC components are D.O.A

Now i have the hassle of repacking the motherboard and returning it to the supplier.

I have learned something though i will in future breadboard any new motherboard before i install it in the computer
 
And you still have the 4 pin CPU power plugged in?

Try pulling all the RAM out. It should give you a series of beeps for missing RAM.

If you do have the CPU power plugged in, and you don't get a beep code after pulling the RAM, it sounds like a dead board.