M3N78 Pro possible power problems

Hey all,

So I moved my tower the other day and when i got around to hooking it back together I found that it wouldn't start. The green status LED and the LAN cable light still came on but no fans or anything would turn on when I hit the power button.

So from there I have tested the PSU unit and found that it works fine and will turn on when I ground the power on pin. However, now I don't have the best computer knowledge so I have no idea what I might be missing here, when the 24 pin connector is actually in place on the mobo the PSU does not turn on when grounded.

I have been able to get my computer to boot by plugging in the CPU 4 pin connector and the 4 pin connector that is part of the 24 pin. That would be pins 11 12 23 and 24 I believe. But I am fairly sure that is no good for my computer.

So I need direction; bad connector on the mobo? Not sure what other system specs you might need. PSU is an OCZGSX1010 and as said before the mobo is an Asus M3N78 Pro

Welcome newcomer. PSUs are one of the most common failing parts. It isn't uncommon for a failing PSU to fail even further after being unplugged and then plugged in again.

At this point I would get (or borrow) a digital multimeter and check the PSU.

"Yellow wires should be 12 volts.
Red wires: +5 volts,
orange wires: +3.3 volts,
blue wire : -12 volts,
violet wire: 5 volts always on.
Tolerances are +/- 5% except for the -12 volts which is +/- 10%.

The gray wire is really important. It should go from 0 to +5 volts when you turn the PSU on with the case switch. CPU needs this signal to boot." -jsc, troubleshooting sticky

Also testing the outlet that you recently plugged in the PSU to couldn't hurt.

1. Move the selector switch to the AC V (usually red). If multiple settings are available, put it into the first scale higher than 120 V (usually 200 V).

2. Place the black lead in teh common (-) hole. If the black lead is permanently attached, ignore this step.

3. Palce the red lead in the V-Ohm-A (+) hole. If the red lead is permanently attached, ignore this step.

Once you have the meter set up for AC, it's time to test your outlets.

1. put either lead in the hot (top right) hole, the other in neutral (top left). You should read 110 to 120 V AC.
2. put either lead in the hot hole, the other in ground (bottom, circular hole). You should read 110 to 120 V AC.
3. Put either lead in the neutral hold, the other in ground. You should read 0 V AC.

If you get readings other than described above, you should contact an electrician to fix the socket.