Just finished building a gaming rig and it won't start. Help please

[madregoose]

I just built my first PC and i was hoping to get some BIOS action after i installed my last part. Everything is in but for some reason the PC won't start. I'm really hoping none of the parts are DOA. I'm getting an orange light on my motherboard saying i have power but it won't even run for a second when i turn on the power supply. I try turning it on by the motherboard and the case and it won't do a thing. Anyone have any ideas?

System specs:
XION 850 watt ATX PSU
ATX mid tower
2.66 quadcore q9400 intel
GTS 250 1gb video card
Foxconn ELA motherboard
Western Digital 1TB hard drive
4 gigs (two sticks) ddr2 sdram 1066
two 80 mm case fans and 3 120mm case fans
ASUS 22" lcd monitor.

I'll provide links to any of the parts if needed
Please help

 

[MadAdmiral]

Does any fans or lights turn on?

Have you tried doing EVERYTHING in the "READ before posting about boot problems" sticky (link in my signature)? If not, go there and do EVERY step. Do NOT SKIP anything just because you think it might not be relevant. After doing ALL of the steps, let us know if anything changes.

I'm thinking it might be the PSU. XION isn't exactly a quality brand...

 

[madregoose]

i'll check the "read before posting about boot problems". And yeah i'm having a bad feeling that it's the power supply:/ I did a little online "power supply calculator" and i have more than enough to run the computer apparently. Thanks though

 

[MadAdmiral]

The amount isn't the problem. The problem is that the PSU likely overstates what it can actually put out. Quality PSU (which XION is not) typically put out more wattage than they say in the name. Low quality units often put out less. It also matters how much power is put out over the 12V rail.

Another indication that it's a bad unit in general is that it doesn't have Active PFC. I suggest you look up the "Guide to Choosing PC Parts" and read up on what makes a quality PSU, as your likely to need to buy another sooner rather than later.

Pretty much the only way to be certain it's the PSU is to swap it with another unit you know is working. Do you have another PC laying around that you can switch the PSU with?

 

[shortstuff_mt]

+1 to going through EVERY step in the checklist posted above. That will fix the problem 90% of the time.

The PSU isn't a great unit, but I would focus first on making sure the 4/8-pin CPU power connector located near the CPU socket is plugged in. That's a very common mistake. Incorrect RAM settings in the BIOS is also a common problem. I would try booting with each stick of RAM by itself.

 

[madregoose]

i just tried using a different power supply on the computer and i got the same results. Pretty sure it's the motherboard since this powersupply actually works well. also, bump!

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Have you performed every step in the checklist yet? You're going to have a hard time troubleshooting with a shotgun blast. The checklist gives you a methodical way to troubleshoot your problem. These types of problems are far more user related than faulty hardware.

 

[madregoose]

i've tried twice now. But hell i'll do it three times just for you :]