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New build, stand-by LED on motherboard keeps blinking

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Hi, first time user here. I recently ordered all parts (so they are new) for my new computer to build for myself. I put the motherboard in, correctly installed everything and connected the PSU to everything that needs power. What I found was odd was the stand-by power LED that is located on the motherboard just blinks with about 2-3 seconds in-between each blink.
I had ordered an ASUS Sabertooth X58 motherboard from Newegg.com about a month ago and it turned out to be defective. I had it RMA'd and just today I received the new one.
I have tried to unplug all unnecessary things from the PSU (such as fans and HDD), and only used 1 RAM stick, and didn't even have the GPU 6-pin plugged in, just to try to get the motherboard to turn on.
I had read a post on Tom's Hardware about a recent problem someone had that was similar to mine. His stand-by power LED was blinking and how he got it to work was he unplugged his front panel USB ports. I unplugged mine and it still doesn't work. =/

My system specs are as follows:
Intel i7 950 CPU
ASUS Sabertooth X58 Motherboard
6GB Corsair DDR3 XMS RAM (2x3) @ 1600mHz
Thermaltake TR2 600W PSU
Nvidia geForce GTS250 (1gb) GPU (from old computer)
Western Digital 320GB Hard Drive (from my old computer)

Thanks in advance for all the help; I just can't seem to get this to work.

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Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

Sorry, gotta ask, did you connect the P4, 4 pin EATX12V connector? (powers the CPU, located back corner of the Sabertooth board very close to the CPU..)

Barring that, look up the beep & blink "codes" for your motherboard. They will tell you what might be wrong.


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jb6684 said:
Ah, I didn't zoom in enough on the photo on NewEgg to see the black plastic cap over the other 4 pins...


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


Check around on the site for a sticky on trouble shooting new builds. It will cover things like resetting the CMOS for BIOS back to defaults and other such steps.


Can you do that without even turning on the motherboard? The standby light just blinks and doesn't allow me to power my computer up.

Although everything is properly connected to the motherboard, when I push the power button (which is connected properly) in the front of the tower, the PSU doesn't even "turn on." I have tested two power supplies and neither are defective.

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Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

What is the brand and model of the other power supply you tried? Is is a known good supply that was power a modern system?

Sorry, this is tough when things won't even power up.....we'll use the process of elimination.

UN-plug the power supply from the wall........... (or turn off with the switch on the back of the supply)

Then WAIT until the GREEN LED on the motherboard goes Off.....

STEP #1 : Now...

- remove ALL the RAM sticks
- remove all SATA cable completely from the system (yup pull 'em out and set them across the room...)
- unplug all the hard drives, DVD drives, and floppy(hey ya might have one... :)  ) from the power supply
- unplug all fans from the motherboard
- unplug the 4+4-Pin ATX 12V from the CPU, yes, unplug it too
- unplug all the front panel switches
- unplug all front panel USB cables
- unplug the front panel audio cable
- unplug your mouse, keyboard, or any thing else you have connected to a USB port

There should be no wires, cables, or devices of ANY kind connected to the motherboard...............


The ONLY cable from the power supply that should be connected to ANYTHING is;
- the 24 pin cable to the motherboard



Turn the supply back on....

If the GREEN LED on the motherboard still blinks:
- its the CPU
- or the motherboard
- or the power supply (SO, try Both of the power supplies you have now...)


STEP #2 (If the GREEN LED on the motherboard still blinks)

Next step would be remove the power supply and motherboard from the case. Set them on a non-conductive surface, like card board. Connect just the 24 pin cable again. See if the LED blinks when the supply is turned on. (some times the metal stand off's or the screws holding down the motherboard to those stand off's cause a short circuit. Sitting out side the case on card board we've eliminated that possibility)


STEP #3 (If the GREEN LED on the motherboard still blinks)

Remove the CPU from the motherboard....

Turn on the power


STEP # 4 (If the GREEN LED on the motherboard still blinks)

The motherboard is bad....
Or, you just have two (2) bad power supplies....


The GREEN LED is powered by the 5 VSB power. That LED should not blink if the voltage remains on and steady. Were trying to find out if something is pulling that voltage down (or shorting it out...)


Thank you so much for your help. At the moment I'm pretty tired and am going to bed. I'll try all these ASAP tomorrow once I wake up.

Please stay active to this thread if I have anymore questions. :) 

Again, thanks a ton!

I tested literally everything, even with the 8-pin also in, except the HDD and the GPU. I'm going to test it now, and to do that, I have to turn off my current computer.

TBH what I think it is, is either the surface of the computer case or the HDD. (It seems most likely that it's the case because I am using the HDD now [obviously]). :) 
Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

Ok, you disconnected EVERYTHING except 24 pin power and GREEN LED is now solid....GREAT!

- were the motherboard and PS installed in the computer case when you ran this test???

Basically you need to add things back, one-by-one, testing at each step.... if the GREEN LED starts to blink again you've found the source of the problem......

So, add a stick of RAM

Then test

Add another stick of RAM

Then test


Etc, etc....
Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

Count the number of metal (usually brass color) stand offs installed on the mother board tray in the case....

Count the number of 1/4 holes in the motherboard itself....


Should be the same number in each.... and they all need to line up (any extra or miss aligned standoff will cause a short circuit and make the GREEN LED blink...)

Also, look at the size of the screws. Be sure the head of the screws does NOT cover any traces on the motherboard when you install the screw...

I have everything connected and my new computer turns on... YAY.

Now, when I turn it on, it displays the typical information on my monitor and what happens is it will go to the OS boot-up screen. This is the screen where it says "Loading Windows" or something along the lines of that, and 4 orbs of different colors come together to form the windows "flag" logo. Once the 4 orbs form, and they begin to shine brightly, my computer just restarts and goes back to where it'll tell you how to go into the BIOS.

Any help? >.<
Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

That happens when you try to "reuse" the Win7 already loaded on to an old hard drive from another system....

You need to break out the Win7 DVD and reload a clean copy of the OS onto the hard drive. This is so all right piece of software, drivers & such, that MATCH your new hardware are loaded....

When you install do NOT input the Key to Register the OS.....you can run just fine for 30 days like this (some times I have to load & reload to get things right, and you don't want it Registered until your sure your done...)
Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

NOTE: you will LOOSE everything on that drive when you do a fresh install.

ALSO, I Really recommend using a new drive on a new build..... cause drive only last about 3 to 4 years ....
Power supply Expert
Motherboard Expert

Ok, load Win7 on the new drive. Then install the old drive as a second drive IF you want to pull some data off the old drive. (you can pull programs over, ya have to reinstall 'em)


Then, when all is well be sure to pick a best answer so the thread can be closed out.....

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