Can't get MOBO Splash Screen

[sciguy]

Many of you were helpful recently in helping me select my components for my first build. I went with the following:

ASRock A75M MOBO
AMD A8-3870K CPU
Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) RAM
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 Case
PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III PPCMK3S600 600W PSU

I've been following a NewEgg video that takes me through the steps to build a computer. After installing the CPU, heat sink, a video card, and RAM the guy has you temporarily hook up the PSU and a monitor and jump the power "prongs" to start things up as an interim check point.

On the video he gets a MOBO splash screen (along with a few error messages since he doesn't have an operating system installed yet) and he's happy. I did it and I get no such splash screen - the CPU fan starts whirling but that's it. Am I screwed???

A couple of thoughts:

1) As I mentioned the guy on the video installs a video card and then connects the monitor via HDMI to the card. I'm not installing a video card and plugged my old monitor into the old-fashioned video port. Would that make a difference?

2) He was using a different brand of MOBO than mine. Is it possible that some MOBO's just don't have a splash screen?

Thanks for any help!

 

[vollman1]

HAve you gone through all of these steps?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems

 

[sciguy]

HAve you gone through all of these steps?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems

Thanks for the response!

I was pretty meticulous. I did all of the first steps (except that I am not installing a video card) but have not tried checking one stick of RAM at a time. I'll give that a try.

Next possibility is removing the plastic cover for the CPU. I'm doing an AMD build and I don't believe there was a plastic cover. I looked at it hard, tugged gently at it, and did some online research. I sat the CPU down and it slid very easily into the white "module" and seemingly clamped down fine so I THINK it's OK.

I was very careful about static electricity (wrist strap, touching the case, built on hard table, no carpet underneath) but I suppose it's always a possibility.

I didn't try resetting the CMOS. Do you think that would help?

Any thoughts? Thanks!