Safe to power on PC with no CPU?

[Happosaai]

Hello,

I'm receiving a lot of parts today to build a new PC, but the CPU won't arrive til next week. I want to install and test the water cooling while installed in the case, and was wondering if it's safe to boot a PC with no CPU in order to run the cooling unit through the CPU block and GPU blocks without damaging the components.

 

[AdrianPerry]

As far as I know you need the CPU for the PC to boot. I wouldn't recommend powering up without it since I don't think you can even get as far as the BIOS.

 

[FinneousPJ]

Yeah you can't boot without a CPU. You can't even POST without a CPU. You can probably turn on the power and get an error beep from your mobo but I wouldn't recommend it. Filling your water loop does not require powering on your system and in fact I recommend doing it without powering on - there might be leaks.

 

[AdrianPerry]

Filling your water loop does not require powering on your system and in fact I recommend doing it without powering on - there might be leaks.

Keep the paper towels handy!

 

[bucknutty]

It depends on the board. Some boards will power up and the fans will spin and you will get no video no nothing other than a loud continous beep. Some boards will do nothing at all. You will push the button and get nothing.

 

[Happosaai]

The only power connectors on the water system are 4-pin molex and 3-pin fan connectors... I guess I could plug the PSU directly to the pump and test that way.

I'm using a bigwater 760 plus, and the video card is an EVGA GeForce 580 FTW Hydro Copper 2. The GPU block is pre-installed... really want to make sure there's no leaks there.

The Bigwater has been tested by itself for 12 hours and worked well by itself. Just want to add in the video card now to test.

 

[bucknutty]

why not use the paper clip trick to jump start the PSU. this will allow you test your loop and fans/pumps with out envolving any of the electronics like the mother boad or hds. If the water block does leak the video card will be off so it will not short and blow up.

Why not use nonconductive coolant instead of water?

 

[Happosaai]

why not use the paper clip trick to jump start the PSU. this will allow you test your loop and fans/pumps with out envolving any of the electronics like the mother boad or hds. If the water block does leak the video card will be off so it will not short and blow up.

Why not use nonconductive coolant instead of water?

I'm not familiar with the paperclip trick

As for the coolant liquid, I've got a bottle of the thermaltake propylene glycol, but wanna test with with water first so I can be sure there's no leaks.

 

[bucknutty]

Warrning this might be dangerous. I do it all the time but im sort of crazy.

Unplug the PSU from the wall and the mother board.
Make the paperclip into a u about the shape of you finger tip.
Look at the 24 pin connector and find the green wire.
Plug the paperclip into the green wire and any of the black wires on the same row of the 24 pin connector.
When you plug the PSU in to the wall it will it will turn on and power your fans and pumps.

There are a million guides out there on the web if you search jump start or jump test PSU with paperclip.

I actually did this to power my video card for about a week when my PSU burned out. I had one 350 running the the computer and one 350 jump started in this manor running just my GTX 470.

Yah that coolant is pricey good thinking to test with water... it would suck to waste it.

 

[bucknutty]

Dont die!

http://www.overclock.net/faqs/96712-how-jump-start-power-supply-psu.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Jump-Start-A-PSU/

http://forum.overclock3d.net/index.php?showtopic=394

 

[FinneousPJ]

Yeah that's what I was referring to. That's the correct way to fill a water cooling loop. Paperclip works but I recommend using a piece of wiring.

 

[Happosaai]

Dont die!

http://www.overclock.net/faqs/96712-how-jump-start-power-supply-psu.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Jump-Start-A-PSU/

http://forum.overclock3d.net/index.php?showtopic=394

Nice guides. I may give this a test, then

 

[Motopsychojdn]

**Yah that coolant is pricey good thinking to test with water... it would suck to waste it**
Distilled or de-ionised water ofc, not Tap
Moto

 

[neonneophyte]

just use distilled water

 

[Happosaai]

Sweet... everything but the CPU was delivered today about an hour ago. Have the PSU running with the paperclip trick (Thanks, Guys!), and the cpu block and video card hooked up to the Bigwater running very smoothly.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Happosaai]

Best answer selected by happosaai.

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Glad you got sorted man,
Moto