Entirely New Build - Won't stay on; Worried it's the liquid cooling

[jsorensen]

This is my first build, all parts are brand new. I installed everything (realized after a bit of reading that maybe I shouldn't have). I have a computer toolkit, had my anti-static band on every moment with the parts.

When I turn it on, lights come on (LED's on the front fan and PSU, and the power indicators, including on the mobo itself) most fans turn on, for about 10 seconds. Then everything powers back down and off (not a hard shutoff like when you lose power); then it resets and does it all again. Nothing comes on the monitor (light stays orange) and it never makes it to bios. It does not make any beeps.

Parts installed:
CPU - Intel i5 2600k
Motherboard - MSI Z77A-GD55
RAM - Corsair 16GB (2x8) DDR3 XMS3
CPU cooler - Corsair H100 Liquid Cooling*
Video Card - MSI N550GTX Ti, 1GB GDDR5
Power Supply - Corsair GS800W
Hard drive(s) - Corsair Force Series 120GB SSD
Case - Cooler Master CM690 Advanced II
LG Super Multi Blu-ray drive

Of note, the H100 comes with two fans, one of which I plugged into the CPU slot. The other one, plugged directly into the cooler, is the only thing that does not turn on in at least 3 of the 4 fan slots. Also, the mobo has LED lights that indicate the power flow to the CPU - these all fully light up as they should.

I've double-checked everything on this thread http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems, in order, except for the breadboarding - I don't have time to do something like that until Sunday and I don't know what qualifies as an insulated surface.

Also, I did not install the heat sink, since I bought the H100, and I'm wondering if that isn't the problem.

Looking for any help or hints, before I take it all apart again on Sunday. Thank you for your time.

 

[manofchalk]

Breadboarding is probably what you need to do. An insulated surface is anything that wont conduct electricity (a wood table, the box the mobo came in, a rubber mat). Did you install brass standoffs (screws which other screws can fit into) inside the case before putting the mobo in? They are to prevent short circuits.

Just run through that threads instructions again with the mobo outside the case and on an insulated surface.

 

[jsorensen]

I think I found the problem while disassembling it again...on the ATX 24-pin connector, there is actually an empty spot - there is no metal round or wire going to that spot. The mobo user guide says it should be "17. Ground".

Is this a defect (should it have a wire and pin slot)?

*Edit - Searched for images, and found some with that exact spot empty, and others with no empty spots. Genuinely interested, even if it's not the problem.

 

[jsorensen]

1. Took out everything except the mobo, the liquid cooling, and the psu. One of the 2 pins in the molex connector got pushed out the back, that's why the liquid cooling wasn't working. Got 3 long beeps, still resetting.

2. Put in one stick of RAM in the DIMM1 slot (per mobo guide). Still got 3 long beeps and resetting.

3. Exchanged the other stick of RAM, DIMM1 slot. No beeps, still resetting.

If you get the long beeps, add a stick of RAM. Boot. The beep pattern should change to one long and two or three short beeps. Silence indicates that the RAM is shorting out the PSU (very rare). Long single beeps indicates that the BIOS does not recognize the presence of the RAM.

Does this mean one of the RAM is shorting the PSU and the other is faulty/DOA? Is the problem the RAM, or the PSU?