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Please help - newbie pc builder struggling - help!

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Anonymous   04-20-2002 at 10:01:42 PM

Hey all

Ok, I bit the bullet and went out and bought the following componants....

Asus P4T-E mobo
2 * 256 RIMM
2ghz P4 Intel CPU
Asus TI4600 Graphics Card
IBM 120GXP 60 gb hdd
A generic 300w case

I've put it all together (my first time) but it's not working!!! I'm miserable as hell cos I've spent all that cash and it's not bloody sodding working.

I switch it on - onboard LED lights up, all fans spin up, HDD spins up so powers good but nothing else happens. No beeps, nothing on the screen. It seems that power is good but logically nothing is happening. So, I have no idea where to start trying to fix it. A few points...

1) I'm using non-matched RIMMS (different manufacturer)
2) There's no fan installed - once it's working I'll put in the fan from my old machine.

Please give a newbie a few pointers. I am so sodding pissed off as I've spent loads of money with just a dead grey box to show for it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Kurt

I cannot be held responsible for anything posted here as my dog has learned to type.

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Zlash   04-20-2002 at 10:37:14 PM
- 0 +

Quote :

2) There's no fan installed - once it's working I'll put in the fan from my old machine.



What fan would that be?


<font color=red>:</font color=red> <font color=white>:</font color=white> <font color=blue>:</font color=blue>

Reply to Zlash
dhlucke   04-20-2002 at 10:43:55 PM
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Quote :

A generic 300w case, I'm using non-matched RIMMS (different manufacturer), There's no fan installed - once it's working I'll put in the fan from my old machine.



Are you using both generic memory and a generic powersupply?That might not be very good.

What fan?


<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red>

Reply to dhlucke
Anonymous   04-20-2002 at 10:56:55 PM
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Well, the fan would be an extremely generic fan until monday. That's the one thing I forgot to buy. All I want is to get it booting. Then I'll sort the fan. if the memory is totally unhappy, would that stop it getting to the bios display screen? At the moment it's just getting nowhere.

I've tried setting the multipler so that the CPU speed is low (like 1ghz) to see what happens but it's the same old problem.

Help!

I cannot be held responsible for anything posted here as my dog has learned to type.

Reply to Anonymous
Flamethrower205   04-20-2002 at 11:18:16 PM
- 0 +

Did you check ALL plugs? Also, is teh electricity on teh power supply set to teh right voltage? Furthermore, get a different PSU, 300W is just small. Hell, my system right now uses more than that.

Sig of the week.

Reply to Flamethrower205
lagger   04-20-2002 at 11:25:05 PM
- 0 +

I think the reason people keep asking about the fan is they want to know .. is it the cpu fan that you have not installed ?? if so this is a very bad thing !!
I suspect it might be the memory and possibly the vid card can you swap these with known quanities? i.e ones that work in a different machine ?

lagger

<b><font color=blue>Checking under my North<font color=red> AND</font color=red> South bridges for <font color=green>Trolls</font color=green></font color=blue>

Reply to lagger
OldBear   04-20-2002 at 11:26:16 PM
- 0 +

Quote :

Well, the fan would be an extremely generic fan until monday.



Which fan? Is it the HSF?



:smile: <b><font color=blue> I took an I.Q. test today...It came back negative.</font color=blue></b> :lol:

Reply to OldBear
dhlucke   04-20-2002 at 11:30:50 PM
- 0 +

Honestly, two random generic memory modules can do anything. Generic memory and powersupply should be avoided at all cost nowadays.

If you have access to a better powersupply, preferably a 400W name brand, I would try that.

If you have access to good memory, even if it's just one stick, I would try that. As a start, try to boot the machine with only one of the memory sticks, and then the other and see if you can get somewhere. That is assuming they don't have to be installed in pairs.

To even consider booting a PC with no fans is not a good idea. The heat might not ruin the CPU, but it sure might be overheating everything else.

<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red>

Reply to dhlucke
Anonymous   04-21-2002 at 12:03:56 AM
- 0 +

Hey all

Thanks for your help so far. I've tried booting with no memory installed at all and still get nothing on the screen, monitor light stays amber. Getting rather miffed.

I know lack of fan is a bad idea, I'm just trying to get it booting. It's not on for more than 30 secs at a time.

The memory has to be installed in matched pairs (rimm) so I can't play around with the config. I'm still stumped and pissed off as hell.

Well, I've spent serious amounts of cash on a beige paper weight. Bummer.

I cannot be held responsible for anything posted here as my dog has learned to type.

Reply to Anonymous
mbetea   04-21-2002 at 12:13:17 AM
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i do hope you have a heatsink at least on there? i wouldn't know why if you're going to go out and buy all new parts, you can't splurge $20 more or so and get a hsf. also i thought that board will not boot up without a fan connected to the cpu_fan header?

[insert philosophical statement here]

Reply to mbetea
Toejam31   04-21-2002 at 01:10:22 AM
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Did you install C-RIMMS in the empty memory slots?

The obvious problem is that there is no display after you add power. Try reseating the video card several times, and make sure that none of the pins on the monitor cable connector are bent.

Toejam31

<font color=red>My Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=6847" target="_new"><font color=green>Toejam31's Tantalizing Tantric Toy</font color=green></A>
<font color=red>Second Rig:</font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=15942" target="_new"><font color=green>Toey's Dynamite DDR Duron</font color=green></A>
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Reply to Toejam31
FUGGER   04-21-2002 at 01:18:54 AM
- 0 +

On the P4T-E you have to install 1 stick in each pair of slots. so you will have one above the CPU and one next to the CPU. You will also need to fill the empty slots with the 2 continuity chips that came with the motherboard, they look like RAM (without the chips) but fit in the same socket. these will go in socket farthest from the CPU.

The RAM chips must be the same size, like a pair of 64's or a pair of 128's. you cannot match a 64 with a 128 that I know of other than the P3D series of motherboards.

I have a P4T-E and that is what works for me.

You are limited to what your mind can perceive.

Reply to FUGGER
Anonymous   04-21-2002 at 11:23:15 AM
- 0 +

Hey all

Thanks again for your help so far.

It seems I may have made a mistake buying a generic case with only 300w psu. My case it not too heavily loaded though - 1hdd, 1 cdrom and that's basically it.

I read up on memory before installing it and I have installed it right, ie both banks identical, crimm modules in empty slots, etc. I know I've got that part if it right.

I'm wondering if it is because there no fan connected to the motherboard. A previous poster says that if there's no case fan attached it will refuse to boot. Is that the case? If that's a definite yes then that'll be it. I can't find any info on the Asus web site about it.

*sigh*

I cannot be held responsible for anything posted here as my dog has learned to type.

Reply to Anonymous
mbetea   04-21-2002 at 12:26:57 PM
- 0 +

i'm not 100% on this particular board. fugger could probably say for sure since he has it. i know there are mobos that are like that-- will not boot unless a fan is connected.

[insert philosophical statement here]

Reply to mbetea
FUGGER   04-22-2002 at 01:10:25 AM
- 0 +

Your machine will boot without any fans installed on the fan headers.

The P4 is not capable of self destruction in the socket like AMD.

I have used many generic PSU's and they work fine, unlike AMD systems that draw more juice than they want to claim.

Disconnect your CDROM and hard drive, does your system boot? with no deivices attached it better boot or it is not your PSU. I cannot say that for sure but it will eliminate that as a factor.. or your PSU is completely dead.

Make sure you have the jumpers from the case to the mobo correct. that would also prevent your machine from firing up. No polarity on the powerswitch connector but if it is on the wrong pins your machine will never start up.

You are limited to what your mind can perceive.

Reply to FUGGER
svol   04-22-2002 at 05:56:16 PM
- 0 +

You must have a heastink and fan installed on the CPU to get it properly working. The P4 has a temp control in it which may prevent to boot it without heatsink.
Also try if resetting the BIOS helps.
I would recommed a stronger PSU, because the GeForce4 drains a lot of power.

<b>THGC:</b> before: :frown: :eek: , after: :smile: :cool: .

Reply to svol
FatBurger   04-22-2002 at 09:37:23 PM
- 0 +

Did you attach a heatsink (large piece of metal that sits on top of the CPU)? If not, then that's your problem.

<font color=blue>If you don't buy Windows, then the terrorists have already won!</font color=blue> - Microsoft

Reply to FatBurger
Anonymous   04-24-2002 at 12:56:18 PM
- 0 +

Hey all

Problem solved - it was the memory. They told me unmatched pairs would work - they didn't. Swapped it for decent matched Samsung Rimms and booted first time.

Puzzled though - the mobo manual says that if there's no memory present or detected it beeps 3 or 4 times - that implies to me that it should boot with no memory - I took out all the memory, tried again and it still wouldn't boot, hence me thinking that the memory was not the problem.

Anyway, I've gone out and bought a decent case fan and am looking for a a fan for the front (that fits in a drive bay). Am also looking to upgrade my PSU.

End of story. Thanks all for your help, I really appreciate it.

I cannot be held responsible for anything posted here as my dog has learned to type.

Reply to Anonymous
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