APU Build: Will not post/boot

[slyu9213]

Summary: A10 6790K + Motherboard + PSU = Not Posting/A4 4000 + Motherboard + PSU = Posting Successfully

So I've been talking about building an APU build for a few weeks now. I finally got it together a day or two ago. A quick description of the problem is that the computer will not post with the APU I want to use. Here is the general specs of the current components.

CPU: AMD A10-6790K (Backup: AMD A4-4000)
Motherboard: Gigabyte F2A88XM-D3H
RAM: Corsair XMS3 4GBX2 @ 1333MHz or 1600MHz
HDD: Western Digital 160GB 5400RPM 2.5" HDD
HSF: OEM AMD
Case: Cooler Master N200
Fans: Cooler Master 120mm x 5
Power Supply: Antec 300W

General information...

Motherboard is new while both APU are second hand products. Power supply is very old (8+ years as it was used in an old Dell with a Pentium 4). 8GB of RAM is from another working build (Phenom II x6). Hard drive is from a working laptop. Case and Fans are new, Heatsink & Fan are new.

As you probably would know the APU that I wished to use is the A10-6790K. This is the one that is also the one that is not working properly. I tested out my hardware for the first time around 4 days ago. My motherboard is a M-ATX so I put it in a old M-ATX case. I used the 300W power supply to the motherboard (20 pin for motherboard and 4 pin for CPU). After that I attached the HSF to the APU/Motherboard. Nothing else was connected to the motherboard or power supply. When I turned the system on it powered on in which the fans began to spin. But it did not make any sort of beep. I'm not sure if I ever tested it without any RAM sticks inserted. Next thing I read up on the compatibility of the particular motherboard and CPU. While most FM2 APUs are compatible with mine out of the box I learned that the A10-6790K needed an update of the BIOS. Because the computer would not boot to the BIOS I bought the backup A4-4000 online.

After the backup APU arrived I tested the system again. Well the computer successfully booted to the BIOS. Surprisingly the motherboard already had the F4 BIOS which was needed to run the 6970K. Anway, I update the BIOS anyway to the latest F6a Beta BIOS. Then I tried booting with the 6790K again but yet again no beep, no post, no video to the monitor.

From my limited knowledge and testing I believe the culprit is either the 6970K APU or Power Supply. The motherboard works as it was tested and now currently runs Windows 8 with the A4-4000 APU. As I mentioned previously the power supply could be 10+ years old I'm not sure how old really. It only has a 20 pin and 4 pin plug instead of a 24 pin and 8 pin. It may be that the power supply is to weak and old to power the 100W A10-6790K that runs pretty hot at stock clocks (even compared to the 6800K). The other culprit is the A10-6790K APU itself. As I said it's a second hand purchase bought for a very cheap price. That could easily mean it had a problem before I bought it. It could also work perfectly fine but was sold because the seller did not know what was the issue of his computer.

Could lack of power/correct voltage from the power supply make a high wattage CPU not post? I didn't really double check the connection on plugs, RAM, CPU, Fan but I always make sure they are firmly plugged in before testing. I'm already expecting the worse (the APU being a dud) but I wan't to do everything I can to test it out. The memory sticks have been working and did not have any errors when being used on a different computer. They even work with the A4-4000.

I will be trying breadboarding (putting together the components outside of the case on-top of a non conductive surface. I will also try resetting the CMOS while making sure everything is placed correctly. I do not think there is any bent pins as there was no resistance putting the APU in but I will be double checking. I bookmarked the stickied thread of troubleshooting a non-posting computer so I will be following that.

I wish I could find previous threads with people who were in the exact same situation. The ones I have read so far had to do with loose CPU fitting/RAM fitting. Most are unanswered.

.:Update:.

APUs are so confusing. I forgot to mention that with the 6790K I did try putting in a discrete video card in but I believe it failed to post.

 

[AlbusDlx]

In my quest for 5GHz I learned the hard way that there are not enough power left on my motherboard to reach it. In my case I would power on the pc. It beeped, then it just died. Powered off completely. I would think the first APU was dead. But maby not and you are lucky that it only was a shortage of power.

 

[lobaman]

What is the exact model of the cpu which wont post?

 

[slyu9213]

What is the exact model of the cpu which wont post?

To be exact it's an A10-6790K. I have read it runs really hot even compared to the better/higher 6800K so it probably eat's more power too.

@AlbusDlx

Well both processors are second hand purchases. The seller said he did not overclock but he could have been lying to get it off his hands for all I know. I was going to use one of the 550W power supplies to check if that would fix the issue but I realized that I just ran out of thermal paste/compound so I can't try until I buy some. Most likely I'll buy the thermal paste when buying my power supply.

 

[lobaman]

Your motherboard fully supports that cpu since you have the latest bios, I don't think it being 100watts would cause your 300w psu to not handle it. You should hook up your 550w to the motherboard and see if it will work, if that doesn't work then I think it's safe to say it's dead.

 

[AlbusDlx]

Got this from another post on another forum:

ASSUME ALL PARTS ARE WORKING.

because the mobo did not issue its ONE beep or any other, that means the cpu is NOT running.
however if the ON button Started the pc then thats a good thing.........

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130119010051AA2Mzee

 

[slyu9213]

Thanks for that. As I wait for other replies I will buy some thermal compound at Best Buy or the local Computer Store and then test the 6790K again on the 550W power supply I have in a Media Center/Server Desktop. I plan on doing a full trouble shoot over the weekend. Hopefully more people can chime in.

 

[AlbusDlx]

Any luck?

 

[slyu9213]

Any luck?

Well no positive luck. I'm basically pretty much sure that the A10-6790K is dead. After buying new thermal paste and an anti static wrist band, I switched the 300W power supply with the 550W in another computer. After bread boarding, reseting CMOS, reseating CPU It still did not post. No beep noises (or lights I believe.) So I basically decided that there is no use.

I'm just going to stick with the A4-4000 until the last supported APU/CPU is released for the FM2+ (maybe it will be the excavator cores) Until then I will just use the 550W PSU too. Once excavators or a 6-8 Core APU (w/o IGP) I will get a fully modular PSU that is 650W+, A OS SSD, 2TB-4TB HDD, 240mm Closed loop Watercooler, and a mid range AMD GPU around then also..

 

[AlbusDlx]

Ok. Then my answer in your poll was correct. Thats a shame. Was kind of hoping I would be wrong. Big diff between a A10 and an A4.

I too am waiting for the excavator. Still, I really really hope that AMD will release a performance CPU chip as replacement for the Piledriver 8 core Im using now. Since it seems steamroller only will roll out in APU or Server chip form.

 

[lobaman]

Choose a answer and close the thread

 

[slyu9213]

Choose a answer and close the thread

I will decide when to choose an appropriate answer, and there is no need to close a thread when it can just die by becoming old (I don't even know how to close a thread here) Anyway I believe that the this is a discussion thread and not a question thread so there is no answer to be chosen. Just best to not comment on it anymore.