Need Help: Self-assembled PC not booting up.

[hydra]

Since I was able to take my Music PC apart and put it back together myself when I had to get my motherboard replaced, I thought I'd try my hand at building a PC myself the next time I needed a PC.

Now, I need a PC in office as a backup to my regular PC, for 24/7 duty, and for future duty as a music and movie PC at work (scaled upgrades soon heh, heh). So I bought the kit, and had a go at it today.

This is the configuration:



Mobo: Asus P8H67-M LE
Processor: Intel Core i3 2100
RAM: Gskill DDR3 1333mhz, 4GB x 2 sticks
PSU: Corsair CX430 V2
HDD: 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm
Cabinet: Coolermaster Elite 360
ODD: None.

I got the whole shebang together without any trouble.





The problem is that the PC does not boot Nothing turns on, the fans don't start, it makes no beeps or protests, nothing.

- I tried swapping the power supply with my main PC's power supply. No go. I tried plugging in power directly from the wall outlet (in case the PSU has an issue with my APC UPS). Still no go. The motherboard is receiving power for sure, as a green LED lights up on the motherboard.

- I tried using only one RAM stick at a time, and tried each stick individually in each of the two RAM slots. All possible combinations were tried. No go. The motherboard has a function that will fix all RAM issues anyway.

- I made sure the HDD works by connecting it to my main PC. The HDD is ok.

- I removed ALL connections and connected everything back together again. No go.

- I knew this would make no difference, but I cleared the RTC memory by changing the jumper settings for a bit. No go.

What else do I need to try? I'd be very grateful for suggestions!

Is there some way if I can find out if the motherboard or the processor are faulty?

In addition to the troubleshooting help, I was also wondering about the following:
I actually removed the heatsink from the processor and motherboard once and put it back in. I don't have any thermal paste with me, so I couldn't put any on when I put the heatsink back on. Do I need to put any on? DO I need to scrape off what thermal paste (stock stuff that came on the heatsink itself) has been applied already? How do I do that?

PS: The coming few days are a going to be hectic for me (personally and at work), so even if I don't reply immediately to posts, please keep the suggestions coming. I will definitely try them all out tomorrow whenever I get a break from work, and post results as soon as I can.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

1) Does CPU Fan Rotates?
2) Is there any display at all in monitor?
3) Can you see the HDD LED glowing?

 

[thatguy]

The only thing I will check is if the system panel connectors (esp power and reset) are connected properly. Beyond that, I would take the MOBO/CPU back to the dealer I bought it from and have him check it.

MY CPU once got burnt because the MOBO I bought was faulty. Intel's warranty refused to cover it. Don't try too many things if this is your first build.

Do I need to put any on? DO I need to scrape off what thermal paste (stock stuff that came on the heatsink itself) has been applied already?

Yes to both if the heatsink had been on the CPU for long.

How do I do that?

Wipe it off with a rag.

 

[charanbee]

The SMPS is the initial start off point, if that is getting no power then it might be a wiring issue within the unit. Use a tester and check if there is a voltage at all the connection points.

Also this might sound silly, but did you check if the CPU has a seperate power ON/OFF switch. Most of them do.

 

[Kannan_madhu]

Check the power cables to mother board some times there will be an additional square connector , Also the check weather you have plugged properly the power on switch connector from cabinet to motherboard .

 

[hydra]

Thanks for the quick responses guys!

1) Does CPU Fan Rotates?
2) Is there any display at all in monitor?
3) Can you see the HDD LED glowing?

1. No. It doesn't.
2. Not at all. The PC doesn't even power on and give the turn-on beep.
3. No, the HDD does not come on. The Power LED & HDD LED don't light up.

The only thing I will check is if the system panel connectors (esp power and reset) are connected properly. Beyond that, I would take the MOBO/CPU back to the dealer I bought it from and have him check it.

MY CPU once got burnt because the MOBO I bought was faulty. Intel's warranty refused to cover it. Don't try too many things if this is your first build.

Yup. That is an issue. I'll be careful for sure. This is my first 100% new build, but I've been swapping out parts in PCs and troubleshooting them for years now. I've actually changed every part of a PC over time, but this is my first build of a motherboard-processor combo from scratch. My Music PC was redone from scratch, but that had built-in processor.

Everything was bought online from theitdepot and deltapage so I'll need to get them replaced with the local company-reps in my city myself. This is what I hate about buying online

Yes to both if the heatsink had been on the CPU for long.

Wipe it off with a rag.

That simple, eh? The heatsink had been installed on the processor for just about an hour before I took it off. I put it back on in about 2-3 minutes. So I guess I don;t need to worry about the thermal compound as yet.

The SMPS is the initial start off point, if that is getting no power then it might be a wiring issue within the unit. Use a tester and check if there is a voltage at all the connection points.

Also this might sound silly, but did you check if the CPU has a seperate power ON/OFF switch. Most of them do.

I don't have access to a tester, but will try and see if any friends here have one.

Heh heh, yup, I tried the power on/off switch on the PSU and the Cabinet. I even swapped the new PSU out for another one that works. The motherboard is getting power for sure. the power LED indicator on the motherboard (internal) glows when the PSU is turned on.

Check the power cables to mother board some times there will be an additional square connector , Also the check weather you have plugged properly the power on switch connector from cabinet to motherboard .

Tried them all. The mobo does have a 8-pin power connector in addition to the 24-pin connector. All of the required connectors have been plugged into the mobo.

The cabinet's power, reset buttons and the power & HDD activity leads have also been plugged in.

 

[thatguy]

That simple, eh? The heatsink had been installed on the processor for just about an hour before I took it off. I put it back on in about 2-3 minutes. So I guess I don;t need to worry about the thermal compound as yet.

Let me qualify that before someone starts flaming

Thermal paste hardens with time. So if you are looking at an old installation you might have to use some non corrosive solvent (isopropyl alcohol) that does not leave a residue. A lint free cloth would be nice if you want to do it the right way.

If you removed and attached the heatsink within an hour of installing it, you should be ok. Air pockets are the enemy of heat transfer. So as long as the paste is spread evenly there should be no problem.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

I think u need to visit the shop where mobo and CPU is bought and had it checked right away.

 

[mikehcm]

Try this out, i'm not sure this will work, disconnect the power cables coming from the cabinet to the motherboard, use a tester and touch the power pins together in the mobo, this will ensure the power switch on the cabinet is good.

 

[reignofchaos]

Looks like a dead board. Did you connect a speaker? Does it make any beeping noises?

 

[thatguy]

In addition to what ROC said (yes, cases do not come with speakers these days; If you haven't attached speakers, there would be no beep), check for memory compatibility. Your board has a 'Mem Ok' button, which can be used for memory debugging.

 

[sam9s]

before I pore in my suggestions .......

1. Disconnect every single connection form MOBO... even RAM
2. Pull out the mobo from the case ..... and put it on the bed/table ....(IMP .make sure its unscrewed and lying naked on bed ....without any connections or RAM)
3. Just connect the 24 PIN ATX power connector on mobo AND
4. 8 pin ATX connector on mobo
5. lastly connect CPU fan on mobo

(Assuming that your CPU and its fan are still fitted to the board)

Now look at this diagram .... that is where you are connecting the power button wire ...... make sure you are connecting this correctly. the connections are going Horizontally not vertically .....(IMP)

DO you see POWER and GROUND (Horizontal not vertical) in the diagram, when all the 3 connections are connected just short these two pins (power and ground) with a coin or a key. Again (Horizontal not vertical)

Your CPU fan should start .

Power off the machine (by switching off the PSU or plug out the mains....either way)

Now connect the display via VGA, not changing anything, power on the sys, again shorting the pins

The cpu fan should start and you should see something on the display ....... its irrelevant ATM what do you see. If you get the display, thats all
we want right now ....

If this succeed we shall proceed further ...

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Here's some thoughts about the cabinet/panel.

There could be faults there.

1. Disconnect the reset button. Imagine a stuck reset button!

2. Disconnect the power lights and hdd lights. Probably wouldn't make a difference even if they were faulty, but hey, give it a try!

3. The one that matters the most: does the cabinet power button actually work? How test it? I don't know: I guess it simply makes a contact when pressed, so continuity across it, disconnected from the MB, when pressed should do it.

I'm hesitant to suggest simulating pressing that button, because I am absolutely not a hardware engineer. In fact I'd advise against it!

Have you tried... getting someone else to independently check all the connections? It is like proof-reading; sometimes you just cannot see your own mistake, even when you repeat it. Make sure the polarity of the panel connections is correct. My hdd indicator: the manual said the polarity didn't matter, in practice, it did.

Then, check, that nothing is connected that should not be connected. Of which, the only example I think, offhand, would be the reset jumper, which [usually, check your manual] should not be jumpered.

Hey ho... we do all this stuff, with hope in our hearts and ...end up taking the thing back to the shop. It is so frustrating.

sam9s... I think you know a lot more about hardware than I do. Can you confirm that the CPU+fan should be fitted for this test?

 

[gobble]

There is usually one more square 4 pin power connector on the mobo next to the cpu. Is it plugged in? Is the wiring from chassis power switch inserted with correct polarity into the mobo header pins?

--G0bble

 

[sam9s]

sam9s... I think you know a lot more about hardware than I do. Can you confirm that the CPU+fan should be fitted for this test?

Yes CPU fan should be connected, that the bare bone indication that Mobo (CPU to be precise) is receiving power, via 8 PIN.

 

[sam9s]

There is usually one more square 4 pin power connector on the mobo next to the cpu. Is it plugged in? Is the wiring from chassis power switch inserted with correct polarity into the mobo header pins?

--G0bble

Thats the 8 PIN ATX 12V I am talking about. 4 Pin used to be in older boards .... and chassis power switch does not need to be connected per the polarity. All the switch does is shorten the pins ....

 

[vaibhavyagnik]

check the components individually
1. Google for check computer SMPS. You will have to remove all connections from motherboard, connect a fan to the power supply (molex connector) then short the green and any black wire on 24 pin ATX connector. Fan and PSU fan should start.
2. Check motherboard by removing from cabinet, connecting with PSU that you told was working, short the Power pins on the motherboard momentarily. All Fans should start.
3. You could also take the new CX430 and use it in existing computer to see if it works

 

[Audiodoc]

On going through all the trouble shooting advice you have got, the differential diagnosis on the bases of severity are.

1. A bad power on switch. Just short the pins on the motherboard after connecting all the power connectors and CPU fan. The fan should start and some motherboard LED should light up.

2. A bad power cord to the SMPS. Not a rare diagnosis.

3. A bad SMPS. Replace. Open it later to power a DIY chip amplifier.

4. A bad motherboard. Get it replaced.

Hope the treatment helps.

 

[sudhishkv]

Usually SMPS has a separate power switch. Is it on?

 

[hydra]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I think u need to visit the shop where mobo and CPU is bought and had it checked right away.

I bought all of it online. It does look like I'll need to be patient enough to go though the RMA process for the mobo or the processor. I don't think I'll be able to give the stuff for RMA for at least another two weeks

Try this out, i'm not sure this will work, disconnect the power cables coming from the cabinet to the motherboard, use a tester and touch the power pins together in the mobo, this will ensure the power switch on the cabinet is good.

I did read about this online. I think I will try it out, along with the suggestions sam9s has made.

Looks like a dead board. Did you connect a speaker? Does it make any beeping noises?

In addition to what ROC said (yes, cases do not come with speakers these days; If you haven't attached speakers, there would be no beep), check for memory compatibility. Your board has a 'Mem Ok' button, which can be used for memory debugging.

The cabinet did come with a tiny speaker (not fixed in the cabinet). I have connected it to the mobo's speaker connector. I doesn't make sounds while pressing the power button.

@thatguy, as you said, the board has a function that lets all memory be used with it. In any case, I think the machine should boot up into BIOS first before the memory incompatibility is shown and debugged. The MemOK button is to be pressed after this. Also, in case of incompatibility, the RAM LED will flash. This is not happening.

@roc, the power LED on the mobo does light up. But then the problem could be downstream of the board.

@sam9s, @thad and @vaibhavyagnik, thank you for the detailed suggestions. I will try them out as soon as I can.

@thad & @audiodoc, I suspect the power button on the cabinet too. I think I will be eliminate that after I try shorting the mobo's power ins.

@audiodoc, an LED does light up in the motherboard as soon as the power is turned on. The same problems are shown when I tried the PC with another SMPS. So I think the SMPS is OK. As vaibhavyagnik has suggested, I will try the Corsair SMPS (in the problem-PC) with my main PC, so that I can eliminate the SMPS. I eliminated issues with the power cord by swapping out the power cord (I've had trouble with a power cord before).

@gobble, checked all those. No problems there.

@sudhishkv, yes, I made sure the SMPS's power switch is on.

Guys, is there some way I can find out if the problem is with the processor, and not the board?