[SOLVED] Newly built PC does not POST

[Peronix]

I've got it working. Installing windows now. Thanks for the help.

 

I solved the problem. The ONE thing I didn't try: someone said that AMD's stock fans put too much pressure on the CPU. So I unlocked and unhinged it, just let it rest on the CPU, then turned it on. I got a different beep code indicating no video card... so I plugged that in, and BAM, it passes POST.

 

BRB going to electronics store to get an AM3 compatible fan to replace this crappy one.

 

 

Mobo: Asus M4A89TD PRO Series

CPU: AMD Phenom II Black Edition 1100T x6

GPU: Msi R6950 Twin Frozr II

PSU: Corsair HX850w

Memory: Patriot DDR3 8gb, two 4gb sticks 1600 MHz

Case: Coolermaster HafX full tower

 

The PC turns on, but it does not beep to indicate it passing POST and nothing appears on the screen. GPU, CPU and all case fans turn on. This specific motherboard has LEDs next to components. The one next to the CPU blinks twice, then the one near the memory blinks once, and that just repeats endlessly. Holding down the MEMOK button next to that LED causes the LED to blink a bunch of times for a while before it goes back to what it was doing previously and nothing happens, not even on reboot. There's also a red LED lit on my GPU...

 

Tried reinstalling the memory, GPU, and CPU. Memory is in the slots recommended by the mobo's manual. With no memory installed, I get one long beep and two beeps - with one or two sticks installed, in any slot, no beeping at all. No error beeps when the GPU is not installed. Tried resetting CMOS. I made sure all power cords were correctly inserted on motherboard and GPU. No loose screws/wires anywhere. Worked on an insulated surface and I was grounded.

 

BIOS version is 2001 so my CPU should be supported by the motherboard. As far as I can tell the memory should be compatible as I've seen people with the same memory/mobo combo. As for the GPU I can't figure out what the red LED means.

 

If anyone could help that would be great because I'm running out of ideas as to what it could be. I hope none of the parts are DOA but it's possible I guess...

[Sy_Accursed]

Does the mobo have onboard graphics? If so odds are its outputting to the onboard graphics and you need to hook the monitor up to that until you get into bios and tell it to initiate pci display first.

[Peronix]

From what I can tell, no. But I think it would beep even without a properly installed display, wouldn't it?

[Sy_Accursed]

Not all mobos have a post-beep, I've not had one with tht for years.

Error beeps yes, but post-beeps not so much; you certain yours has a post beep?

 

As for onbaord graphics: Does it have a graphics socket on the backpanel? (obv excluding the graphics card ones) [can be any type vga, hdmi etc.]

[Askthedude]

The LED's are error lights, look through your motherboard manuall and find out what they mean.

Do any fans in your case light up? If not it's probably a PSU problem, if they do you can rule that out and move onto a minimal setup, 1 RAM stick in slot 1, CPU, onboard graphics, etc and try to rule out parts.

[Peronix]

Well I found this in the manual: one short beep (the usual beep I've heard on all my previous PCs booting up) means VGA detected, quick boot set to disabled, or no keyboard detected. Nothing saying that one beep means it passed POST, so it could very well have passed, IDK.

 

There are no VGA or HDMI slots on the back of the mobo. I guess I could try connecting my old PC's VGA card, if that would help.

[Sy_Accursed]

In that case I'd follow up on what askthedude said.

Check the manual for what ur error lights mean.

 

And disconnect everything other than the gpu (since u lack onbaord graphics) 1 stick of ram and cpu and see if u can get it too boot, then try 1 thing at a time.

If it won't boot with jsut gpu and 1 ram stick then you got problems, most probably incompatible ram or gpu.

[Peronix]

Nevermind on the GPU light thing, I forgot to plug the PCI-E cables back into the GPU after I reinstalled it the first time. Still have the exact same problem, just no more red light on the GPU.

 

As for the mobo lights, there is no definitive guide in the manual explaining the lights. It just says "if an error is found, the LED next to the error device will continue lighting until the problem is solved". Nothing about number or sequence of blinks...

 

Both CPU and memory models are specifically listed as compatible on the Motherboard's webpage. Even if the memory was initially incompatible, the manual says the MemOK button should set the motherboard to the safest possible settings to allow you to boot the PC and set the correct voltage settings in the BIOS.

[Sy_Accursed]

So anything a light blinks beside is in error and you have reseated it all and made sure its all firmly pushed in and wired up etc and you still have lights by most componenets

 

Sounding like you might have a DOA mobo that just doesn't work.

[Lord Diddy]

A good place to start is from scratch. Take out all extra components, everything but the bare minimum. Take out all the ram, remove the video card, any cables leading to other peripherals or components. All you should have is the motherboard, a CPU with a working heatsink+fan, and the PSU, and of course the monitor keyboard and mouse. Check are all the fans running at maximum speed when you try to boot?

 

I've solved a lot of headache producing problems starting from scratch and adding a since component at a time to pin point the problem. Also could be the case short-circuiting the board, but that's rare. You should try taking out the mobo and testing outside of case if all else fails.

[Guy]

A good place to start is from scratch. Take out all extra components, everything but the bare minimum. Take out all the ram, remove the video card, any cables leading to other peripherals or components. All you should have is the motherboard, a CPU with a working heatsink+fan, and the PSU, and of course the monitor keyboard and mouse. Check are all the fans running at maximum speed when you try to boot?

 

I've solved a lot of headache producing problems starting from scratch and adding a since component at a time to pin point the problem. Also could be the case short-circuiting the board, but that's rare. You should try taking out the mobo and testing outside of case if all else fails.

 

This sounds good. I would just go full out and take the case out of the equation completely, run the motherboard on a piece of foam that came with it or something. Did you install the headers and such? Is the CPU power plugged in?

[Peronix]

I've checked and double checked everything on this guide: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-boot-video-problems

 

Only thing I've yet to do is breadboard it. I guess that'll be my next step.

[Peronix]

Well [bleep]. I've taken the motherboard out of the case, all I've got on the board is memory, CPU, and the headers from the case so I can turn it on, and of course the two power supplies. It's still not passing POST. The problem is it could either be the Motherboard or the CPU (very very much doubt it's the RAM). Which do I RMA? I wish I had another known working AMD CPU so I could properly test it.

[Lord Diddy]

Its significantly more likely that the the motherboard is DOA. At this point i think you've concluded that there is something wrong with the mobo, especially with the bare minimum boot and outside of case.

 

Hopefully they would send you a new one.

[Peronix]

I would think it's the mobo, except I've been reading through lots of threads on the internet about people with the exct same mobo and they RMA'd the mobo, sometimes multiple times, and found it was something else, like a bad CPU. That was the case on one particular thread where it was the exact same mobo and CPU, with the exact same lights coming on and it ended up being the CPU. So I can't rule that out just yet.

[Sy_Accursed]

I would think it's the mobo, except I've been reading through lots of threads on the internet about people with the exct same mobo and they RMA'd the mobo, sometimes multiple times, and found it was something else, like a bad CPU. That was the case on one particular thread where it was the exact same mobo and CPU, with the exact same lights coming on and it ended up being the CPU. So I can't rule that out just yet.

 

Based on the evidence its most likely a dead mobo.

As there's no steps left OTHER than RMAing stuff you need to RMA the mobo.

 

If they find nothing with that THEN look at the less likely options such as a DOA CPU.

 

DOA Mobo's are quite common because they are pretty dam fragile compared to other computer parts; the slightest solder overrun, or slightest too thin track or static or a crystal that is over/under charged and it can be DOA

[Peronix]

I solved the problem. The ONE thing I didn't try: someone said that AMD's stock fans put too much pressure on the CPU. So I unlocked and unhinged it, just let it rest on the CPU, then turned it on. I got a different beep code indicating no video card... so I plugged that in, and BAM, it passes POST.

 

BRB going to electronics store to get an AM3 compatible fan to replace this crappy one.