Couple of Questions

Shane O' Malley

Hi,

I have assembled a new build which is not starting up.

Before i go down the wrong road can you tell me if:

1. Should the PSU fan start even if there is a problem further down the line.
2. Would the fact that there is no ram installed yet stop everything or should i get some activity and bleeps.

Thanks

Shane

game4it70

hi.if there is no ram detected you will hear bleeps.mobo website or manual will explain about what the bleeps mean and relate to. if psu is connected to mobo correctly fan will come on.

Shane O' Malley

Not getting any bleeps or any activity from the motherboard, but i thought i would at least see the fan on the psu come on.

Would that indicate a problem with the psu?

Conar

Not neccesarily true.
Does the PSU fan start to spin even for a split second?
If so I finds that the system board can be the cause.
If it doesn't start to spin at all then time to try a new PSU or perhaps get the voltmeter out.

EDIT.
Sorry missed your reply.
Yeah sounds like the PSU so.

game4it70

sounds like its not connected properly.is it new?

Shane O' Malley

PSU fan does'nt start spin at all.

Don't have a voltameter. And haven't built a computer since 486 time.

If PSU is not connected to anything on the motherboard, should it start (IE nothing wrongly connected to short it)?

Conar

Just out of interest which board are you using?
Are you aware that an aditional 4 pin power cable is often required these days?

Shane O' Malley

Using a MSI P965 Neo.

Have connected up the 24 pin Motherboard power supply and the power for the CPU.

Conar

Shane O' Malley wrote:

PSU fan does'nt start spin at all.

Don't have a voltameter. And haven't built a computer since 486 time.

If PSU is not connected to anything on the motherboard, should it start (IE nothing wrongly connected to short it)?

No, it needs the power on signal from the mainboard AFAIK

game4it70

if its not connected 2 mobo u can't turn it on 2 my limited knowledge.

Conar

Handy site to look at while I check out your MOBO

http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm

Conar

OK just noticed you say that you connected your 4 pin CPU power.
Thought it might have been that.

You say that you used the 24 pin cable. Often the 4 pins at the end can be removed to make the 24 pin cable a 20 pin cable.
Have you tried it with just the 20 and/or made sure that the (often) detachable 4 pins are making a solid connection?

game4it70

good link

Conar

I don't mean to sound condescending here, but you definitely have connected the Power on, reset cables etc from the chassis to the mainboard yeah?

game4it70

lol.i wanted 2 ask that but had not got the heart too

Shane O' Malley

OK,

I have check the 24 pin connector and tried it with just 20 pins. No change.

Good contact.

However i did notice that the LED on the power switch flashed when i turned it on and also when i turned it off.

Maybe wrong connection between power switch and mobo (So it will not switch on)?

Going to check polarity

Shane O' Malley

Found it.

The wires on the power on cable were wrongly coloured.

Manual said white was - and green +

There was no green so i assumed white was right.

I was wrong.

Firing up nicely now


Appreciate all the help.

Shane

Conar

That little flash of light may mean that the system board is receiving power but failing the first stage of POST ....power good test I believe).
I mainly work on servers these days but it generally points to a system board failure.
Hopefully for your sake its not but you have to look at it as a possibility now.

Try putting in the minimum memory, no hdd's or aditional components and see if you have any luck.
I would expect that it would at least get to the point where it would beep at you for no memory but best to rule it out.

Conar

Excellent.
Good to hear.
And no dreaded RMA'ing to do!