Motherboard tray causing system to short and prevent it from booting

SuprSi

I've just been through hell with regards to this computer. Bought the parts from Komplett, couldn't get them to work, sent them back, they found the memory to be dodgy (and replaced it) and I received them tonight, yet the thing still won't boot!

I've found that the motherboard tray or somewhere else that the motherboard is touching the actual system must be causing it to short out as when the motherboard is out of the case they system boots fine.

My question is, apart from me buying a new case, is there any way that I can fix this? I've a Lian Li PC-68 case - it's quite nice and cost me a bloody fortune around 4 years ago, but I wouldn't be too bothered about getting a new one. If I could just get this up & running for the time being I'd be mighty happy though.

Cheers,

Si

DonkeyStyle \o/

You are using spacers between the motherboard and tray aren't you?

SuprSi

Yes yes, though not plastic ones admittedly. The only spacers I got with the case/original motherboard were small steel ones.

This was never an issue until I got this new motherboard though it's definitely the cause.

WizZard

Try just putting the mobo in the case, then screwing one screw in at a time whilst trying to boot after each. Then you could isolate which one is causing the problem. If there is a scratch around the mounting hole causing a short then I would either RMA it, or carefully mask the hole with tape and screw it in, or use nylon washers.

aidan_dunne

If there's a hole or holes roughly around the centre of the motherboard for a screw and spacer, use them if you can. A few times I've come across motherboards that can flex just enough in the centre to make contact with the tray, causing a short, and it was solved by making sure there was spacer in the centre hole to prevent any flexing. Give that a go and see will it help. That's, as I say, if you can because the arrangement of motherboard holes with case tray holes sometimes doesn't allow for a centre spacer and screw to be used and you have no choice but to only having them mounted around the outside of the board.

If all that and the other other suggestions here don't work, well, I don't know what else will but it does sound to me like it's something pretty simple causing all this. Best of luck in solving it, anyway!

jozi

Maybe stuppid idea but are you not possiblly using to many spacers? Like ones screwed to the mobo tray but with no hole above them for a screw, so that its touching the mobo?