:(

[888]

Got all my computer components today and built my pc. It failed to start up.
No image or signal from the graphics card (Power Color Radeon 9800XT). Tried
to reset CMOS - no result. Unplugged every component apart from the
eesential ones (memory, processor, graphics card and input devices) - still
same thing. The fans in the system are spinning though.

The system is,

- Athlon 64 3400+ socket 754
- MSI K8T NEO FIS2R Ver 1.0
- 2x 512MB Crucial memory DIMMs
- Power Color Radeon 9800XT
- 460W power supply unit
- SATA hard drive

Anyone else out there ever experienced this problem? Could it be a faulty
graphics card? What could I look out for?

Thanks!

 

[Thomas A. Horsley]

A favorite thing to do is have one of the standoffs holding the motherboard
to the case shorting something out.

 

[Lachoneus]

Could it be a faulty graphics card?

Possibly; if you have an old spare PCI card lying around, you could try
that. It doesn't really matter how old it is; even a 1MB 2D-only card
from ten years ago could get you through POST and CMOS setup. (I have
two of those, and they've proven handy a time or two.)

What could I look out for?

Memory. You've got two DIMMs; try each on its own. Maybe you've got a
bad one, or if they're double-sided DIMMs, they may have to go in a
particular pair of slots.

Also, it sounds strange, but I've heard that some newer MSI boards don't
like certain keyboards, so try turning it on without the keyboard
attached, and see what you get.

 

[Todd Swierk]

I had something similar happen to me on a new system i built a few months
ago - Athlon 64 3200+ socket 754 on Abit KV8-MAX3 mobo using 2x512MB OCZ
enhanced latency memory (CL2-2-5). What I found out was that the Abit board
by default (BIOS settings) was overclocked to 204Mhz and the combination of
my fast memory and CPU did not work at this frequency (cannot overclock at
all).

I discovered this when I put a stick of normal (cheap CL3 from another
desktop) DDR memory in the board instead and it booted. I then found that I
needed to change a few things in the BIOS to get my fast, low latency memory
to work properly after a bunch of trial and error (replacing memory back and
forth). First no overclocking, straight 200Mhz. I also had to bump up the
DDR voltage to 2.8v (apparently this is common with OCZ memory, I found
other posts mentioning this). All runs rock solid now and fast now (I
mostly use this system for gaming, no problems at all now). Another
variable you might try is using only one stick of your new RAM first.

Hope that helps you somehow. :^)

Todd

 

[FB]

Got all my computer components today and built my pc. It failed to start up.
No image or signal from the graphics card (Power Color Radeon 9800XT). Tried
to reset CMOS - no result. Unplugged every component apart from the
eesential ones (memory, processor, graphics card and input devices) - still
same thing. The fans in the system are spinning though.

The system is,

- Athlon 64 3400+ socket 754
- MSI K8T NEO FIS2R Ver 1.0
- 2x 512MB Crucial memory DIMMs
- Power Color Radeon 9800XT
- 460W power supply unit
- SATA hard drive

Anyone else out there ever experienced this problem? Could it be a faulty
graphics card? What could I look out for?

Thanks!

If your sure you have the processor and heat sink seated correctly, and
the motherboard is mounted correctly, then put any old working video
card in the system and try it, try one stick of ram at a time also.

If your not sure about the processor, heat sink and motherboard..then
remove the motherboard from the case. Reinstall the processor/heat sink,
with the motherboard resting on the packing foam or other non-conductive
material, attach it to the power supply and test it (w/o hd)..It should
post.

You should be able to find the problem by the process of elimination.

It's probably not as bad as it seems.

fb

 

[Ed Light]

Very not likely, but maybe the little 12v connector is not connected?


--
Ed Light

Smiley :-/
MS Smiley :-\

Send spam to the FTC at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks, robots.

 

[888]

If your not sure about the processor, heat sink and motherboard..then
remove the motherboard from the case. Reinstall the processor/heat sink,
with the motherboard resting on the packing foam or other non-conductive
material, attach it to the power supply and test it (w/o hd)..It should
post.

This sounds disturbing...would the case actually short the motherboard? What
kind of case manufacturer would do that? :/

Thanks for the reply. I'll give it another stab tomorrow!

 

[888]

I had something similar happen to me on a new system i built a few months
ago - Athlon 64 3200+ socket 754 on Abit KV8-MAX3 mobo using 2x512MB OCZ
enhanced latency memory (CL2-2-5). What I found out was that the Abit
board
by default (BIOS settings) was overclocked to 204Mhz and the combination
of
my fast memory and CPU did not work at this frequency (cannot overclock at
all).

I'm using the CL3 type so should be fine. I'm going to stick in my old
PC2700 and see what happens.

Another
variable you might try is using only one stick of your new RAM first.

Exactly what I did

Took out the another stick and used only that stick in DIMM slot 1 and tried
the another stick, still didn't work.

Hope that helps you somehow. :^)

Yes it gives me confidence that my system should still be alive Tomorrow
I'm going to borrow my friend's older graphics card and see if that works.

Many thanks!

 

[888]

Possibly; if you have an old spare PCI card lying around, you could try
that. It doesn't really matter how old it is; even a 1MB 2D-only card
from ten years ago could get you through POST and CMOS setup. (I have two
of those, and they've proven handy a time or two.)

Going to up my friend tomorrow and borrow his graphics card. I just hope my
motherboard won't screw his card up - fingers crossed

Memory. You've got two DIMMs; try each on its own. Maybe you've got a
bad one, or if they're double-sided DIMMs, they may have to go in a
particular pair of slots.

I've done that - still same thing happened, no POST.

The memory looked to be single sided as one side is plain. I didn't have a
choice to choose them though as I bought mine from Crucial.com. They would
let you specify your motherboard and they would then match there compatible
DIMMs with it. Is there a difference, in terms of performance and/or
compatibility, between single and doubled sided DIMMs?

Also, it sounds strange, but I've heard that some newer MSI boards don't
like certain keyboards, so try turning it on without the keyboard
attached, and see what you get.

Will try that tomorrow

Thanks for the advice!

 

[888]

A favorite thing to do is have one of the standoffs holding the motherboard
to the case shorting something out.

Seriously, would a case really short the motherboard circuitry? If I find
that it does I will really screw at my suppliers :/

 

[Bear]

I had the same thing happen to me it turned out that the old power
supply did not have the power plug for the CPU unit ( small square
plug near the CPU ).... I run to the store for new power supply with
the right mobo plugs and I was in business.

Just a thought to check.

 

[888]

Very not likely, but maybe the little 12v connector is not connected?

Since this is the first 64-bit system I've ever built I didn't know that a
separate processor power is required until I switched on the system - when I
was alarmed by the graphics card fan not spinning!!! Quickly, I searched
around the motherboard for other connectors and found a little 4-hole (in a
square formation) connector near the processor slot. Looked it up on the
manual and only then found it was required to power the processor!

Do you think this would have fried my graphics card? As I have connected the
graphics card power supply (as required by ATi cards) without the processor
power which resulted in the ATi card fan not spinning. I only left it in
this state for a few seconds.

Many thanks.

 

[888]

I had the same thing happen to me it turned out that the old power
supply did not have the power plug for the CPU unit ( small square
plug near the CPU ).... I run to the store for new power supply with
the right mobo plugs and I was in business.

Just a thought to check.

Yes I realised that The stupid manual SHOULD have highlighted this to all
new 64-bit AMD builders!

Unfortunately for me even with the processor supply in it still won't POST.
The fans seems to be spinning and the keyboard lights and mouse (optical)
lit up.

Thanks.

 

[Ed Light]

Since this is the first 64-bit system I've ever built I didn't know that a
separate processor power is required until I switched on the system - when I
was alarmed by the graphics card fan not spinning!!! Quickly, I searched
around the motherboard for other connectors and found a little 4-hole (in a
square formation) connector near the processor slot. Looked it up on the
manual and only then found it was required to power the processor!

Do you think this would have fried my graphics card? As I have connected the
graphics card power supply (as required by ATi cards) without the processor
power which resulted in the ATi card fan not spinning. I only left it in
this state for a few seconds.

I'd guess it wouldn't since it had a heatsink, but then those are tiny ones.
No smoke is a good sign. It would be worth trying it in another computer
to eliminate that question.

Maybe booting without the 12v confused the bios and they need to be cleared
by connecting that little jumper for a few seconds.

Hopefully someone else who's a real hardware guru knows better about this.

As far as shorting -- hopefully you didn't tighten the motherboard screws
more than just snug enough to hold it down. It may have said that in your
manual. Otherwise you could have damaged it.

I screwed down a case fan on its wires and shorted it to ground, taking out
that fan socket on the motherboard. Luckily that's all it took out.

--
Ed Light

Smiley :-/
MS Smiley :-\

Send spam to the FTC at
(e-mail address removed)
Thanks, robots.

 

[Wes Newell]

Seriously, would a case really short the motherboard circuitry? If I find
that it does I will really screw at my suppliers :/

If you get a short to the case, the system won't work obviously. This
short would likely be the asemblers oversight.

The first step in this type of situation is to take the system to the
very minimum. That means out of case with only what's needed to get a
screen up. MB, cpu and cooler, ram, vid card, PSU, and monitor . Nothing
else, no KB, no mouse, nothing (unless I forgot an esential). short the
power pins on the mb to turn on.

 

[rstlne]

Got all my computer components today and built my pc. It failed to start up.
No image or signal from the graphics card (Power Color Radeon 9800XT). Tried
to reset CMOS - no result. Unplugged every component apart from the
eesential ones (memory, processor, graphics card and input devices) - still
same thing. The fans in the system are spinning though.

The system is,

- Athlon 64 3400+ socket 754
- MSI K8T NEO FIS2R Ver 1.0
- 2x 512MB Crucial memory DIMMs
- Power Color Radeon 9800XT
- 460W power supply unit
- SATA hard drive

Going by your other post here.. It leads me to ask a serious question.
Did you install it according to the INSTRUCTIONS.

 

[888]

Going by your other post here.. It leads me to ask a serious question.
Did you install it according to the INSTRUCTIONS.

I installed it according to my experience

This is the 4th system I've built in my lifetime.

 

[Lenster]

Seriously, Take it out of the case and set it on a piece of cardboard,
plug in the PS, video and 1 mem stick and see what happens.

Yes I realised that The stupid manual SHOULD have highlighted this to all
new 64-bit AMD builders!

Unfortunately for me even with the processor supply in it still won't POST.
The fans seems to be spinning and the keyboard lights and mouse (optical)
lit up.

Thanks.

Lenster

 

[888]

Seriously, Take it out of the case and set it on a piece of cardboard,
plug in the PS, video and 1 mem stick and see what happens.

Did that, nothing happened. No beeps. Had enough and got a refund.

 

[Lachoneus]

Did that, nothing happened. No beeps. Had enough and got a refund.

.... for which part(s)?