Is my motherboard DOA?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Martin Obrein
  • Start date Start date
M

Martin Obrein

Hi folks, put my first system build together today and when powering
up for the first time I got nothing but the green led on the mobo.
Nothing else on the computer turned on, fans,lights ect.. Here are the
components.
Pentium 4 3.2E 1mb cache
Asus p4p800-E deluxe
Seagate Baracuda 120 gb hard disk 8mb buffer
Plextor px 708A dvd-rw
Crucial pc3200 512mb DDR Ram
Ati Xpert 2000 pro AGP video card
400w power supply that came with my Light-on case "Sun Cheer"
12v=15A/5v =35A/3.3v 22A and it's p4 ready

I unplugged my system piece by piece until it was just the CPU and Ram
and I still could not get any power to the cpu fan. I also reset the
CMOS by moving the jumpers with the battery out but that did not work
either. I also tried to power up with the mobo outside of the case
which did not work as well. I plugged and unplugged the power and fan
connectors too..

As I mentioned the green led on the mobo lights up when I hit the
power switch but thats it.. Is this mobo dead? Any suggestions would
be appreciated.
Thank You,
Martin
 
I bought a new asus board once and a new P4 2.4ghz cpu and the same
happened to me..

I dropped another cpu in the same board and it all worked.. so I RMA'd
the CPU back to intel and the new one they sent me worked with my board

the actual CPU was not faulty it was just that my cpu revision would not
work with certain boards and intel new this, they sent me a revision
that would work for me
 
I have received brand new motherboards that have the CMOS jumper in the
discharge position by defaukt for transporting

same result


dont just take the battery out to reset the bios... finf the jumper and
do it...

Then again I have seen some asus boards that dont have jumpers, just 2
little solder blobs to short with a screwdriver
 
Legend said:
I have received brand new motherboards that have the CMOS jumper in the
discharge position by defaukt for transporting

same result


dont just take the battery out to reset the bios... finf the jumper and
do it...

Then again I have seen some asus boards that dont have jumpers, just 2
little solder blobs to short with a screwdriver
Click to expand...
Hi

I have the same problem, so i just started the RMA process.
NBK
 
the 12 volt spec for that power supply looks too week for your setup.15 amps
looks way low. It looks like an older unit.Older cpus relied more on th e5
volt rail. New P4 systems rely heavily on the 12 V.

Does it have the secondary 12v connection? Is it connected?
 
Man, sounds like a whole lot of hassles, especially when the manufacturer
doesn't tell the technician that this won't work with that unless this
number matches that number.

Things are getting too complicated these days when they should be getting
easier especially after the year 2000.

One of the things you folks mentioned here was probably wrong with the
motherboards I sent back (RMA's). Luckily my problem wasn't the CPU since
the CPU cost more than twice that of the MOBO.
 
jeffspc said:
Man, sounds like a whole lot of hassles, especially when the manufacturer
doesn't tell the technician that this won't work with that unless this
number matches that number.
Click to expand...

I would like a legitimate explanation from AMI for including the
compatible/enhanced crap in recent motherboards Bios'... what are they
leading up to? ... at the present time it is more pain than advantage

if I had known that the asus boards had AMI Bios, previously I would
have steered clear completely... by last AMI biosed board was back in
1990 (14years ago .. remember mouse support introduced into the bios
screens).. it was crap then and they are still crap now

one of the features I look for in a new motherboard is the lack of an
AMI bios ... give me an AWARD Bios any day
Things are getting too complicated these days when they should be getting
easier especially after the year 2000.

One of the things you folks mentioned here was probably wrong with the
motherboards I sent back (RMA's). Luckily my problem wasn't the CPU since
the CPU cost more than twice that of the MOBO.
Click to expand...

but intel usually replace a CPU witout question or delay
where as a motherboard manufacturer as well as the local dealer and
distributors usually stuff you around something fierce before replacing
the item in question
 
Thanks for your suggestions everyone, still no luck. I am unable to
try a different cpu as I don't have access to another that would work
in this mobo. I did read online about a problem with the heatsink and
fan putting too much pressure on the cpu in some Asus boards so I
unhooked the fan/heatsink from the retention base and tried to power
up, no luck. I tried powering up without ram and without the cpu
installed as well. Right now the green led just comes on, no flashes
or any other movement in the computer. Since my power source is
generic it is defidently suspect, and the 12v connector is plugged in.
Is it necessary to have any of the front panel wires connected to the
board (ex.)power sw/power led wires, the main power switch is on the
back of the power supply. Any other suggestions for narrowing down the
problem piece of hardware? Thanks again,Martin
 
theres ya problem

you need the front panel power switch connected as a minimum

connect the little power switch header to the correct header pins
(or just short them out with a screwdriver for a split second and the
machine will burst into life

push the powerswitch button again (or short out the right pins again
and it will turn off
 
Martin,

I had a mobo 100% dead (IE no little grean light or anything else at all -
not a whir) and it was one of the front panel connectors. I never bothered
to find out which one (reset or power), just biffed and replaced. Reset is
more likely to cause issues, since the power switch is a momentary On
switch - once the mobo logic sees it is down it just goes.

So do the screwdriver trick and short the power switch leads. Check with an
ohm meter if you have one.

If the PSU were grossly inadequate then.......... maybe..

BOL
- Tim
 
Have you tried disconnecting the front panel power switch and turning on
the unit by shorting the power switch pins on the motherboard itself
(with a screwdriver)?

Obviously, this has to be done VERY carefully. But I've seen more than
one bad power switch in the case, or incorrectly connected.
 
Ahhhh ..... the front panel power switch does not turn the unit on via
the power supply, it turns the unit on via the motherboard. It's not a
"POWER" switch, it's a LOGIC switch. That is, rather than telling the
power supply to turn on, it tells the CPU to tell the power supply to
turn on. If you don't have the power switch connected, then of course
the computer will not turn on.
 
Hi folks, put my first system build together today and when powering
up for the first time I got nothing but the green led on the mobo.
Nothing else on the computer turned on, fans,lights ect.. Here are the
components.
Pentium 4 3.2E 1mb cache
Asus p4p800-E deluxe
Seagate Baracuda 120 gb hard disk 8mb buffer
Plextor px 708A dvd-rw
Crucial pc3200 512mb DDR Ram
Ati Xpert 2000 pro AGP video card
400w power supply that came with my Light-on case "Sun Cheer"
12v=15A/5v =35A/3.3v 22A and it's p4 ready

I unplugged my system piece by piece until it was just the CPU and Ram
and I still could not get any power to the cpu fan. I also reset the
CMOS by moving the jumpers with the battery out but that did not work
either. I also tried to power up with the mobo outside of the case
which did not work as well. I plugged and unplugged the power and fan
connectors too..

As I mentioned the green led on the mobo lights up when I hit the
power switch but thats it.. Is this mobo dead? Any suggestions would
be appreciated.
Thank You,
Martin
Click to expand...

The first question I have - is the Xpert 2000 video card a 1.5V
card ? The wrong kind of video card will trigger AGP_Warn and
prevent the power switch from working. A mis-keyed AGP card
that runs from 3.3V can ruin the Northbridge, and the Asus
boards checks to see whether pin A2 (TYPEDET#) is grounded or
not. I have a feeling your video card is 3.3V only.

Second question. Is the BIOS on the board recent enough to
support a Prescott 3.2E ?

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx
P4-3.20E GHz(800 MHz FSB) (HT) (90nm) , ALL (revisions) BIOS 1002 or later

On the download page, the 1002 BIOS is dated March 8, 2004, so
check the sticker on the flash chip, to see whether it is in fact
recent enough to work with the processor. Worst case, you'll
have to find another lower speed processor, to use while flashing
the BIOS. Once the 1002 BIOS is installed, then put in the
3.2E. (Give it a try first, without the BIOS upgrade, and
maybe it will work well enough for a BIOS flash. You never
know.)

I'm sure there is nothing wrong with the board itself.

HTH,
Paul
 
Ok everyone, all is fixed and I am embarassed to say that it was due
to my not connecting the atx power connector<THANKS LEGEND> from the
case r to the correct pins in the panel on the mobo. The asus
p4p800-E Deluxe is working fine. When doing the tests I assumed the
front panel power on switch was not needed as the master power switch
on the Power source was most important. Obviously I was wrong. My case
labeled the connector Power SW and I had it on the Reset SW instead of
the ATX Power Switch pins when I first set it up. Big lesson learned
though I feel like I know my computer alot better after all of the
troubleshooting.. Sorry for taking up your time with something that I
should have avoided..
Much appreciated,
Martin
 
Hey Martin ..we have all been there and done that... we are all just on
different rungs of the ladder ... I made your same mistake when I got my
first ATX board back in 1997 ... now its YOUR turn to help out the next
generation of newcommers in the future that makes the same mistake...

I doubt you will forget this little episode too soon
 
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