Power problem - which piece is failing?

[tc]

I've just finished putting together a pc from parts. Problem is that
when I attempt to start up the system by pressing the front panel power
switch a blue LED blinks once and goes out. Pushing the button again
gets no response at all until the power supply has been disconnected
from the mains power or switched off and on using the manual button on
ths PSU.

No fans start, no display, no sounds.

I am guessing that this must be a power supply / motherboard interface
problem as it does not get close to accessing the graphics card, CPU or
any system devices. Surely the PSU is enought to power the system?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

List of parts:

Case: Antec Performance One P182
PSU: Quiet Tec QT-03350G 350W
Main Board: Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
Memory: Single DDR2 512MB@533Mhz (temporary)
Graphics card: nVidia GeForce 8600GT
Main HDD: Western Digital WD3200AAJS
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S203 SATA

Thanks

 

[DK]

I've just finished putting together a pc from parts. Problem is that
when I attempt to start up the system by pressing the front panel power
switch a blue LED blinks once and goes out. Pushing the button again
gets no response at all until the power supply has been disconnected
from the mains power or switched off and on using the manual button on
ths PSU.

No fans start, no display, no sounds.

I am guessing that this must be a power supply / motherboard interface
problem as it does not get close to accessing the graphics card, CPU or
any system devices. Surely the PSU is enought to power the system?

I had 100% same symptoms with one system some time ago and all
was fixed by replacing PS.

DK

 

[Frank McCoy]

I've just finished putting together a pc from parts. Problem is that
when I attempt to start up the system by pressing the front panel power
switch a blue LED blinks once and goes out. Pushing the button again
gets no response at all until the power supply has been disconnected
from the mains power or switched off and on using the manual button on
ths PSU.

No fans start, no display, no sounds.

I am guessing that this must be a power supply / motherboard interface
problem as it does not get close to accessing the graphics card, CPU or
any system devices. Surely the PSU is enought to power the system?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

List of parts:

Case: Antec Performance One P182
PSU: Quiet Tec QT-03350G 350W
Main Board: Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
Memory: Single DDR2 512MB@533Mhz (temporary)
Graphics card: nVidia GeForce 8600GT
Main HDD: Western Digital WD3200AAJS
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S203 SATA

Thanks

Try taking the motherboard out of the case, removing *everything*
(including memory) except the CPU, speaker, and power-supply, placing
the motherboard on a non-conducting surface (wood is good) and then try
pressing that button (or shorting the pins) again.

If the speaker beeps and the fan runs, then step-by-step add things back
in:
The memory
The keyboard
The video-board
Each disk-drive separately.
Etc.

Eventually you'll probably find a part that causes the system to fail,
or you'll have a working system.

If it doesn't work with everything out, then the usual thing is to try
an alternate PSU or motherboard.

 

[Ed Medlin]

I've just finished putting together a pc from parts. Problem is that when
I attempt to start up the system by pressing the front panel power switch
a blue LED blinks once and goes out. Pushing the button again gets no
response at all until the power supply has been disconnected from the
mains power or switched off and on using the manual button on ths PSU.

No fans start, no display, no sounds.

I am guessing that this must be a power supply / motherboard interface
problem as it does not get close to accessing the graphics card, CPU or
any system devices. Surely the PSU is enought to power the system?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

List of parts:

Case: Antec Performance One P182
PSU: Quiet Tec QT-03350G 350W
Main Board: Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
Memory: Single DDR2 512MB@533Mhz (temporary)
Graphics card: nVidia GeForce 8600GT
Main HDD: Western Digital WD3200AAJS
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S203 SATA

Thanks
--
Toby

//Many people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.
// -- Bertrand Russell

The component that really jumps out is the PSU with your MB, processor and
graphics card combination. Many PSUs list their max startup power rating as
the actual rating of the power supply rather than the actual running
wattage. IOW, your PSU may actually only be rated at 250-275w after startup.
Your system may need 400w+ or so to actually kick it on. It is just a shot
in the dark, but a good place to start. One other thing that comes to mind
since I had a very similiar problem recently was that I must have accidently
touched the contacts on my C2D processor and I removed it, cleaned the
contacts with alcohol and reinstalled it and it worked fine. The only way I
found the problem is that my MB has a post error LCD that showed "Processor"
when it would try and post........ Again, this is just a shot in the dark
too....... Post problems can be the most irritating problems to
troubleshoot and will sometimes drive you nuts.

Ed

 

[Ian D]

I've just finished putting together a pc from parts. Problem is that when
I attempt to start up the system by pressing the front panel power switch
a blue LED blinks once and goes out. Pushing the button again gets no
response at all until the power supply has been disconnected from the
mains power or switched off and on using the manual button on ths PSU.

Looks like you have a dead short somewhere. The PSU supplies
power for an instant until the over-current sensor shuts the PSU
down. The PSU stays tripped out until mains is disconnected
by the toggle switch or externally. Make sure all your connectors
are oriented correctly. Also, make sure you haven't put any
MB support standoffs in the wrong place or pinched any wires.
I have the P182, beautiful case, but the tight turn out of the PSU
could be problematic for some PSUs.

ID

 

[kony]

Looks like you have a dead short somewhere. The PSU supplies
power for an instant until the over-current sensor shuts the PSU
down.

Overvoltage from an unloaded (but PSU monitored) rail or
undervoltage (from other than a short, a simple case of
insufficient capacity or rail monitoring bias (like trying
to use an older PSU design with little 12V current and
primarily regulating from the 5V rail voltage, on a newer
system using mostly 12V power)) can also cause the same PSU
shutdown.

 

[DaveW]

The PSU is too underpowered for that batch of components. You chose very
power hungry parts.

 

[Plato]

Try taking the motherboard out of the case, removing *everything*
(including memory) except the CPU, speaker, and power-supply, placing
the motherboard on a non-conducting surface (wood is good) and then try
pressing that button (or shorting the pins) again.

I live in Central New Jersey USA where there are several large PC
makers. I've been lucky enough to visit them from time to time and they
ALWAYS had cardboard aka cut up old boxes to assemble the PCs. When I
had an office we just used a wooden bench. Cardboard is good tho as you
can play with the motherboard on it and the solder joints dont bend they
just sit on the cardboard, aka corrugated paper.

 

[Plato]

Try taking the motherboard out of the case, removing *everything*
(including memory) except the CPU, speaker, and power-supply, placing
the motherboard on a non-conducting surface (wood is good) and then try
pressing that button (or shorting the pins) again.

As an aside, in the last ten years I've been to many appointments where
the teenager bought parts for a new PC and then proceeded to assemble
them on a carpeted floor. Of course, not using static bags for the parts
when laying them down. I dont have to tell you some of the results of
this bad habit

As you most likely already know, I had more of these jobs in the Winter

 

[ProfGene]

I've just finished putting together a pc from parts. Problem is that
when I attempt to start up the system by pressing the front panel power
switch a blue LED blinks once and goes out. Pushing the button again
gets no response at all until the power supply has been disconnected
from the mains power or switched off and on using the manual button on
ths PSU.

No fans start, no display, no sounds.

I am guessing that this must be a power supply / motherboard interface
problem as it does not get close to accessing the graphics card, CPU or
any system devices. Surely the PSU is enought to power the system?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

List of parts:

Case: Antec Performance One P182
PSU: Quiet Tec QT-03350G 350W
Main Board: Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
Memory: Single DDR2 512MB@533Mhz (temporary)
Graphics card: nVidia GeForce 8600GT
Main HDD: Western Digital WD3200AAJS
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S203 SATA

Thanks

I would certainly check all of your front panel connecting wires to make
sure they are correct.

 

[tc]

The component that really jumps out is the PSU with your MB, processor
and graphics card combination. Many PSUs list their max startup power
rating as the actual rating of the power supply rather than the actual
running wattage. IOW, your PSU may actually only be rated at 250-275w
after startup. Your system may need 400w+ or so to actually kick it
on. It is just a shot in the dark, but a good place to start. One
other thing that comes to mind since I had a very similiar problem
recently was that I must have accidently touched the contacts on my
C2D processor and I removed it, cleaned the contacts with alcohol and
reinstalled it and it worked fine. The only way I found the problem is
that my MB has a post error LCD that showed "Processor" when it would
try and post........ Again, this is just a shot in the dark
too....... Post problems can be the most irritating problems to
troubleshoot and will sometimes drive you nuts.

Ed

Many thanks to everybody! The PSU _was_ underpowered and a shiny, big,
new one solved the problem. For information it was rated at 480W.

Although the fans all spin, power lights work, etc.I am not
getting any video signal at all (monitor switches to standby). I am
testing it with an old analogue monitor. I seem to remember from an old
machine that to get the AGP signal output I had to alter a BIOS setting.
Unfortunately, this motherboard does not have built-in video capability
so I cannot do the same.

I get _no_ beeps from the speaker... that LED display sounds more than a
bit useful.


Any ideas how to get the PCI Express board to go? The 8600GT does not
have plug for extra powe butI have the feeling I am overlooking
something really obvious...

If I am likely to need even more power I will scream.

PS Memory now is Kingston HyperX 2x1Gb DDR2.

 

[kony]

Many thanks to everybody! The PSU _was_ underpowered and a shiny, big,
new one solved the problem. For information it was rated at 480W.

It's most likely the wattage didn't matter in this case,
rather that the Quiet Tec 350W was a poor overrated generic.
Many people have reported theirs even died within the first
year of use. Replacement with a decent brand 350W would be
better than a poor generic claiming even 500W.

Although the fans all spin, power lights work, etc.I am not
getting any video signal at all (monitor switches to standby). I am
testing it with an old analogue monitor. I seem to remember from an old
machine that to get the AGP signal output I had to alter a BIOS setting.
Unfortunately, this motherboard does not have built-in video capability
so I cannot do the same.

What does this mean? Above you seemed to suggest the new
PSU solved the problem... but this seems like it's a
problem?

In general, there is nothing in the bios you'd have to do to
get video card output from AGP or PCI Express, it should
default either to that or PCI, but if it defaults to PCI and
you dont' have a PCI video card installed that is not a
problem, it automatically reverts to the AGP or PCI Express.

At this point, all you should need do to cover this concern
is turn off AC power to PSU then use the mobo clear CMOS
jumper (Or pull the battery for 10 minutes, also while AC
power is off).

I get _no_ beeps from the speaker... that LED display sounds more than a
bit useful.

What make, model, and 12V current rating is this new (400W?)
PSU? If it is also an overrated generic, you should swap in
a known quality PSU, hopefully one already demonstrated to
have been working properly.

At this point you have only a classic "failure to POST"
scenario. It could still be an insufficient-PSU problem, or
something else. It could even be that the poor Q-Tec PSU
has damaged the motherboard or video card, but this is
unrealistic to assume yet as we don't know about this new
PSU, nor do I recall if the other parts had ever posted and
ran stabily yet.

Any ideas how to get the PCI Express board to go? The 8600GT does not
have plug for extra powe butI have the feeling I am overlooking
something really obvious...

It does not need an extra power plug because PCI Express
slot is capable of more power than AGP was. Recheck all
cards, cables, connectors, etc, to be sure they are all
seated properly. Make sure the CPU 12V connector is plugged
in. Nothing else "obvious" comes to mind.

If you have a multimeter, check the voltages of the PSU
while it's trying to run the system.

If I am likely to need even more power I will scream.

PS Memory now is Kingston HyperX 2x1Gb DDR2.

Strip system down to bare essentials- CPU & Heatsink/fan, 1
memory module, video card. Unplug all other things
including no keyboard or mouse. While AC power is still
disconnected from the removal of the other parts, clear
CMOS. Next try powering it on. If you have any doubts
about the case front power & LED wiring, also disconnect
those and turn on by shorting the Power-on pin to the
adjacent ground pin (the mobo manual should show the
location of these).