finished 1st PC-build yesterday, but won't turn on

demonikal

demonikal

New Member
Here's the specs of everything:

- Ultra eTorque Mid-Tower case
- Ultra LSP 550W Pro PSU
- ASUS M4A78T-E mobo
- AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz (AM3)
- AMD AM3 Heat Sink/Fan
- Corsair XMS3 DDR3 DIMM 4GB with heat sink
- Seagate Barracuda LP SATA 1TB HDD
- Lite-On SATA DVD DL
- 2x Thermaltake Thunderblade 120mm LED chassis fans

I read all the manuals that came with everything. Went step-by-step. After all the power supply connections were in place, I plugged the cord into the power supply and then into my surge protector, flipped the switch to the "|" position and pushed the power button...nothing. The green light on the mobo turned on when I flipped the PSU on after connecting it to surge protector, but nothing happened after pushing the power button. None of the fans spun, nor hard drive. I tried holding the power button in for as long as 10 seconds and still nothing.

A hardware defect somewhere in there perhaps?

Please help. I spent a lot of money on this build so it would last me for years and years to come and now I'm so frustrated that it won't start up, I'm thinking I should take a few days away from it before I try to approach it again.

Thank you!
 
Are the 20/4 and 4/8 pins seated all the way? Did you check all the connections?
Try building it on cardboard. Maybe the PSU is doa. Exchange it for a better brand.
 
Were you standing on carpeting while building the pc?

Sometimes if you're standing on carpet or the like, you can build up static electricity and short something out.

try re-seating all the connections to make extra sure they are all seated properly
 
Could be a bad PSU. If the reseat of everything doesn't work try another PSU.
 
i build my systems on the carpet all the time, you should always use anti-static products better safe than cheap !
 
The first thing to check is that the PSU is OK. You can try the paper clip test (google it, example) and also check the voltages with a digital multimeter. You can find the power connector pinout here or here. Note that on ATX2 supplies there are 4 extra connections. Check that you have the power button connected to the MB power on, not the reset.
 
Nanobyte said:
The first thing to check is that the PSU is OK. You can try the paper clip test (google it, example) and also check the voltages with a digital multimeter. You can find the power connector pinout here or here. Note that on ATX2 supplies there are 4 extra connections. Check that you have the power button connected to the MB power on, not the reset.
Click to expand...

I was thinking it might be the connections from the the power button cuz it's the one thing I wasn't familiar with. I'll check it's not connected to the MB reset. Thanks.

And I built the PC on a table, floor made of ceramic tile. I used an Ultra wireless anti-static wrist strap. Everything is grounded to this "metal box" touching your wrist (almost looks like a square wrist watch).
 
If you got the power and reset buttons the wrong way round, the quickest check is to press the reset and see if the PC starts.
 
Nanobyte said:
If you got the power and reset buttons the wrong way round, the quickest check is to press the reset and see if the PC starts.
Click to expand...

I pushed the reset button over and over and then pressed the power button. Nothing. I followed the mobo's directions to the T on where to connect which wire to what.

Power supply problem then? Everything is seated. Power supply is switched on. There is still a green light on the mobo lit up. I have a Diablotek PSU for the PC I'm using now. It's a 500W. I'll try that tonight.
 
If the on/off switch on the back in the "on" position?

Also, if you have a good PSU it won't have a red voltage selector on the back, but just in case it does have one, make sure it's set at 115V.
 
correct. bridge the two wires, normally green and any other black wire (check the pinout)

if your psu powers on you have trouble elsewhere.

i have purchased more than 20 (at least) Cases that have come with DOA PSU's

if a PC doesnt power on at all, first thing to check is the psu. test it with it unplugged from all the drives, mobo ect. if possible, test it with a fan or two connected. they dont like being run with no load
 
Drenlin said:
If the on/off switch on the back in the "on" position?

Also, if you have a good PSU it won't have a red voltage selector on the back, but just in case it does have one, make sure it's set at 115V.
Click to expand...

why didnt i think of that? fantastic. THAT would be the first thing to check :P

over in australia we use 240v. i have purchased psu's in the past that have been set for 115/120, and not realised, and had sparks and flames come out... :P
 
oh and make sure that the clear cmos jumper is in its "normal" position, and not the clear position, because the mobo wont boot like that
 
winchcomputer said:
oh and make sure that the clear cmos jumper is in its "normal" position, and not the clear position, because the mobo wont boot like that
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yeah, the CMOS jumper is in the default position. I checked it's configuration on the mobo with what it's supposed to look like in default position in the motherboard's manual.
 
Drenlin said:
If the on/off switch on the back in the "on" position?

Also, if you have a good PSU it won't have a red voltage selector on the back, but just in case it does have one, make sure it's set at 115V.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's set at 115V. I'm gonna try the paper-clip test first.
 
Nanobyte said:
Another PSU may indicate if that is the issue. You should check out the original PSU when it is removed with the paper clip test. The unit should power up and the fan should run.
Click to expand...

Just checked my original order of the barebone kit on Tigerdirect.com. Mainly wanted to see, just for future reference, what the warranties on the PSU and mobo were, since everyone here is saying the problem can only be one of those. Fortunately, the limited warranty is 36 months parts and 36 months labor. I know if the mobo is faulty, I'm sure ASUS might try to say that I was overclocking and that's how things got messed up and they won't cover it. But anyway... I clicked on the motherboard on my invoice and the old page on Tigerdirect for this mobo says "THIS ITEM IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE." That could explain a lot. I read several reviews. Seems several people had problems with their builds not starting up after pushing the power button too and they had different hardware than my kit.

Btw, I know "DOA" means non-working, but what does "DOA" stand for?

Thanks. I'll keep everyone posted on what happens after the paper-clip test.
 
StrangleHold said:
Did you put the standoffs under the board in the right places? DOA= Dead on Arrival
Click to expand...

Standoffs? I don't know what standoffs are, but the ASUS mobo didn't come with anything except itself, 4 SATA cables, CD, manual, and the thing that I plugged the PWR RESET, etc. cables into which fit onto the board.

I'm not sure if this makes any difference, but the screws that the case came weren't long enough to make it from the top of the mobo to the threads in the screw holes. I was only able to fit 4 on the right-hand side of the mobo. I didn't think it mattered. Just as long as it was in place and not sagging while the PC was standing upright.

So, what are standoffs? Thanks for the DOA definition.
 
Standoffs are spacers that hold the MB clear of the metal chassis. You thread the mounting screws through the standoffs. Without standoffs you can have a dead short.

Edit: Asus don't mention standoffs in any of their manuals. I have an Asus MB - pre-installed so I can't tell you if they have built-in standoffs.
 
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