Building my first computer
in General Discussion
scott.mPosted at 09/21/2008 09:47AM Location:
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Building my first computer
Hey fellas. I know a few of you know quite a bit about computers, so I thought I'd ask for some advice here seeing as I'm building my first PC and my antec 300 case and asus p5kpl-cm motherboard don't seem to want to get along (when I press the power button, everything on the front lights up for a second and then goes out without actually turning the computer on). Advice can range from actually providing pointers if this is a common n00b problem to simply directing me to a great computer-building forum you know of. Thanks!
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Cody RogersPosted at 09/21/2008 10:11AM Age: 19
Location:
Raleigh, NC |
Make sure and check the jumpers with the diagrams in the manual. If they're right, turn them around and try them the other way.
Does the CPU fan spin up? What kind of power supply do you have? |
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scott.m Posted at 09/21/2008 10:31AM Location:
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Thanks for the quick reply. The SWS where I bought the supplies is closed on Sunday :confused: So no help there.
The CPU doesn't spin up, only the lights on the front come on for a second (and the motherboard's power led comes on when plugged in and switched on in the back). I have an antec 500w basiq power suppy. What are you referring to with "jumpers"? The manual shows that jumpers are the covered pins used for clearing the RTC RAM, which doesn't seem important to booting up. My main concern comes from the system panel connectors, the power sw / pled / hdled / reset plugs, since the motherboard's prongs don't quite match up with the case's wired sockets in the number of them or the +/- ground patterns. It's weird. I've hooked them up in a bunch of different configurations with pretty much the same result. I can post a picture if that would help (despite my embarrassment that my setup might be totally fucked up, since I tried this without any help and very little actual experience). Thanks again. |
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Cody Rogers Posted at 09/21/2008 10:44AM Age: 19
Location:
Raleigh, NC |
The system panel connectors was what I was referring to. Have you turned them 180 degrees and tried them that way, or with only the power connectors hooked up? |
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scott.m Posted at 09/21/2008 10:46AM Location:
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Haven't tried those configs ... I'll give it a shot. Thanks!
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scott.m Posted at 09/21/2008 10:57AM Location:
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Turns out, without the power sw connector in the right spot, the lights on the front won't even light up for a second. Nothing at all happens in the other configurations. Which makes me think that the suggested configs are correct and that something more sinister is possibly afoot ...
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Cody Rogers Posted at 09/21/2008 11:12AM Age: 19
Location:
Raleigh, NC |
Yeah dude, nothing's really obvious here, so I'd take it to the shop, maybe try and return it or have them set it up in a different machine, or in yours, or something. That's about the only option you have right now.
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scott.m Posted at 09/21/2008 11:15AM Location:
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Alright, thanks for the help. Sucks because I work all week, and have no idea when I'll be able to take it in! Guess I'll just need to wait until next weekend.
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EffigyPosted at 09/21/2008 11:32AM Location:
DeKalb, Illinois |
Well, it's a long-shot, but it does happen very rarely. Sometimes the case ends up connecting with the motherboard and shorting some circuits, which keeps the computer from being able to power up.
Try setting up the entire computer outside of the case. Just set it up on a table, plug everything in and hit the power. I once had a case that disabled every mobo I put in it, but the mobos would work in every other case I put them in. It was the strangest thing I've ever seen as a system builder. In my humble experience, it's best to determine which component is causing the problem before you diagnose anything. Good luck and happy building! |
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Cody Rogers Posted at 09/21/2008 11:34AM Age: 19
Location:
Raleigh, NC |
No problem, dude. It'll get resolved!
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Chris ConlanPosted at 09/21/2008 01:52PM Age: 27
Location:
Dubuque |
What type of power connector does your power supply have? 20pin or 20+4? To me it seems like this is a power related issue. If you have the jumpers setup correctly, then it is definitely a power supply issue. Do you have a multimeter handy or a spare computer to try the PS on?
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scott.m Posted at 09/21/2008 03:40PM Location:
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Christ Chris, you're a genius. I checked out the power supply to motherboard jumpers, and for some reason the manual had informed me incorrectly about their placement. I rearranged them in a way that made more sense to me and bam, it booted up. Sorry for makin' you other folks rack your brains for complex answers to what was apparently a simple problem, but I appreciate your help nonetheless. Now the only problem is that my monitor isn't responding to the fact that it's hooked into the vga slot on the back of the tower :( What a day.
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Chris Conlan Posted at 09/21/2008 07:16PM Age: 27
Location:
Dubuque |
So I'm guessing you had a 20+4 pin?
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scott.m Posted at 09/21/2008 07:26PM Location:
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Yeah. The manual told me to put the 4 pin jumper up and to the left of the processor/heatsink, even though there was space for the other four in the normal slot. I tried putting those four down with the 20 instead, and it booted up. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. Sadly, I still can't use the computer (nor do I know if it's even really working) because I can't see anything. Turning on the computer activates my keyboard and speakers, and my monitor still seems to be working because I can turn it off and on using its power button, but it doesn't respond to the PC. Just says no signal.
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Chris Conlan Posted at 09/22/2008 03:29AM Age: 27
Location:
Dubuque |
So you are using the mobos on board vid card or did you buy a separate one that goes in your PCI-E slot?
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FinchSCFPosted at 09/22/2008 09:38AM Age: 25
Location:
Holt, MI |
Try resetting the CMOS with the clear jumper. Some BIOS need to have that done to readjust to the hardware changes.
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scott.m Posted at 09/22/2008 04:30PM Location:
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I'm using the motherboard's onboard vid card (figured I'd save up for a good one since I was running low on funds after the case/mobo/processor). |
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Chris Conlan Posted at 09/22/2008 05:04PM Age: 27
Location:
Dubuque |
Your best bet is to check with Asus about the problem. I'm not really sure what the deal is. The easiest thing to do is try a new VGA cable if you haven't done that already. I know it sounds stupid, but most computer problems are from the simplest things.
Also, does your mobo support SLI or Crossfire? The new ATI cards are getting rave reviews over anything Nvidia. |
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scott.m Posted at 09/22/2008 05:31PM Location:
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Yeah, nothing seems to be working. I'll give them a call, thanks.
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monkeybarsPosted at 09/22/2008 05:39PM Age: 25
Location:
Markham, ON |
No, boo ATI. I had a flagship card from them, and it died one week after warranty. It's gonna take a lot to win me back after that, especially with most nVidia-based companies selling with lifetime warranties.
P.S. This is what the alphabet would look like if you removed Q and R. |
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