Bad motherboard? Whats wrong?

bbertram

Weaksauce
Joined
Jun 23, 2004
Messages
110
I just got my case in yesterday and I've had the rest of my components for a few days now, still waiting on my hard drive. So tonight I slap it all in the case and I run into a problem. I got no video and no keyboard lights. I I proceded to unplug everything, reseat everything, double check my connections and run with the least possible. That didn't help.

So I went and took it all out of the case, thinking maybe I grounded the motherboard out somewhere or something. Still nothing. I tried swaping the ram around, nothing. Another that doesn't work is my power switch, it only turns it on, it can't turn it off no matter how long I hold it in.

The hardware I have is:

AMD 4400 Dual Core w/ stock heatsink
ASUS A8N SLI Premium
OCZ EL 1024x2
Enermax Noisetaker 600w SLI
BFG 7800 GTX OC x2
Benq burner


So thats what I got, I've swapped the video cards around many times. I swapped the ram around, used only one stick, etc.


Looks like my motherboard is DOA, what does everyone else think? I'm going to send it back on Thursday after I see some replies, maybe there is an answer to my problem. Maybe its something so simple and easy.

Oh yah, one more question. On the BFG cards, with dual DVI, which DVI port in the primary? The one beside the small black round port?

I'm going to try and locate a PCI card tomorrow at work and bring it home to see if I get any video off that sucker. Maybe I got two bad BFG cards, lol.

Thank you for any help.


Brent
 
Yay I would definetly double check to see if your not grounded, as that is what it sounds like, if not I would assume its DOA...

As for the video card usually the left video connector, the one closest to the bottom of the card it the primary connection. AS they usually go, Primary video then S-video ( the little black round connection, usually used to plug your computer up to a television, but it is limited to 1024x768) and the second dvi port
 
I slapped the motherboard on my table outside the case, it shouldn't be grounded then, right?
 
Yeah mostly likely not, as long as its not a metal table, usually wood carries little current.
 
I thought my mobo was grounding out because none of the fans on the mobo or my video card were spinning. I thought my mobo was completly fried. But it was because i dident have my power connector in all the way, lmao :D
 
My DVD burner will power up, fans power up, video card fans spin up. Will update when I know more tomorrow after work. If anyone has anymore ideas let me know!
 
Doing some reading and I think my BIOS maybe to old, I'm at work so I can't see what version it is. I have yet to reset the CMOS too, so that might help. I can't locate a PCI video card anywhere.
 
Yea check your BIOS, altho if you just bought the board new it should already have an X2 BIOS installed... Mine did.

Have you tried each video card individually?
One at a time?

Or try each stick of memory one at a time?

The fact that you have no keyboard lights does not bode well...
 
Yes, I'ev tried swapping my video cards, swapping my ram around, using only one stick or one video card. Going to try and get my speaker working so I can hear if there are any beeps. Just remove all the components and hit the power button, it should beep at me. If it doesn't then it must be dead.
 
Hey, i think you've ran into the same problem as I have

My setup:

Lian-Li V1000 Black
ASUS A8N-SLI Premium
AMD 64x2 4400
2gb Corsair XMS 3200XL (2-2-2-5)
2x BFGTech 7800 GT OC
WD 74gig Raptor
Custom Danger Den Watercooling Kit

When I first bought the MOBO i had them test it and it booted up fine.
When I got all my parts together and turned it on I would get no POST, no beeps, nothing on screen. I figured it might be because they tested it before and the CMOS needed to be reset. I took out the battery and did the jumper trick and I booted. TADA it worked. I went into the BIOS and checked out all the settings and they seemed to be fine. I hit F10 and restarted and the same problem. I checked all my plugs, took apart the whole computer and put it back together piece by piece.

The funny thing though is that I can get it to boot up fine everytime i reset the CMOS but after every restart it does the same thing. It doesnt post, no video, all fans running, HD spinning up. I decided to use the opportunity of the first boot after a CMOS reset and managed to install WinXP and flash the BIOS to the latest non-beta revision (1008). Originally the Bios was 1006. I still experience the same problem. I went out and bought a Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe and plugged all the stuff in. Same problem. First boot successful, restart no POST, no video, all fans running, HD spinning up. I'm gonna try some different ram but I really doubt its any of my hardware cause I've tried many configurations.

I'm stumped but If I find anything, i'll update.
 
Dude start here. Get a multimeter. test your power supply first. Plug your cd rom into it for a load and unplug everything else.. take a paper clip and short the green atx connector to a black ground wire on the same cable. Now plug it in. This will turn the powersupply on and allow you to test voltages on the yellow and red connectors that plugin to your devices. Yellow should be 12'ish volts.. usually 11.25+ .. your red should be 4.5+ - 5 volts. If not something is bad on your ps.

do not plug hardware into this motherboard that you suspect is doa. I've actually seen (worked w/) a motherboard that was frying components as you plugged them into it to test to see if it's the mb that's not working.. Take your vid card and see if it works on your buddies machine or your other machine if you have one. Do the same for your ram.

If you narrow it down that ram, vid card, and PSU are fine then you have a bad MB or bad CPU. Get your speaker like you were talkin about and take all the hardware off of the mb.. cpu included. turn it on and if you don't get any beeps.. your mb is dead as a mofo.
 
So get this, there is this little 4-pin power connecter. I noticed it but thought nothing of it because the 24-pin power connecter had a little 4-pin plug attached to it. I thought it could be used in either spot. Well I got a BTX/ATX PSU, its more BTX based than ATX based, lol. There is a second box of parts in my PSU box, it contains an adapter to make it more ATX based, lol. So when I get home I bet by bottom dollar that once I slap on that adapter and plug that 4-pin power connecter in it will all work just fine, lol.

You learn something new everyday, well.....almost everyday.


I'll update this thread when I get home and try it, I'm soooo excited!!!.
 
Back
Top