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General discussion

Perplexed by a computer I'm buiding!

Jun 7, 2007 11:59AM PDT

Ok, I'm putting together a computer for someone, and I need some help. It's kind of important to me, becuase I rather insisted she let me do it, and there's been considerable delays, and I don't know why it's not working now.

Ok, well, I'll start listing everything I bought.

-A standard, mid sized ATX case that came with a 480W power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811209022

-An Socket 754 AMD motherboard that came bundled with a GeForce 7100.
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813138050

-A stick of Corsair, 1GB RAM that matches the mobo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145505

-A 2.2GHz AMD64 3200+ processor.
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103035

I also have a CD/DVD burner, fans, additional sound and ethernet cards, as well as a hard drive.

When I first recieved it all in the mail, and put it all together, it wouldn't turn on. By that I mean it was all hooked up in the case, wired correctly (I mean the jumpers to the case buttons), and I got no response from it whatsoever. No lights turned on, no POST, nothing.

I know it was wired right, because my first assumption was that the power button wasn't hooked up correctly. Well I read the manual/jumper configuration over and over, and eventually even tried to boot that computer using the power button from my own computer, and vice versa. Well my case couldn't turn on the other computer, but the other case could turn on my computer. So I ruled out the case button was shorted. My computer is a similar architecture, and so I was able to assert that the other computer's processor, RAM, and power supply all worked in my computer.

I assumed the motherboard was broken. I got it replaced, and it just arrived today. Same problem. Sad Please help, I don't know what could possibly be wrong.

Discussion is locked

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i'm perplexed...
Jun 7, 2007 12:36PM PDT

as to why you purchased a dead platform. socket 754 is obsolete and you'll be hard pressed to find a cpu for it in 6 months. this biostar with the 7025 chipset would have had comparable graphics built-in, would support the current amd socket standard (am2) and would be cheaper overall. the money you saved on the video card and mobo would have allowed you to get an x2 3800+ dual core. if you can afford the restocking fees, consider exchanging the kit.

as for your problem, are you sure you've got the speaker connected properly (that's vital to get the beep codes)? did you connect the 4pin aux cpu power (beside the main atx connector)?

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re
Jun 7, 2007 12:45PM PDT

There won't be any upgrades on the computer, knowing the user, and I think there's been too much delay to resend it all back. I guess I did lack some foresight, but we are where we are.

There's no sound or response at all. The motherboard doesn't light up, and no fans move, and wouldn't you notice one of these, even if the POST wasn't making any sound? And yes, the power cables are all in. There's a 20 pin, an additional 4 pin that goes right in with the 20 pin, and the 4 pin aux. Can I ask if the additional 4 pin next to the 20 are necessary or why they're there? I'm not talking about the aux.

But the problem remains. Sad

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like profitt said, start naked
Jun 7, 2007 11:58PM PDT

make sure the mobo speaker works even if you have to swap it with your pc's speaker.

the 4pin connector beside the 20 pin is necessary... it provides direct cpu power.

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The usuals.
Jun 7, 2007 9:15PM PDT

Too many parts. Start with NO CASE, just motherboard on cardboard, PSU, CPU+HSF, motherboard speaker and power up. It should beep in protest unless a jumper is on wrong.

One manual had the RESET mismarked and people would connect their HD LED to it and 1/2 the time they returned the board. The above test would have helped.

Bob

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Re:
Jun 8, 2007 5:51AM PDT

What do you mean no case? How do I power up without using the case button? Short the jumper or something? Aside from returning the motherboard /again/, that was my last thought, that they were mislabeled.

And thanks for the help.

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No case is NOCASE.
Jun 8, 2007 11:20PM PDT

How I power up without the case button is to use a metal pen and connect the power pins for a split second.

The reason for no case is that many install too many metal standoffs or there is something amiss with the case mounting. We have to move to bare minimum parts and work (crawl?) forward to a big machine.

Bob

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perplexed by a computer I'm building
Jun 9, 2007 4:29AM PDT

If nothing else that you have tried works, I suspect that you have not reset the jumper on the CLEAR CMOS panel from pins 2-3(CLEAR CMOS) to pins 1-2 (NORMAL). The board is normally shipped with the jumper in the Clear CMOS position ( pins 2-3 shorted). You must reset the jumpers to allow the board to power up and function normally.