New system build – no power . advice? [power supply] [motherboard]
Q: Im putting together a new system and I really think that the connections are all correct, but I have absolutely nothing happens when I try to power it up. I do not know if a power problem, motherboard or what. Component list is in my signature below.
This is my first system build, so I think I probably have some rookie mistake made. Please advise. Thank you.
Best Answer: You may have to overclock the processor, maybe not. But according to this review the 512mb version of the 4870 runs crysis pretty good at that resolution. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-4870,1964-9.html
scroll to the very bottom for the resolution you'll be playing at.
But yes, I do think you could run it on the highest settings.
Re:Originally posted by: guy
Yes, the 12V power connection is plugged in too, so I think I can eliminate that. Actually, after carefully disconnecting everything and reconnecting, I think the problem is your prior suggestion about the power button being defective.
Do you know how I could check this? Is there a way to check the actual power supply itself?
When I have it plugged in and turn on the power switch in back, I notice a quick orange flash in the NIC card, so that would leave me to believe that power is getting to the motherboard. I guess that's why I'm thinking the problem is the actual power switch on the front of the case.If you suspect that the case's power button is defective, remove its wire from the motherboard's pins, and instead, make a momentary electrical connection between those pins by another method, such as touching a piece of metal against them (screwdriver tip, for example (http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/guy/powertrip.jpg)).
From what you said about the NIC flashing its orange light momentarily, and then the light going out, I wonder if you have a short-circuit condition somewhere. Because the link light would usually come on and stay on, even when the computer is not running. If nothing else comes to light, you might want to remove the motherboard from the case and lay it on cardboard as a way of narrowing down the possibilities. Unplug any unnecessary stuff (case's USB or Firewire cables, drives, unnecessary cards) and just test with CPU, memory, video card, no keyboard, no mouse. Try powering it up like that.
Good luck!
Re:Orion 23, yep, both the 24 pin connector and the 12V one near the CPU are plugged into the board and the switch on the back of the power supply is on.
As far reversing the front IO connections, do you just mean reverse the order of pins on the motherboard? If so, yeah I tried that but didn't seem to work either. I'm quite confused as to what's wrong, as I was really meticulous about everything.
Re:So the 2 connectors from the PSU are connected to the motherboard right?
The switch on the PSU itself is "ON"
How about the Front IO connections. Did you try to re-wire those, sometimes reversing those can help!
Re:Yes, the 12V power connection is plugged in too, so I think I can eliminate that. Actually, after carefully disconnecting everything and reconnecting, I think the problem is your prior suggestion about the power button being defective.
Do you know how I could check this? Is there a way to check the actual power supply itself?
When I have it plugged in and turn on the power switch in back, I notice a quick orange flash in the NIC card, so that would leave me to believe that power is getting to the motherboard. I guess that's why I'm thinking the problem is the actual power switch on the front of the case.
Re:Also, I was looking at a photo of that motherboard (http://www.pcstats.com/articleimages/200502/msik8nneo4SLI_full.jpg) to see if it had extra power fittings. That photo's not big enough for me to tell for certain if it has a third and/or a fourth power fitting like some SLI boards feature. But I noticed that the ATX12V receptacle is in a place where it would be easy to overlook it, so is the ATX12V cable (http://www.mechbgon.com/build/ATX12V.jpg) definitely plugged in, as well as the 24-pin main?
Re:One of the simplest reasons for a no-power condition is that you've got a faulty power switch on your case, or that the case's pushbutton is not actuating the electrical switch behind it for some reason. Or maybe you've got the power button's wire hooked up to the incorrect pair of pins on the motherboard (sometimes the markings are hard to decipher or misleading, check the manual for the pinout).
Re:Hey guy, it's an MSI K8N Neo4 SLI. Sorry, I thought I put that in my signature but noticed after your question that I had not. I'm gonna try taking everything apart and starting over to see if I missed something or what, but if you have any new thoughts as to what my mistake might be, please advise. Thanks!
Re:Thanks guy. Yeah, I did use the standoffs but went back and loosened them all and then retightened them just to the point of being somewhat snug in case I had them too tight. I don't think this was the problem, but I do appreciate the thought..
Re:1) what brand and model of motherboard is it?
2) for pictures of standoffs, which newbies sometimes forget to use, click here (http://www.mechbgon.com/build/caseprep2.html)
Re:check the standoffs. Make sure they're placed correctly and not touching the PCB of the motherboard as this will cause the motherboard to ground itself, thus..not power. They have to be lined up with the mounting holes.
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Tags: motherboard, power supply