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| Thread ID: 23430 | 2002-08-16 04:36:00 | New PC Won't Go. | Alasta (1420) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 71461 | 2002-08-16 04:36:00 | I have just been assembling the following components: DFI AK-75EC motherboard AMD Duron 1.2GHz processor 256Mb PC-100 SDRAM Procase ATX case All the other usual bits and pieces. Everything, as far as I can tell, has been assembled fine. However, when I turn the machine on, the CPU fan runs but there is no picture displayed on the monitor. The motherboard does not emit any diagnostic beeps. Usually the hard drive busy indicator flashes breifly on startup. I have worn an anti-static wrist strap throughout the assembly process. When I initially switched the thing on, I found that it would intermittantly not go at all. I eventually discovered that on occassions when the CPU fan did start running okay, tilting the case back would cause it to cut out. After a bit of poking and prodding, I eventually traced it to a bad connection to the internal speaker (apparently, the machine won't boot at all without the speaker connected) and fixing this ensured that the CPU fan now always starts running when the machine is booted. However, there is still nothing appearing on the monitor on bootup (I think it's highly unlikely that the bad speaker connection is related to the lack of response on the monitor, but it's still worth mentioning). The troubleshooting guides that I have looked at merely suggest the obvious, mainly checking all the connections. As well as doing this, I have tried using two different video cards (one PCI and one AGP), two different monitors (one sourcing power from the PSU and one sourcing power independantly from a three-pin-socket), and I have tried disconnecting all unessential peripherals (such as CD drive and network card). Nothing seems to make any difference. Where do I go from here? Is there obvious diagnostic technique that I haven't tried? Is this definitely a hardware fault? If so, can I be reasonably certain that the motherboard is at fault, or could it be any number of things? Is there anything that I can do to ascertain with certainty whether the motherboard is faulty (to avoid the risk of sending back a part which is actually okay)? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. |
Alasta (1420) | ||
| 71462 | 2002-08-16 04:40:00 | I would guess that the CPU is not functioning, hence no intelligent activity. HDD light will be simply a reset on power-up. | godfather (25) | ||
| 71463 | 2002-08-16 05:16:00 | If the CPU was shot, surely the BIOS would still be able to emit the diagnostic beeps though? Anyway, it's worth a look. The thing is, I don't really know how I could screw up the installation of the actual CPU. It wouldn't surprise me if I had screwed up the installation of the heatsink and fan, but if that was the case, the CPU should still be able to operate sufficiently to at least bring up a picture on the monitor. Anyway, it looks like I'm going to have to tear out the motherboard and re-inspect the CPU placement. How common is it for CPUs to be DOA? I'll let y'all know what I find. In the meantime, any other suggestions would be greatfully appreciated. |
Alasta (1420) | ||
| 71464 | 2002-08-16 05:22:00 | Without a CPU, the motherboard has the intelligence of a floor tile. I don't see how the bios diagnostic could function at all without a CPU, it cannot be addressed? tweak'e where are you! Help this person! |
godfather (25) | ||
| 71465 | 2002-08-16 05:24:00 | A technician was telling me recently that running the CPU for a couple of SECONDS without the heat sink or CPU fan will kill it... Any confimation anyone? |
Heather P (163) | ||
| 71466 | 2002-08-16 05:26:00 | No, floor tiles are more intelligent, and much kinder to bare feet when walked on . ;-) However, the POST is code contained in the BIOS package . That code is executed by the CPU . No CPU, no POST . This does look serious . :-( |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 71467 | 2002-08-16 05:28:00 | It may pay you to check the m/b manual regarding the fan connector on the board. I had a similar problem with an ABIT mobo, which has 2 fan connectors. In my case the manual omitted to say if you connected the fan to the wrong one, then the BIOS thought there wasnt a fan, and wouldnt allow the CPU to fire up. Just a remote possibility you have something similar. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 71468 | 2002-08-16 05:41:00 | Good point. And since documentation is not always correct ;-) check what is printed beside the fan sockets. Also the new ones have 3 pin connectors because there is a speed sensor, so that the CPU can shut down if the fan stops. If you have connected the fan one pin off, it might spin the disk, but not have the speed sensor connected. | Graham L (2) | ||
| 71469 | 2002-08-16 05:47:00 | Is it good practice to plug the cpu fan in first and test it before installing the CPU, just in case? G P |
Graham Petrie (449) | ||
| 71470 | 2002-08-16 05:57:00 | Not really GP, it's probably much better to test the fan first of all from a separate 12v supply rather than plugging into the m/b. | Terry Porritt (14) | ||
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