friends build problems

[shadowdeth]

nothin but problems for me these last few months. My friend started a build about 2 weeks ago and its his first build. Here are the specs.
p4-2.8ghz
ram-512 mb ddr400
hard drive-40gb western digital, IDE
mobo-pt800ce-a ecs elite group
video card-geforce 6600 gt AGP

anyway he is going out of town and he asked if i would look at his build. So he brought it over to my house. He said he could get the fans to turn on but thats it. No image on the screen or anything. When i attached the 4 pin connector i got an image on the screen and it said memory testing( random number i dont remember) than hyper threading technology enabled. Than nothing. I couldent get into bios or anything. Any ideas?

[ktkendall]

I would inspect next for proper installation and connection of the processor heat sink fan.. Sounds like it's immediantly overheating and shuting down..

[kodmaster]

you get some graphics if so then check out http://www.7volts.com/troubleshooting.htm
it works great

[shadowdeth]

i tried this http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=132409. and i recieved the same result. I belive now that the problem is with the motherboard. Has anyone else had a similar problem? if so what turned out to be the faulty component.

[ktkendall]

If everything is installed correctly on the out of the case barebones startup and it still does not startup then you are down to motherboard, memory, processor, or PSU faulty, so if you have no spare parts to change out with, then you have to follow your best course of action, like RMA the motherboard and go from there. Did you check for all the proper power connections hooked into the motherboard, (P4 has that extra one with the 4 pins), and especially check heatsink fan installation and connections. If the CPU heatsink fan is not properly connected to the cpu fan header on the motherboard, then usually the settings in the BIOS won't allow the PC to startup. The fact that you get the PC to post and start to load the BIOS is why I was thinking overheating and shutting down, which on newbuilds is usually caused by improper alignment/installation/ and or hookup of the CPU heatsink fan.

[shadowdeth]

i swapped out the processor and i got it to detect the hard drive. But than it shut itself off. I belive now the problem is due to overheating. Im using ony a heatsink of a 2.8 ghz p4 and i swapped it with a 3.4 ghz p4. So im gonna buy a new heatsink and fan tomorow and post what happens

[ktkendall]

Chances are if you just remove the heatsink, clean off the old gunk really well with alcohol, put a dab of good thermal paste on there, and very carefully reinstall the HSF, checking for alignment as you go, and connect the fan to the fan header you'll probably be good to go. Point I'm trying to make is that there is probably nothing wrong with the HSF you have now, it just is probably not making good contact with the processor..

[shadowdeth]

i didnt get a new heatsink and fan i just tried applying some thermal paste and now i cant get anything again. Back to my original problem.

[ktkendall]

Does it still start loading the BIOS?? Do you get any beeps??

[shadowdeth]

i get no beeps, though i did get into bios 1 time

[ktkendall]

Really is starting to sound like bad motherboard or processor now.