Help me on my first build.

[CommieKid]

Hey guys, I just have an array of questions to throw at you. This is my first build and I don't know much about computers. Please excuse my ignorance.

1. On the PC Mechanic build PC instructions it claims that I have to connect a sound cable from the CD/DVD Drive to the Sound card on the Motherboard. What does this cable look like? Does it come with my motherboard? Where do I have to plug it in my motherboard? (My motherboard is an ASUS A8N32 SLI Deluxe)

2. The long Ribbon that connects from my CD/DVD Drive to my Motherboard has 3 outlets... 1 At the top, 1 at the end, and 1 in the middle..... Does anything need to be connected in the middle?

3. I have plugged in my LED lights in the proper motherboard LED pins. Can these LED's be plugged in both sides? Or does the LED need to be plugged in a certain way?

That's all for now... That'll keep you entertained until I can give you people more of my ignorant love.

[joshrogoff]

1. Don't bother with that cable, its not necessary.

2. Nope. That middle connection is for the slave, which is another device (hard drive, another optical drive) which has its jumper setting set to slave.

3. What LED are you talking about, the one for the hard drive? If so, there is a positive and negative pole which need to be connected to the coresponding terminal. Check mobo manual to find out which is which.

[CommieKid]

Thanks for the help, but are you absolutely sure that the Hard Drive uses the same Ribbon as the CD/DVD? My motherboard came with 3 ribbons. 1 for the Hard Drive, 1 for the floppy, and 1 for the DVD.

[joshrogoff]

Originally Posted by CommieKid Thanks for the help, but are you absolutely sure that the Hard Drive uses the same Ribbon as the CD/DVD? My motherboard came with 3 ribbons. 1 for the Hard Drive, 1 for the floppy, and 1 for the DVD.

Yes, i'm absolutly positive that you can use the same cable, they are one in the same. Just make sure you have the primary set to primary and the slave set to slave and you shouldn't have a problem.

[CommieKid]

So I set the DVD to Master, and Hard Drive to slave?

Again sorry i'm really dumb.

[joshrogoff]

Other way around..

[Staren]

Um, CommieKid could you post the model of your motherboard and hard drive please? I noticed no one has asked yet, and we don't know if the hard drive is IDE or SATA. That makes a huge diffrence on your 2nd question.

[minsonngo]

THE HDD with the Operatiing System on it should always be on the PRIMARY IDE channel as the MASTER drive. Any secondary device on the SAME cable will be set as slave. USE the 80-wire 40-pin IDE cable for the best performance from your HDD. (If you are using Cable Select (CS) instead of master/slave settings, then put the HDD at the END of the cable and any secondary device on the MIDDLE connector).

If you have two drives (in your case, ONE HDD and ONE CD/DVD drive) you can have the HDD on the PRIMARY or the first IDE channel set as MASTER, SINGLE, or CS. AND then the CD/DVD drive set as MASTER, SINGLE, or CS on the SECONDARY IDE CHANNEL.

NOW if you have a SATA (Serial ATA drive), there is usually NO need to jumper the HDD, JUST make sure you use a SATA cable and connect it to the FIRST SATA port on the motherboard.

[CommieKid]

Motherboard = ASUS A8N 32 SLI-DELUXE

Hard Drive = Western Digital 16k 400GB 7200 RPM

[CommieKid]

Right now i'm just begging to get into the BIOS and not install my Hard Drive yet....

I've attached the power to my DVD/DRIVE and attached the ribbon.

When I turn on my computer, all I see is my green motherboard light and no fans turn on. Not even my CD/DVD Drive will open. I have no idea if I installed my LED's correctly because my manual doesn't say how to install them. Also, there are alot of 1-pin things that I need to install. They are all bunched together and control the front power button on my computer..... Does that need to be installed for my computer to work? If so, where do I install them?

[minsonngo]

Yes those need to be installed for the power button, reset button, LEDs, and etc. on the front of your case to work so you can power up your system.

Otherwise you can temporarily power up your system by using a flat head screw driver to "SHORT" the appropriate pins on your motherboard to power it on. Check your motherboard manual for the appropriate pins to power on.

[CommieKid]

Minsonngo I just installed my Power, reset, LEDS, and ETC on the front of my Case according to my motherboard manual.

I still get a glowing green light, but none of my LED's light up. (I'm pretty sure they are polarized correctly). When I press my power button on my case, nothing even lights up.

My Monitor is plugged into my video card, and no signal... Not even my keyboard will function using my USB Ports.

[CommieKid]

Oh and BTW: Which pole is negative and which pole is positive? I checked an online guide on how to install the Power, Reset, and LED Pins and the diagram showed all of them facing towards the bottom of the computer.... So that's how I set up mine.

[minsonngo]

Are you certain that your PSU is installed properly?

Is it connected to the motherboard correctly?

Is there anything shorting out the motherboard like extra screw standoffs?

Is the manual power switch in the back of the PSU flipped to the on position?

Is the AC cord plugged into the PSU and also to the surge protector connected to the power outlet on the wall?

Is the PSU set at 115v instead of 230v?

[CommieKid]

I called ASUS and troubleshooted my Motherboard. They said I need a new BIOS chip from the BIOS department.

[minsonngo]

Hmm... still sounds like like a power issue to me.

I don't see how a faulty BIOS chip would keep the system from being able to power on. Usually if there is a problem with the BIOS the machine will still power on, it just will not POST or it may give you some BIOS beep or error code. I may be wrong but I guess we will have to wait and see...

[CommieKid]

Oh! Sorry I forgot to tell you.

I turned on the Power supply, then plugged in the 1-pin ports correctly and turned on my power! My fans started spinning and I nearly died from joy.

But since nothing projected on the screen, they said I needed a new BIOS chip.

[minsonngo]

Okay, NOW it sounds about right. Let me know how it goes.

[CommieKid]

LOL, oh my god the staff at ASUS are IDIOTS. I managed to get to my BIOS screen, and i'm installing all the LED's and fans right now....

My Ribbon currently cannot physically fit with the Drive and Hard drive, as both of them are an inch too far away. Can I use another Ribbon and attach it seperately? I Only have a Floppy and IDE port for ribbons... Which should go in which?

[CommieKid]

WOW I AM AN IDIOT. A ribbon doesn't even FIT into my Hard DRIVE.

LAWL, I AM DUMB.

I'm guessing just the SATA Cable and the Power and i'm good to go?

[minsonngo]

Originally Posted by CommieKid LOL, oh my god the staff at ASUS are IDIOTS. I managed to get to my BIOS screen, and i'm installing all the LED's and fans right now....

I thought what they said wasn't right...


*************
80-wire 40-pin IDE cables for your drives.

If your HDD is SATA instead of IDE then you will need the 7-wire SATA cable instead.

For your floppy drive if you have one, connect the twisted end of the floppy cable into the floppy and the other end of the cable to the motherboard.

[CommieKid]

So just Power and the Red SATA cable and it's good to go?

[minsonngo]

Yep. Make sure you connect the SATA cable to the first SATA port available on the motherboard. They should be numbered, just connect it to the lowest numbered one (usually 0 or 1).

[CommieKid]

This is very strange, when I had a bare motherboard and my main components attached I could enter the BIOS. Now I can't do it when I have my fans and case LED's running....... Wierd.

[Staren]

It actually won't let you, like it gives you an error? Or does it simply move too fast past where it asks you to get into BIOS? If you have a blank hard drive and other empty drives connected it will boot up as far as giving you a disk error at first. That's normal. Since you know what key to hit to get into BIOS now, what I would try is start tapping it just before you turn the computer on. Then keep tapping it slowly and the computer should slip into the BIOS screen before it can boot too far along.

[minsonngo]

Just follow Staren's advice. That does sound like your problem.

[CommieKid]

Originally Posted by Staren It actually won't let you, like it gives you an error? Or does it simply move too fast past where it asks you to get into BIOS? If you have a blank hard drive and other empty drives connected it will boot up as far as giving you a disk error at first. That's normal. Since you know what key to hit to get into BIOS now, what I would try is start tapping it just before you turn the computer on. Then keep tapping it slowly and the computer should slip into the BIOS screen before it can boot too far along.

Nothing even shows up on my screen. My motherboard light is green, my fans are running, my leds are running, but nothing onscreen.

[minsonngo]

Try clearing the CMOS/BIOS via the jumpers on the motherboard. Refer to your motherboard for instructions.

Double check and make sure everything is connected and seated properly too. Also make sure nothing is grounding the motherboard like loose screws, unused motherboard standoffs, loose cables, and etc.

[CommieKid]

Unfortunately, it seems that i've made sure everything is in the clear and it still doesn't work. I think i'm going to take it to a computer store for Hands-on sake.

[Staren]

Out of curiosity, what is your power supply model? We know the core parts are good because it booted once. I'm thinking low quality / wattage power supply at this point.