Completed first build, problem booting up

[ninja_sin]

Hi, i've just finished my first build everything went fine i installed windows XP, everything booted. however when i turned it on again i heard no beep and nothing booted, so i opened the side panels of the case. when i did that it started to work again, im puzzled....any ideas on what the problem could be

[Cricket]

You might to check that you have the correct number of standoffs installed in the motherboard mounting tray. If you have any strays (those that don't line up to the mounting holes in the motherboard) the motherboard could be shorting/grounding out to it. With the case side installed it might be causing the case to warp just enough for the stray standoff to make contact with the underside of the motherboard. With the case side removed the case isn't warping and the standoff doesn't make contact with the underside of the motherboard and doesn't short/ground out the system.

Also make sure all power connections to the motherboard are firmly inserted and locked down.

Cricket

[cmevans88]

I heard on some motherboards you can set in the BIOS so the computer cannot boot when the case is opened. Could be rubbish though.

[ninja_sin]

thanx for your reply, ive checked the standoffs and they all seem to be in the right place, however there is one mounting hole where i havent placed a standoff , does that affect it.

im also thinking it could be a power supply issue, cos when it boots (i hear the beep), i keep switchiing it on/off and it works, then when i leave it for five mins or so it will turn on but wont boot up (i dont hear the beep).

heres my spec:
antec 350W
gigabyte ga-k8n-sli
amd 64 3000
XFX geforce6800xt
2 x 512mb crucial pc 3200 non eec

im thinkin is 350W sufficient enough?

[AnotherMuggle]

Originally Posted by cmevans88 I heard on some motherboards you can set in the BIOS so the computer cannot boot when the case is opened. Could be rubbish though.

That would require some kind of circuit breaker that becomes disconnected when the side of the case is removed. I've not heard of it before but it's certainly possible!

I'd go with what Cricket has said and check all the standoffs are ok!

A 350watt Antec would be a better choice than a lot of 350Watt supplies but it might still be struggling. I don't know offhand but have a look in the manual or search online to see what is recommended for that graphics card!

[Underhanded]

I checked around on a few sites, and according to Newegg.com, the XFX Geforce 6800XT (256mb version) PCI-e card requires a minimum of a 450W psu. Even if this isn't your specific card, it proves that the 6800XT is pretty power hungry.
350W psu, even an antec one, is not nearly enough power to run a mid level card like that, I would suggest investing in a quality power supply with a decent wattage.
Something like Antec Truepower 430W
Not sure what your budget is, but thats a fairly solid power supply for its price, and would most likely fill the needs of your card.

[AnotherMuggle]

Nice bit of research there Underhanded

However, since the card recommends a minimum of 450Watt then I would get a supply that is at least that.

What is your budget ninja_sin?

[Underhanded]

Meh, was mostly just throwing it out there as something to look for.
Without knowing what he's willing to spend, if anything, I didn't want to scare him away with some $90-$100 PSU, and I didn't want to suggest a junky 450W one just because its rated as 450.
Bah, I wanted to suggest the Enermax Liberty 500W x.@

[ninja_sin]

again thanx for your helps guys, i have a spare PSU which is 450W, tried same thing, boots up, den 3 mins later no boot up, however it some unknown brand called eco-smart, im guessin thats no good

@tomkear, anything around the £80-100 range i can do

@underhanded i have XFX Geforce 6800XT PCI-e but its the 128mb version, i do have a XFX geforce 6200 supporting 256mb would that demand less power?

on the other hand i just tried booting up without a graph card and i got one long beep, one short bleep, which i assume was because of no graphics card, but then again i turned it on after 5 mins with no graph card and no beeps whatsoever. so im thinkin either its my cheap brand 450w PSU or the motherboard is playin games with me...any suggestions?

[AnotherMuggle]

Underhanded - I think you just did sugest it

If its a cheap 450Watt PSU then it's probably not capable of outputting anything near to what it's rated at!

I would get an Antec / Enermax (as suggested by Underhanded) / Hiper, something along those lines!

There's a thread in these forums that can tell you which supplies are good and which are bad...I don't remember the title...have a quick search

[Alaron]

Our power supply list: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

[jayb1234]

A 550W Antec should be in your budget range.

There are 3 versions of the TruePower line, that would work well.

The eps version has the 4/8 pin auxillary power connector for motherboards that need the 8 pin but the extra 4 pins can be detached for boards that only neeed the 4 pin.

The TruePower Trio has about 50% more power available on the 12V rails than the other 2.

Those newegg prices look like they will be in your range after converting to GBP and adding the VAT.

[glc]

Whatever you get for a PSU, it has to be ATX 2.0 spec, and if you ever anticipate adding a second card for SLI, you should get a certified PSU.

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizon..._powersupplies

[ninja_sin]

hi guys, i went and ordered an antec truecontrol 550W power supply, installed it, same problem. I'm thinking the motherboard is now faulty, any ideas?

thanx

[AnotherMuggle]

Have you tried taking everything out of the case and running the system outside of the case to see if it runs ok?

That would eliminate the possibility of the motherboard shorting out!

[freakitchen]

Originally Posted by tomkear2006 Have you tried taking everything out of the case and running the system outside of the case to see if it runs ok? That would eliminate the possibility of the motherboard shorting out!

Instructions here:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=132409

FK

[ninja_sin]

Hi, tried the out of case technique and still i get the same problem so im guessing the motherboard is faulty. This is the 2nd replacement, the previous one was DOA, im wondering if gigabyte are reliable at all now. i contacted gigabyte and they say its either the CPU or the motherboard. they told me to test the CPU in another system but i dont have another system so im hoping it is the motherboard. does anybody know that the chances are its the CPU. i have a AMD 64 3000

[freakitchen]

Certainly unususal to have two DOA motherboards, and indeed, a DOA CPU - though unfortunately, not impossible. I'd consider Gigabyte to be a decent quality manufacturer.

Here's a thought - with the motherboard still out of the case, try disconnecting both the video card and the RAM. You SHOULD get multiple beeps in this case indicating the missing parts. If you hear nothing, that would point to a dead motherboard or CPU.

FK

[glc]

CPU's generally work or they don't - if they go bad, the board won't even start and you won't get *any* beeps.