Help on first build

[zodiac7us]

Ok i just got everything connected together and go to turn it on, and i get this high piched sound coming out of the power supply, could it be bad? i just bought it last week. Help

[flanzig1]

Please list the brand and model number of the major parts/this helps in the troublshooting process.
High pich squeal could be a bad psu or a bad/shorted part overloading the PSU or a bad fan.
It's probably time to do the out-of case trouble shooting:http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=168456

[zodiac7us]

Ok everything is brand new
processor is a AMD Athlon 64 3800+
motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI
Ram is Buffalo DDR400 1GB
The case came with a 450watt power supply
Hard drive is a Maxtor 200GB

[786ARS]

it is probably the psu, as it came with the case, and the majority of cases with PSUs tend to have junk PSUs inside them.

[zodiac7us]

I thought that too so i tried a couple of other ones i have and they made the same sound, now i cant remember if they worked but they did make the same sound

[freakitchen]

Did you build the system out of the case as indicated in the thread linked to by Flanzig?

FK

[Peter Venkman]

Are you sure it's the power supply squealing.

I had this happen on my recent build. It turned out to be the video card, 8800GTS.
The power plug wasn't quite plugged in all the way, preventing the fan from runnuing and setting off a very loud high pitched warning squeal. It makes you kill the power fast!

[zodiac7us]

i havent done that yet but am going to try to build it out of the case tonight. My video card could be the problem but none of the fans are turning on, ill try it though thanks

[zodiac7us]

ok i took the mobo out and it worked! what next?

[Alaron]

If it works in the out of the case setup, its time to load it back into the case, making sure your standoffs are installed for each mounting hole.

Also, what case/psu do you have? If it is a poor quality unit, you should replace it.

[zodiac7us]

i have a xion case with a 450 psu its brand new i've noticed that the monitor doesnt come on after i put it back and it doesnt want to start when its in the case. help please

[zodiac7us]

Ok well now the monitor will not turn on and i cant get it to turn back on while it is in the case by starting it the way i did before. Is it the case? it is aluminum but just give me some ideas, im to tired to mess around with it anymore untill tomorrow. Help

[zodiac7us]

and what are standoffs?

[newbuilder14]

Standoffs are brass objects that screw into the case. They raise the motherboard above the metal case in effort to prevent electrical contact.

[Alaron]

Three things.

1. Xion power supplies are junk. Definitely replace it. Here is our brand list: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195 And this is my recommendation: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954

2. If it boots out of the case, but not inside, your board is probably shorting out against the case. A standoff is the piece on the left in this photo: http://www.short-media.com/images/mm...ipstandoff.jpg Make sure that you have one in each of the holes in the case to mount the motherboard. Your case should have come with some.

3. Please use the Edit button to add more to a post instead of making three in a row. Thanks.

[zodiac7us]

Ok this morning i get everything put together the standoff screws in place and everything set. i turn it on and it powers up the fans are running, but the monitor would not kick on. to check to see if it was bad i connected my other computer to it and the screen came up and was working fine. Last night when i put it together out of the case the screen worked fine. Is my video card bad? It's brand new. It is a ATI All in wonder X800. please help

[freakitchen]

No, if you got a display when the motherboard was out of the case, but fail to when the motherboard is in the case, then the board is shorting out against the case.

It's very important that you check and double check that you have standoffs installed ONLY where there is a corresponding hole in the motherboard to take a screw. Also check around the edges of the motherboard - I'm not familiar with that particular case, but some have a 'tray' that the board sits in - and the edges of of this could be touching the edge of the board.

FK

[zodiac7us]

Ok so i tried to take it ot again and start it like before and the monitor will not even come on. the fans came on and everything but the monitor wont come on. i think it is the video card. help

[freakitchen]

Ok, if the system is now built out of the case - with the minimum components connected - then you're looking at a faulty part. The only way to determine which one is by a process of elimination.

First thing to check - are you remembering to connect TWO power connectors to the motherboard - both the 24 Pin AND the extra 4 pin Auxliary connector. Forgetting the latter would cause a 'no display' issue.

If that isn't it, I'd try a different power supply. As Alaron has already pointed out, Xion units are very poor quality.

FK

EDIT: Another thought concerning power connectors - that video card may or may not require a dedicated power connector. If it does, and you've forgotten to connect it, this could also cause the problems you're experiencing.

[Cricket]

When you put the standoffs in the case did you only install them in the holes that line up to the mounting holes of the motherboard? Or did you install them in all the mounting tray holes? If you did then one of them may have touched a part of the motherboard it shouldn't have and burned something out.

Cricket

[scorpio_e]

I recently went through my first HELL build myself !!!!! I have a few suggestions.

If you power supply has a 20 pin connector and the board has a 24 pin connector, make sure you have the right pin configuration. My next suggestion is to go to the motherboard web site and check power supply compability.

I installed an ABIT board with a 500 ULTRA PSU. I got the fans to turn and then LED's on the board to light. I never got it to POST. I thought it was the vidoe card as well

I purchased a 650 watt ANTEC PSU and it booted up like a champ. New boards do not like cheap power supplies.

Good luck !!!!

[zodiac7us]

Ok finally got it to work, but now when it boots up it says detecting Array, and does nothing. What does that mean?

[Cricket]

Try going into the BIOS and disable the RAID option.

Cricket