New build works, Most of the time

[Jim Lovejoy]

I am building a new PC for the first time with my 10 year old son . Wish I had joined this forum before I started but live and learn.

I bought a 10 year old boy style, XaserV Damier V5000C Thermaltake case with a Powermax 450W power supply. (way too many fans and cables)

Other components:

Processor: Intel PD 805 775 2.66G 2x1M ( P4 Smithfield?)

MB: Gigabyte GA-8i945GZME-RH 945GZ

Memory: Kingston DII533 KVR533D2N4/1G R, 2 1gb Modules

Video: EVGA GeForce 7600GT 256-P2-N554-AX

Hard Drive: 320 GB Sata 2 ST3320620AS

DVD: Samsung SH-S182M/BEBN

Modem: USR5670 56k V.92 PCI

Floppy drive:

I had trouble with the power switch, It was broken so it wouldn't stay in the case but I used a little epoxy and it seemed to work so I kept going.

I put all this stuff together in the case and turned it on. It worked. I installed XP Pro. Lego something or other for the boy and he was happy, I was pleased with myself and all was right with the world.

The next day we tried to start it and nothing happened. No beeps. Dead. Tried a couple of times nothing. Then all of a sudden it started like nothing was wrong. But now I'm worried.

Two days later we start it up. It starts to boot up and then dies. Then it won't start. So I start searching for help and find this site. I read the stickies about the outside build and go home last night to prepare for the worst. Trying to take it apart to do an out of box build is daunting because of all the silly fan cables. I had done such a good job of tying everything up out of the way and now I will have to cut all those cable ties in order to get the MB out.

So of course I try to start it up before I take it apart and it works. I leave it running for a couple of hours. It is working fine.

What to do when it doesn't start again?

The question is: If I take it apart to do the out of box build I can't necessarily diagnose the problem because it seems a random occurrence. It could work out of the box as it does in the box. I could put it back together and it would not work.

It might be an idea to start it with a screwdriver for a while to see if is the switch acting up. If it consistently starts then I might try to replace the switch. (where would I get just the two wire switch?) But there isn't much to go wrong with the switch itself. What else causes the computer to just sit there like a hunk of plastic. Is there a simple way to diagnose the power supply?

Any thoughts?

Thanks a lot

[Underhanded]

Using a power supply that comes with a case is rarely a good idea.
Powermax is not a very good brand of PSU, and I would likely label that as the problem.
Check here for a list of good and bad PSU brands.
I would reccomend replacing the PSU (though someone else might have a less drastic solution for you)
http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Jim Lovejoy The question is: If I take it apart to do the out of box build I can't necessarily diagnose the problem because it seems a random occurrence. It could work out of the box as it does in the box. I could put it back together and it would not work.

I would still do the out-of-case assembly with no drives or unnecessary parts connected just to see if the core parts are okay. If you can get the core parts to POST consistently then you know the problem lies elsewhere. But if the problem persists then you have a starting point and can troubleshoot to find out exactly which core part is causing the problem.

Originally Posted by Jim Lovejoy It might be an idea to start it with a screwdriver for a while to see if is the switch acting up. If it consistently starts then I might try to replace the switch.

Instead of doing this you could just swap the power switch with the reset switch as the two are identical. Put the reset switch leads on the PWR ON pins and if the computer starts up everytime you know the power switch needs to be replaced. If the problem persists then you know you have to look elsewhere.

Do the out-of-case troubleshooter first, it really helps to isolate the problem quickly.

Cricket

[moodyblues100]

Before resorting to an out of the case built, I would try removing the power switch wires and jump the pins with a screwdriver to see if it boots and makes a difference. You mention a problem with the switch, so maybe there is some internal damage that is causing the problem.

EDIT: Should have read Crickets post a little more closely. He was pretty much thinking the same thing as me, but had a slightly different fix.

[Katreat]

I agree, since you noted damage to the switch, it would be the first place I would start. I would just stop by Radio Shack (or equivalent, auto stores also sell them) and by a cheap switch. Wire it up and let it hang there for a week or so. If the problem goes away then you can take the time to shop for a nice looking replacement. The screwdriver will work fine, but it is nice just to have something to turn on and off.

[Jim Lovejoy]

Thanks for all the input. This is a great forum.

I guess I will go home and try to play some more with this thing. See if it works. Sounds like working with the reset button will be the simplest thing for now.

One thought I had. Would an experienced person build the basic system out of the box before even trying to put a new build together in the case or do these systems generally go together well enough that you wouldn't take that extra step before proceeding with your build?

It seems to me that I would have been better off to check the components as suggested before setting the motherboard in place and hooking up all 5 of these fans (yes Five!)

[glc]

Would an experienced person build the basic system out of the box before even trying to put a new build together in the case

I've been building for over 10 years and I *always* validate the core components in this manner.

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

[Jim Lovejoy]

Well for anyone interested, the system is still working, starts right up. Go figure. Thanks again for the help.

I do read the sticky's before posting and I thought it might be a good idea for one of the smart guys to post a sticky that says " Before you begin.."

I am sure most folks like me don't find this forum until they are in a panic and have already gone wrong but it makes sense to have a sticky with some pointers for those who are smart enough to look before they leap.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Jim Lovejoy Would an experienced person build the basic system out of the box before even trying to put a new build together in the case or do these systems generally go together well enough that you wouldn't take that extra step before proceeding with your build?

I've been building for 10 years and have been doing the out-of-case assembly to validate core components before I assembly them in the case for at least the last 7 years (after I found this forum).

Cricket

[Panama Red]

Building in the case raises the probablilty of creating a startup issue - experienced or not. Assembling the core components outside the case first will validate those components as good prior to installation. Much easier to troubleshoot 3 or 4 core devices than it is to determine a problem when everything is assembled. If you do decide to take your chances and put everything in the case before you push the start button, be prepared to take it all apart and do the out of case test to determine the cause of no startup. Much easier to do the out of case test than to disconnect all your nicely tied off wiring and cable routing. Kinda like the old Fram Filter commercial - "Pay me now or pay me later!"

[glc]

Link to the procedure is now added to the existing sticky - advice on a new build, read before posting.