First build - pulling my hair out

[jimmiebananas]

Hello,

So I decided on Sunday that I'd try my hand at building my first computer and so far it's gone horribly.

I can't get a single thing to happen - no lights, no fans, no beeps, nothing at all. I bought the components (listed below) at Micro Center. It's "build your own system month" so after my first attempt I brought back the motherboard, CPU and RAM to get a free post test. The post test passed and the tech said he successfully booted to BIOS and configured it to default settings, recognized all the RAM and everything. They also used a volt meter to test the power supply. I figured as much (that it was my fault, not the components) so I brought it home to try again.

I think that I've got everything hooked up correctly, but I can't get ANYTHING to happen. I know that I've never done this before, but there just isn't that much to hook up. I've tried a few things, including a nice bench testing tutorial, flipping around leads (+/-), using a different outlet, etc. to no avail. Can anyone think of a reason that this isn't working (besides a bad component)? Below is what I'm attempting to put together.

I'm trying to avoid paying 80 bucks for a diagnostic to find out I'm just an idiot.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L S775 P43
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200
RAM: OCZ 4GB DDR2 PC-6400 (2 pair of 2GB for 8GB total)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB SATA
Optical Drive: IPSG Samsung 22x DVDRW SATA
Case: Sigma Phantom ATX Case (500W power supply included)

Thanks in advance!

[jimmiebananas]

Forgot to mention the video card. It's a Radeon 9250 - 256MB PCI, from my old computer

[juppy]

Well, for starters, I don't know that I'd just take that tech's word for it, that it posted right. If you want to do it yourself, just to make sure, this is a good thread to walk you through it.
PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!!

After that, before suspecting bad parts, start looking for what would seem obvious.
Power cord plugged in?
Is there a switch on the back of the power supply that needs turned on? No power without that flipped on.
Look for things grounding out the motherboard, like maybe a dropped screw that's lodged underneath (believe me, it happens more often than you'd think).
Did your motherboard come with any kind of standoffs to keep the mobo up off the case metal? Make sure those are installed correctly and ONLY in the holes that you put the screws through. Some people put ALL of them in the case, maybe 8 or 9 of them, and then only have 5 or 6 screw holes on the motherboard. Well, the rest of those standoffs will be grounding out whatever they touch.
On that link I gave ya, it tells how to use a screwdriver to arc the two startup pins together to get the power going. That's another thing to check....don't automatically think your switch is good. If you're using the switch to try and start it, take its plug off the mobo and just arc the two pins on the mobo together temporarily to make the connection.

[jdeb]

make sure the rocker switch is on on the back of the power supply. follow the link mentioned from the above post.

[jimmiebananas]

Thanks you both very much for the replies!

Below are the answers to your questions.

juppy:
Thanks for the thread, I tried all of that last night before posting. I even took the power supply out of the case - put everything on the case's cardboard box. But I did do 2 things differently:
1) Used the actual power switch lead instead of a screwdriver for the power button. I'm positive it was hooked up correctly, even tried reversing it.
2) Had all 4 RAM sticks installed (which the tech told me worked fine for him) Tonight I'll try it by shorting the PW_SW pins and with only 1 stick of RAM at a time.

To answer your other questions:
1) Yes I quadruple checked the power cord/outlet/surge protector
2) Yes, there is a switch on the power supply - tried it both ways about a billion times
3) Grounding - checked for that as well - took the motherboard mounting plate out of the case and looked with a flashlight underneath. All I saw were the standoffs, no loose wires or screws (they're the metal hex ones)
4) I double checked the standoffs - there are 7 of them and they all have screws in them (case provided screws and washers)

jdeb:
Per my reply to juppy, I did try the rocker switch both ways.

I'll let you know if I have any luck tonight!

[not important]

Do the testing exactly as described in this thread w/ the Motherboard NOT attached to anything.:http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=132409

The Power Supply rocker switch should labeled with an I & 0--"I" is ON and "0" is OFF.

[jimmiebananas]

Ok, so when I got home from work I followed the instructions on the URL you posted and still got nothing - absolutely nothing.

Here is a picture of the setup - it's on top of the box the case came in

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9166/widesp7.jpg

You'll notice the only things connected are:
20-pin power to mobo
4 pin (+12V) power to mobo
CPU - heat sink, fan and cpu fan lead
Video card
1 stick of RAM

Here is a picture of me attempting to get it started by shorting the power switch pins with a pair of needle nosers

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7680/closets2.jpg

You'll notice an empty botte of Stella Artois on the floor because I'm losing my mind.

Unfortunately I feel I may have reached the point in actually dishing out some cash for someone to look at this thing. If anyone has any more suggestions, they'd be greatly appreciated!

[Strider]

First I would suggest using a flat head screw driver instead of pliers in attempting to power up you computer. Second Do you get a green light on your motherboard or hear any beeps at all when powering up? Last get a power supply testor (or volt meter) take the load off the power supply (By this I mean disconnect everything) an test the power supply to make sure it's OK. You might want to check you memory sticks to see if they're OK.

[jimmiebananas]

Thanks for the post, Strider.

I actually tried a flathead, phillips and the pliers. All had non-conductive handles - would this make a difference? I'm positive that I was touching both pins at the same time.

There are LED's on the motherboard, but they're not lighting up. No beeps whatsoever.

The tech at Micro Center that did my post test originally tested with their power supply so I asked them to hook up a volt-meter to my power supply and he said he did and everything was fine.

I know I'm a newbie, but for the life of me I can't figure out why this tech told me all my components are good (including all 4 RAM chips) and he got it booted to BIOS, yet I can't get a single light or sound to work.

[shadowpr]

When the bare minimum doesn't post, it's time to start substitution. You already have 4 sticks of ram, so try each one.

Try a differnt power supply.

[cmichael258]

If Micro Center was able to get to get to BIOS with their PSU and you get nothing with yours, then I would suspect the PSU (even though they said it it looked okay)

[jimmiebananas]

I agree cmichael - it almost HAS to be the PSU at this point. I just tried every combination of RAM I could. I'm about pretty sure that I know exactly how to put this thing together by now. After countless swapping, redoing, troubleshooting and cruising on this forum I've gained at least enough knowledge to know how to physically hook everything up.

Unfortunately, my old Sony VAIO has a 20 pin power connector and this new motherboard has a 24 pin so I don't have another power supply to try.

I'm going to bring it back to Micro Center and pay the stupid diagonstic fee. If it is the power supply that's the problem, they better fully refund my diagnostic fee and swap the case for me - I just bought it brand new on Sunday.

Edit: I want to thank everyone who contributed in trying to help. It may the frustrating experience much more bearable to have someone to bounce things off of. I'll let you know how things play out.

[shadowpr]

You might just want to buy a new psu first, and if that doesn't work you can return it.

Save the diagnostic fee.

[jimmiebananas]

SUCCESS!!!!

So I bought a new power supply since I didn't have an extra one for testing and the darn thing worked on the first shot.

I've configured CMOS and BIOS settings and now I'm installing the HDD and operating system!

I can't believe that all week, the PSU was the issue. The tech at Micro Center obviously didn't do a very comprehensive test of it, if he even did at all.

Thanks so much for everyone's help. I'll definitely be back on the forums!

[shadowpr]

Glad to hear you got it up an running.

While it was a pain, at least you learned a lot about trouble shooting.

[jimmiebananas]

Yes, I certainly learned a few things this week.

Now I've got a question - When I bought the components I was told that the only way my computer would recognize all 8GB of RAM was if I were running a 64-bit system, so I bought Vista Home Premium (64) I'm having a hell of a time getting my wireless USB adapter to work (though the USB jacks are working just fine) and also my video card.

I've got XP Pro, but I can't tell if it's 32 or 64 by looking at the box - does anyone know how to tell what version it is?

[shadowpr]

Most likely, it's 32 bit. That's what the standard was, and still is for xp.

Yeah. They stopped making drivers for your video card. You could try to find some that someone else made/has used. You might want to try the radeon 9500 drivers for vista 64 to see if they work. Or, get a cheap video card to replce that one. PCI-E is the standard now.

[phigdon]

ATI still supports the 9250, here the link to the XP pro/home driver.
http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/x...rer300-xp.html

easiest way to know if you have a 32 vs. a 64 bit OS, boot into windows, click Start, RIGHT click My Computer, Properties. if windows reads more than 3.25 to 3.5gig of RAM then you have a 64bit OS.

[jimmiebananas]

I did some research and I'm just going to keep Vista and upgrade my video card.

I'm looking at this card for $131.99

GeForce 9600 GSO 1.5GB DDR2 PCIe 2.0 Graphic Card
http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0303777

Does anyone know if I will have any compatability issues? Here is my setup.
OS: Vista 64-bit Home Premium
MOBO: GA-EP43-DS3L 775 ATX Motherboard (http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0292170)
PSU: 500W
CPU: Core 2 Quad Q8200

Of course, I'm open if anyone has any suggestions, I'd like to keep it under $160.

Thanks in advance!

[tomtoon]

Yes, get this one from newegg instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121268 $104.99 after $20 rebate.

[shadowpr]

Should work.

What brand psu did you get?

[liambl]

As soon as I saw that you were using an unknown PSU that came with a case, which almost always a bad move (excluding the Antec cases), I knew that was likely the problem. Just consider yourself lucky that the PSU didn't damage anything else.

[jimmiebananas]

Thanks for everyone's input. I finally got the video card installed (http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0294599) and got a new wireless network adapter and everything is running excellent.

The guy at the store recommended the above video card, but I think I'm going to return it for something better. I can't wait until I gain more knowledge so I don't have to ask them for help. Last time I took their word I struggled with a broken PSU for 3 days...

Feels good to say that this is my first post from my first PC build!!!

[phigdon]

you can get the same card for $60 after MIR but its still cheaper with out it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...512-P3-N956-TR

you should look into the 9800 series and the 4850 series, both of which are available for around $150.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rd,2118-7.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...d&Pagesize=100

[jimmiebananas]

I'm going to get a 9800 or 4850, not sure exactly which is the best for about $160 cap.

My only concern is that all of these say the power requirement is 450W - my PSU is 500W, is that pushing it too close, or will it be fine?

Here's the PSU - this was also recommended by Micro Center, but I always feel like they're not exactly listening when I explain what I'm looking for.
http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0278950

I didn't know I'd be doing so much rearranging to get the system I want, but I definitely want something I can play games on, though it's not a gaming PC. It doesn't have to be cutting edge, but I'd like to run some modern games (like COD: WAW) at fairly decent settings.

As usual, thanks in advance.

[bucksfanjimj1]

Coolmax is on the questionable list. Replace that with this Corsair unit.

http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0273278

or get it from Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139004

[jimmiebananas]

Thanks, bucksfan.

Of course the power supply is questionable. Why would I be lucky enough to get something good the first time? Of course, I'm the fool because I keep buying things THEN asking for feedback, which is obviously backwards...oh well.

I'm going to pick my current video card and power supply and upgrade them both. I'm taking your suggestion on the PSU - plus for whatever reason, that 100W buffer on the PSU (per the 9800 or 4850 GPU's requirement) makes me feel much warmer and fuzzier than the 50W buffer if I keep the current PSU.

2 more questions (you knew it was coming) - it seems like there is an endless list of video cards that are the same basic thing; meaning "it's a 9800 GT* and it's 512MB" applies quite an array of different cards and prices. Is there a short list of trusted manufacturers for video cards? What other specs should I be looking for?

P.S. - if you noticed the trend with Micro Center, it's because it's very convenient for me - they have a decent selection and I don't need to have things shipped to me.

Thanks!!

[shadowpr]

I shop microcener a few times, but generally, newegg is cheaper. Their standard shipping is pretty quick too, so I only really go to microcenter for small cheap things that shipping would make more expensive, or if I need something ASAP.

As for video cards, there are a few reputable brands. EVGA is highly recommended for nvidia cards, and sapphire for ati. Other brands are good as well.

[jimmiebananas]

Thanks, Shadow.

I'm going to take your suggestion and upgrade to this EVGA 1GB 9800 GTX+ (http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0303201)

I'm going to take buck's advice and go with this 550W Corvair PSU (http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0273278)

After I've made these changes I'll be pleased with my build, though I feel that I've spent more than I had to. I've learned a lot and think I'll make better decisions next time. If all goes well with this last parts install, this computer should suit my needs for a few years, but there are still things I'm going to do (I haven't even checked if my old TV tuner has Vista drivers)

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by jimmiebananas Thanks, bucksfan. Of course the power supply is questionable. Why would I be lucky enough to get something good the first time? Of course, I'm the fool because I keep buying things THEN asking for feedback, which is obviously backwards...oh well. I'm going to pick my current video card and power supply and upgrade them both. I'm taking your suggestion on the PSU - plus for whatever reason, that 100W buffer on the PSU (per the 9800 or 4850 GPU's requirement) makes me feel much warmer and fuzzier than the 50W buffer if I keep the current PSU. 2 more questions (you knew it was coming) - it seems like there is an endless list of video cards that are the same basic thing; meaning "it's a 9800 GT* and it's 512MB" applies quite an array of different cards and prices. Is there a short list of trusted manufacturers for video cards? What other specs should I be looking for? P.S. - if you noticed the trend with Micro Center, it's because it's very convenient for me - they have a decent selection and I don't need to have things shipped to me. Thanks!!

I use microcenter trend on emergencies or open box items, I picked up my E8400 for a 100.00 when they were almost 200. They have nice stores and lots of stock in stock... if you can find it... there shelves are a mess in Michigan.

short list for me
msi, saffire, ati, evga, xfx, his, bfg, powercolor

this is a good deal but only this weekend
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102802