Built but not starting up

[Elsan]

I've completed parts assembly and all that stuff and it's not starting up correctly. The fans(including their lights) all start up(video card, processor, case) fine whether they're connected to the MB or the power supply but everything stops right away and I have to cut the power for 2 minutes before anything moves again.

I've tried disconnecting the video card, ram sticks, hard drives(power and MB connection), cd/floppy drives, Firewire and USB case front wires and it's all exactly the same. I've also tried to start the power pin with a screwdriver. It did the same thing even when I forgot to plug the 8-pin switch on the motherboard from the supply.

I don't have any other parts to try as this is my first build and I ordered the parts off the net.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Here are my parts:

Coolermaster CM 690 Mid Tower Black ATX Case 5X5.25 5X3.5INT No PS Front USB Sound Firewire & eSATA Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB SATA2 7200RPM 16MB Hard Drive Oem 3YR Mfr Warranty BFG GeForce 9500GT 550MHZ 1GB 666MHZ 128BIT DDR2 Dual DVI-I HDCP HDTV Out Video Card Kingston ValueRAM 4GB 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL5 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBS 22X DVD+-RW SATA DVD Writer Black Lightscribe OEM Scythe YD-8V08 Black 18-IN-1 Floppy Disk Drive and Card Reader Combo 3.5IN USB2.0 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 Quad Core Processor LGA775 2.66GHZ Yorkfield 1333FSB 6MB Retail Box ASUS P5Q Pro ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 CrossFire 3PCI-E1 2PCI SATA2 Sound GBLAN eSATA Motherboard OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W ATX 20/24PIN SLI Ready Modular Cables 135MM Fan Active PFC Power Supply

[Khalil]

Sounds like your motherboard is either defective or you have a short somewhere in the case. Only thing I can suggest at this point is to remove the Motherboard out of the case and test it. Make sure nothing metalic is touching it while you do the out of case test.
http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=132409

[Elsan]

I'll try this later. Is it possible a magnet may have damaged some parts?

[glc]

Not likely.

[Elsan]

Phew. I unknowingly left my magnet lying around while I was working.

What difference does it make to build outside the case?

[glc]

It eliminates mounting problems and shorts inside the case. Improper motherboard mounting is a VERY common problem with inexperienced builders.

[oryx]

Building outside the case rules in or out the possibility of the case shorting out the motherboard.

[flanzig1]

Another possiblity is that the CPU heatsinks isn't fully locked in at all 4 corners. Even 1 pin not locked fully can cause the CPU to overheat and shut down the computer in seconds.

[Elsan]

Well... it worked!

I've done the same thing but INSIDE the case but it does the same thing... What can I do?

Might wanna add the reasons why inside the sticky, I read it but did not understand really well why...

EDIT: I added the spacers but it still does the same thing...

[glc]

Make sure there are NO standoffs under the board that are not under a screw hole, and use screws in EVERY standoff.

[Elsan]

I'm sorry, what is a standoff? I'm not a native english speaker. Is it another name for spacer?

Should I use special screws on top on the MB? I didn't get any additional ones and I've recycled some that are not used on the case...


EDIT: I removed the video card while in the case and it worked! When I replug it, it doesn't work... It did work when outside the case thugh... I'll try working with the plug...

[glc]

That is a motherboard mounting problem. It is not lined up exactly right in the case.

[Elsan]

How do I correct that? It all seems perfectly fine...

[glc]

As far as the screw issue goes, the CM690 has a ton of screws - they are all screwed into the side of the 5.25" drive cage - on both sides.

Standoffs - spacers - same thing.

There are exactly 9 holes in the motherboard for mounting screws. Therefore, you should have exactly 9 standoffs installed in the case, and 9 screws to attach the board to the standoffs. They need to be snug but not overtightened. The I/O shield needs to be correctly snapped into the case opening and the board needs to be slid into it carefully. If the board wiggles, it's not installed correctly. A single video card goes in the PCI-Ex16 slot closest to the CPU.

[Elsan]

Ok, I removed the MB, corrected the spacers and rescrewed. I/O shield is perfect, MB doesn't move too much. Starts up fine without video card.

I put in the video card and start it up. Still not working. It seems the tool-less thing does not keep the video card in place enough(maybe), so I screw it to be sure. It seems fine, I even pressed hard on the external side of the video card so it's all plugged in fine. Still not working, even tried to removed the small metal protection on the side of the PCI exits. Same thing for second PCI-EX16 slot.

I'm a little scared I'll break something soon by moving everything around, should I call a tech?

[Khalil]

At this point I recommned you take it to a local computer store, preferably a reputable one. I don't advise having someone come to your house.
I hope you didn't damage your motherboard.

[glc]

BUT - you are saying that with the motherboard OUT OF THE CASE, the video card works fine?

Take that screw out of the video card and let the tool-less bracket work like it's supposed to.

[Elsan]

It didn't work with the tool-less bracket, that's why I thought maybe it wasn't in correctly.

Maybe the weight of the video card is causing the problem?

[glc]

The weight should only cause a problem if the motherboard is not correctly and securely mounted in the case. This is puzzling. SOMETHING is shorting out when you install the video card in the case.

Do you have any friends that are more experienced builders that could possibly come over and double check your work?

EDIT: Have you tried it with the case lying on its side instead of standing up? With a tower case, assembly should be done with the case lying on its side on the table. That way, you can test it with the card just sitting in the slot without locking the bracket in the slot.

[jdeb]

sounds like a cracked motherboard, he probably cracked it when mounting the stock heatsink. I would take it out of the case and inspect the backside of the board, have someone flex it a little while you inspect.

[Elsan]

Thanks for the help. I'll try to test it again out of the case this weekend. If it works, I'll go see a tech shop. If not, I'll RMA it.

I did work on it while lying on it's side. I've built some computers before but it was 2 years ago and they were already really old.

I even added another spacer near the motherboard just to be sure.

More appreciated.

[glc]

Exactly where did you add that spacer? You use exactly 9 of them, no more and no less, one under each hole, with the correct screws.

[Elsan]

I added a little a little on the right of the PCIEx slot on that image(blue one) just to be sure there was no place the MB was touching the case. I did that late as a last resort.

[glc]

Let me say this again - and I understand that you are not a native English speaker..............

Take the motherboard out of the case and remove ALL spacers/standoffs that are screwed into the motherboard mounting tray. Then take exactly NINE (9) spacers/standoffs, all the exact same length, and screw them into the tray, one exactly under each red circled hole. Then slide the motherboard back in, making sure the port block engages with the I/O shield properly, and insert 9 screws into the motherboard, screwing it down to the standoffs/spacers.

[Elsan]

I'll try it out again tonight. I DID try it with 9 spacers exactly before though.

[Elsan]

I tried it again outside the case and it didn't start up with the video card. Motherboard alone is perfectly fine.

Should I call the video card support or should I RMA the motherboard(something fried?) ?



Sorry for the double post!

[glc]

Have you ever gotten any beeps? A good POST will beep once, bad or missing ram will constantly beep, and bad or no video will beep 3 times. No beep at all is a bad motherboard or CPU.

[Elsan]

I don't have any computer speakers on my case for some reason... Am I wrong or is there something else I can use?

[glc]

My Asus board came with a little piezo speaker to connect to the motherboard header. Yours might have one mounted on the board.

[Elsan]

Thanks. I will try that out tomorrow night or maybe a little later as I have finals coming up. In the meantime, I already sent a support thing to the distributer I bought from.