Crazy boot-up problem

[SARGE]

Had this problem since finishing new build. PC turns on but monitor doesn't. However, if I do a hard shutdown, it ALWAYS then boots at second try. Does this everytime. Answer is to leave it on all the time but would rather fix issue. Any ideas where to start? Seems if a hardware problem, it wouldn't be ok at 2nd attempt either.

After doing some searching on Net, a high possibility I have a connection problem, even a solder joint, that when get warm after turning on PC, expands and makes its connection and then boots on 2nd try. Only experience the problem after PC been off all night, otherwise can re-boot all day ok. Now, where in the world do I begin? PSU itself internally, its cables, the CPU, RAM, video card or mobo. I'm not about to start swapping out brand new parts a week old just to find the problem.

[flanzig1]

First thing to try is reseat all plug-in able parts(cards/ram/connectors). May have something not a 100% seated or a dirty spot.

[Iamjosh]

Sarge, that sounds very much like windows problem and not a hardware. Are you using 7 of xp?

[SARGE]

Thanks bros, who responded. Yeah I tried reseating everything, it all pushes in real good. I can tell I got one of those "oops" that no one wants to touch because there is simply too many possibles...I can dig it. Win 7 or XP makes no difference, video card makes no difference. Hey, sometimes we get beat, right? Posting this from another PC, btw. Other mobo won't even do a POST or a beep but ain't sure got the wires hooked up right but makes no never mind on a boot or a POST. when fails, but that's ok. What I AM going to do is order the exact same parts again...I don't care about the money, then start swapping them out, one by one until I find the problem. I will end up with a $2500 build which is ridiculous but think of the spare parts once I figure out what was failing.

[juppy]

Hey Sarge, did you do the barebones out-of-the-case test? You know the routine, I'm sure.....mobo, cpu w/cooler, 1 stick ram, vid card and hooked to monitor. Just to see if the main parts will POST. I know in that last reply you said it wouldn't even POST, but is that with all the other optical drives and everything else hooked up? Because I've seen some weird thing, even like a bad optical drive that will really screw things up on a system. I'd hate to see you go buy all those new parts without weeding out the most expensive core parts as being good or bad first.

[SARGE]

Originally Posted by juppy Hey Sarge, did you do the barebones out-of-the-case test? You know the routine, I'm sure.....mobo, cpu w/cooler, 1 stick ram, vid card and hooked to monitor. Just to see if the main parts will POST. I know in that last reply you said it wouldn't even POST, but is that with all the other optical drives and everything else hooked up? Because I've seen some weird thing, even like a bad optical drive that will really screw things up on a system. I'd hate to see you go buy all those new parts without weeding out the most expensive core parts as being good or bad first.

Can't I do all that w/o removing board from case, and just unplug the DVD and HD to isolate the drives? Only advantage I see in removing from case is to rule out maybe a screw touching something it shouldn't. My main goal right now is to do that, and to see why the onboard mobo speaker won't beep and no POST. Seems the speaker would be squawking like heck with codes I could then decipher.

[SARGE]

OK, did the thing out of the box routine and still no POST. Waited 'til things cooled off then plugged in HD. Got to starting windows splash screen and it stopped. Waited again 'til things cooled off, booted and set BIOS to defaults, booted and here I am on the monster. BIOS default settings, btw, before didn't help. I'm thinking this...I got alot of the latest pieces of equipment here that maybe don't like each other. I got kick-arse parts for sure. You can find my specs. Maybe it's like trying to mesh a BMW, Cadillac and a Porsche all together - each a number 10 by itself, but they don't like each other. My mission as stated above, is to get each and every piece and start swapping. A costly venture but I gotta know. And at the end of the day, no one really gives a rat's arse anyway, but you'd like to know the outcome, right? You will.

[juppy]

Well, if you did the out of the case stuff with the minimum components and it still wouldn't post, then the problem *should* be one of those (mobo, ram, vid card, cpu, power supply). Discerning which one though is the hard part. The ram would be easy if you've got two sticks......just swap 'em out and use one at a time to see if one works and the other doesn't. Hard to test a cpu or mobo without a spare though. Dunno what else to tell ya on what to try next except for maybe your "buy identical parts and swap out" method. Good luck with it, whatever you do, Sarge.

[SARGE]

Did alot of research. Seems I have the latest and greatest components, especially when combined with my mobo. Did a BIOS flash that addressed RAM issues, etc. I was getting that with the MemOk LED light being red on first boot. All ok now.

I will say, this is without a doubt the fastest PC a feller could ever own. I don't know if it's the RAM, HD, CPU, or all working together. Never experienced anything like it, and am running off defaults in BIOS. With my RAM I can o/c. I don't even think getting 6gbs from the HD yet. Is scary to think...what if I was to tweak?

[shadowpr]

Nice. Good to hear you're enjoying it.