Unusual build problem.

[TEEB]

I am making major changes to my network,adding Windows Home Server etc.

Today I started to build a computer out of parts I already had. Plus I ordered in a sparkle 400w PSU. All the other parts have been used before with no problem.
I started with my Asus P5Q turbo mobo and Core2Duo, add 4 gigs of crucial RAM and a WD sata drive. along with an asus Video card. and 2 IDE optical drives

So I put it all together and booted it up. So far so good. But the bios doesn't see my IDE optical drives. I can't resolve this. I tried many things and kept going to the bios to see if it worked. Some times I couldn't get into the bios. it would just freeze at the screen where you "press del to enter setup" sometimes it wouldn't boot at all.

The I installed a SATA Optical drive. BIOS sees it and I put in my Vista ultimate disk and start the install. Once it froze at the select language page and twice it froze, and the screen went black, sometime after the unpacking files page.

The inky new part is the PSU.

Could a bad PSU cause these problems?

I've never seen this happen before and I'm out of things I can think of......

[Nuclear Krusader]

Have you another PSU you can use to test?

[TEEB]

I do but it means taking it out of my main computer. I was hoping someone had this same thing happen to them...

[Nuclear Krusader]

We need to rule out the PSU before we blame the mobo. Your main rig will be off only for a little time.

[TEEB]

okay you talked me into it!!

[glc]

The IDE drives are not seen by the system bios because they are on a 3rd party controller that has its own bios.

What mode is your SATA controller set to - IDE, RAID, or AHCI?

What model is the video card? Is the Sparkle an ATX 2.x PSU with a 20+4 and at least a 4 pin CPU connector (8 pin preferred)?

[Nikon]

also, are the 2 ide drives on a single ribbon wire? if they are, set the jumpers appropriately, one should be 'master' and one should be 'slave'

[Nuclear Krusader]

You can set both to CS and let the mobo do the mastering and slaving itself.

[glc]

Unless you use a 80 wire cable, then you set them both CS.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Yup, forgot to add that, but that's because I'm trying to reply before you do, G.

I'd find it odd that anyone'd be using 40-wire IDE cables nowadays, though.

[TEEB]

Originally Posted by glc The IDE drives are not seen by the system bios because they are on a 3rd party controller that has its own bios. What mode is your SATA controller set to - IDE, RAID, or AHCI? What model is the video card? Is the Sparkle an ATX 2.x PSU with a 20+4 and at least a 4 pin CPU connector (8 pin preferred)?

Sata controller set to IDE

I tried 2 video cards the one in there now is An Asus EN7900GS

the sparkle is a FSP400-60THA. it has a 4 pin CPU and a 20+4

[TEEB]

Originally Posted by Nuclear Krusader Yup, forgot to add that, but that's because I'm trying to reply before you do, G. I'd find it odd that anyone'd be using 40-wire IDE cables nowadays, though.

I'm using them because I had them, no other reason

[TEEB]

Originally Posted by Nikon also, are the 2 ide drives on a single ribbon wire? if they are, set the jumpers appropriately, one should be 'master' and one should be 'slave'

did that, and ended up with both set to CS

[TEEB]

I also just remembered that this board had come back from an RMA. I just decided to use it today

[TEEB]

Okay, it's not the PSU. Swapped it out and the same results

[TEEB]

Originally Posted by TEEB I'm using them because I had them, no other reason

Sorry. I meant that I used IDE optical drives because I had them.

[glc]

Is the IDE controller enabled in the bios?

[TEEB]

Originally Posted by glc Is the IDE controller enabled in the bios?

not sure, can't get into the bios.

[glc]

Can you get in the bios if you disconnect all the drives?

[TEEB]

It will let me in sometime and sometime it won't. I got in this morning.
Sata/pata controller is enabled and set to IDE.
This board was a replacement for an RMA I did a month ago. I think I should do it again.
I've never seen a BIOS act like this before, but.......................

[Nuclear Krusader]

I do think you've got a bad mobo. Have you tried clearing the CMOS already?

[TEEB]

Originally Posted by Nuclear Krusader I do think you've got a bad mobo. Have you tried clearing the CMOS already?

I tried clearing CMOS. Then went into bios and reset date/time.
pressed f10. Now it boots up to the splash screen"press del to enter setup".
Pressing del or any other key does nothing. Ctrl alt del does nothing.

Time to RMA I think...

[Nuclear Krusader]

I concur.

[TEEB]

Update.

I RMA'd the board and got it back this morning. Rebuilt the computer as before. The optical drives were recognized. I then proceeded with the install of Vista ultimate. There were no problems at all everything went smoothly.
Thanks to everyone who helped out. I always know where to come for quality advice!!