Need help building a budgeted gaming system (amateur)

[kenny536]

Help!

I made some progress.

Here is what I did.

I followed this guide exactly - PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!! - PCMech Forums

and it didn't work - then I decided to follow the guide exactly AND plug the power switch from my case onto the MOBO - this lit up the mobo, i heard the fans spinning and everything was great! it stayed on for about 5 seconds, shut off, and then did it all over again a few seconds later.. it was a cycle. I'm not sure what this means but I think I have made some progress - what should I do from here?

I think the problem is something related with the CPU. I unplugged the PSU cables (CPU1 and CPU2) so that there is no power to the CPU and I also unplugged the CPU fan. I then turned on the computer and now the power stays on. I left it on for about 30 seconds on two separate occasions without any interruption in power. I did not leave it on for more than 30 seconds because I'm not sure if it is safe to do so without having power to the CPU and the CPU fan not being on. Is that safe? Does this mean that the problem is CPU-related?

Here is what the situation is:

I have the everything out of the case.. the mobo is on top of the box it came in .. I have the PSU connected to the mobo, I have the case power switch and the other front panel cords connected to the mobo, one of the case fans connected to the PSU.. the CPU is on the mobo with the heatsink installed. I also have one stick of RAM in there.

That's it.

 

[kenny536]

It still may be power supply because every time the power turns off the PSU still makes that hissing sound.. i have the PSU separated from the mobo now so I know for sure that hissing sound is the PSU. Maybe it just does not have enough power to stay on? Although I'm unsure why it stays on continuously when I unplug the CPU power. Maybe because it is defective it does not have enough juice to continually power the CPU and mobo? This would explain why I had absolutely no power when I had everything connected like the hard drive and the DVD drive. The PSU couldn't handle it all. So maybe it is the PSU. I already ordered a new, different PSU from NewEgg (Corsair), they gave me free next day shipping so it is scheduled to be here Friday, but may probably get here on Monday because of the holidays. They are going to refund me on this OCZ.

But if it's not the PSU then what? I tell NewEgg that the mobo may be defected as well? If that doesn't fix it I call NewEgg again and say the CPU is defective?

 

[-RockMan-]

I think I know what might be the problem.
Take your power switch wire and reset wire and flip the wires backwards so that when you place the wires back down on the mobo the writing on the wires should be facing the back end of the mobo.

I know it's hard to explain, but look at this:


_________________________________
:::: back side <--wires with lettering need to face backwards
:::: Front side



_________________
CPU and fan location
Make the wires are not misaligned or it won't boot up
__________________

Try that out now as soon as you can and post back and tell me and the others what happen. I hate to see little kids not getting a new computer for christmas when they are expecting one.

 

[kenny536]

I'm not sure what you mean but if you mean flip the power switch and reset switch connectors 180 degrees so the lettering is facing the opposite way .. well I just tried that, same result =\.

 

[-RockMan-]

Now that you have it in the opposite direction make sure you know where to place the wires.
Look at the mobo manual and look at the diagram and it will tell you where each one goes.
Check your cpu fan wires to make sure they are in the right place.
If you have a 3 prong power connector for your heat sink fan you need to make sure it is on the right position or else your computer might not boot properly or not boot at all which is trying to save you from overheating and short circuting your new cpu.
Last try moving one of the memory sticks in another slot, sometimes that can be a problem with new mobo's.

 

[kenny536]

Yeah - so it was the motherboard that was defected.

The new PSU came from newegg this afternoon - same result.

I drove to tigerdirect and bought a new motherboard, and now it's staying on! I'm glad that's over... hopefully I don't run into anymore problems. Thanks for your help.

I do have one more question though - the motherboard I bought from tiger direct was this one: Asus P5Q Green Motherboard - Intel P45, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, S/PDIF, Gigabit LAN, Firewire, USB 2.0, SATA, RAID

for 129.99 + 12$ tax... the P5Q-E was not in stock.

So my question is - is this motherboard fine? Because if it is not - what I could do is just use this one and tell Newegg to refund my defected motherboard and buy a new one from newegg and after it arrives in 2-3 days, I'll return this one to TigerDirect. Should I do that or this mobo fine? Here is the link to it.

Asus P5Q Green Motherboard - Intel P45, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, SPDIF, Gigabit LAN, Firewire, USB 2.0, SATA, RAID at TigerDirect.com

Thanks.

 

[-RockMan-]

If I were you I would rma that defective mobo to newegg.com and get your money back before it's to late newegg.com has a 30 day return policy.
Also I have never dealt with a asus mobo before but they are just as good biostar and gigabyte motherboards.

Merry christmas and I hope your little brother likes his new computer!

 

[kenny536]

I have another problem.

I hooked everything up and the computer runs fine - but the first thing I do is run BIOS right? I cannot get to it.

According to my mobo manual - I just power it up and hold DEL.

I don't know why I can't get to it, it can be for one of three reasons:

1. The USB function is not working on the motherboard - the keyboard I bought is an illuminated one, so it turns blue when it is powered, but when I plug it into the USB, it doesn't turn blue - when I plug it into my laptop, it works perfectly fine. However, on my new build, if I plug in the USB halfway, at just the right amount, then it will illuminate.

2. Am I setting up the monitor wrong? From what I understand, I do not plug in the analog cord right? Only the digital? The monitor seems fine, the light is on and on the top left corner it keeps saying "Digital" and then "Analog" and keeps cycling through like that.

I don't know if the problem is that I cannot access BIOS because of my keyboard.. OR that I actually AM entering BIOS but I cannot see it because I am doing something wrong with my monitor.

I have no idea how I access BIOS.. i tried holding down DEL but it did not work. I tried using a PS2 keyboard also (although I think it is broken because none of the lights turn on).

 

[-RockMan-]

I have another problem.

I hooked everything up and the computer runs fine - but the first thing I do is run BIOS right? I cannot get to it.

According to my mobo manual - I just power it up and hold DEL.

I don't know why I can't get to it, it can be for one of three reasons:

1. The USB function is not working on the motherboard - the keyboard I bought is an illuminated one, so it turns blue when it is powered, but when I plug it into the USB, it doesn't turn blue - when I plug it into my laptop, it works perfectly fine. However, on my new build, if I plug in the USB halfway, at just the right amount, then it will illuminate.

2. Am I setting up the monitor wrong? From what I understand, I do not plug in the analog cord right? Only the digital? The monitor seems fine, the light is on and on the top left corner it keeps saying "Digital" and then "Analog" and keeps cycling through like that.

I don't know if the problem is that I cannot access BIOS because of my keyboard.. OR that I actually AM entering BIOS but I cannot see it because I am doing something wrong with my monitor.

I have no idea how I access BIOS.. i tried holding down DEL but it did not work. I tried using a PS2 keyboard also (although I think it is broken because none of the lights turn on).

Ok, try this when you turn on the computer lightly tap the delete key until your computer says it is going into bios mode. also some mobo's might have different key's to log into bios so don't loose hope yet, at least the mobo post, be happy for that right now...

Also I think your mobo has the usb feature currently turned off, use a normal PS/2 keyboard and try to login to bios.
Last once you get a keyboard working on this computer, please setup your OS if you can and then worry about the bios mode later, at least if you have xp or vista setup and ready to go you won't need to worry about something else happening in case you might have another hardware problem.

Feel free to send my check to Georgia and will call it a good deal! j/k
I need some sleep I'll be back at 3:50pm today.

 

[kenny536]

That's the thing though - I'm not so sure it is doing POST.. some guy said on another forum that it is not because if it was then it would tell me to hold down the delete key...