Simple Question

[dedparrot]

Hi.

I'm building my first PC and I can't manage to get it to POST. I've tried everything in all the threads here, even the one dedicated to people having issues with getting their new build to POST.

I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, and I'm pretty sure now it's either the memory or the cpu.

I wanted to ask whether this memory MT8JTF12864AZ-1G1 is compatible with this motherboard Motherboards - X-Series - X58i


If your answer is no, then please could you explain to me why this is so, so I learn something in the process.

Thank You

 

[aaron09658]

Intel® Desktop Board DP55WB — System memory
answer: yes =P

as for not getting to post all it takes is a bad harddrive / dvd drive to "lock up" and not post, so it can be way more than the cpu or memory causing it. Did you try leaving off all the sata ports ( harddrives, cd drives ) and just run using cpu/ motherboard and ram?

 

[dedparrot]

I've taken the motherboard out of the case, disconnected the hard drive and the dvd drive, removed the network card and removed 2 of my 3 memory sticks.

So all i have on the motherboard is the cpu, heatsink, one 1gb memory stick, and my graphics card. I've attached the power supply to the motherboard, and when I press the power button, the heatsink fan spins, the graphics card fan also spins, and all the LED's on the motherboard turn on.

I've tried cycling the one stick of memory in all the slots, and I've tried this will the other 2 memory sticks as well in case one of them is faulty.

I've also tried resetting the BIOS by taking out the CMOS battery but it makes no difference.

I have a spare PSU and exactly the same thing happens, ruling out the PSU, unless I'm extremely unlucky and I have 2 faulty PSU's.

I've also removed and reapplied the thermal paste just in case it had anything to do with lack of or too much thermal paste overheating the CPU and so refusing to turn on. I think this is unlikely but I wanted to rule it out.

Since my motherboard (XFX X58i) is new, I doubted whether that was the problem but now I think it might actually be a possibility having read tons of people having problems with this exact same board.

So, I think I've narrowed it down to either the motherboard, the memory, or the CPU.



Any thoughts?
Is there anything in addition you think I should be doing to trouleshoot the problem?

I am receiving my motherboard speaker tomorrow so I hope I can discover the problem with the beep codes....hopefully

I have a funny feeling the CPU is fried, I don't know why I think this, but I have a funny feeling this is so.

 

[Slaymate]

I doubt the cpu is fried. My mobo won't post with just one stick of ram, seems like it should but it won't. Try it with 2 sticks of ram. What is the make and model# of your power supplies? We also need to know the make and model #'s(some sort of description) of the rest of your hardware to make sure everything is compatible.

If it was my PC, at this point I would remove the cpu and examine the LGA1366 socket for bent pins or some sort of foreign object (lint, dust, eyelash, etc...).

Edit: while the cpu is removed you should smell it. If it's been damaged by heat it will have a odd smell to it.

 

[dedparrot]

The make and model of my RAM and Motherboard is in the first post on top of this page.

PSU is Scan.co.uk: 500W Storm LPJ19-25 ,120mm Silent Fan, 24pin +4 pin +12V PSU ATX 2.2
CPU is an i7 920
Graphics card is a Geforce GT220
The heatsink is a standard Intel fan for socket 1366 - Scan.co.uk: Intel Original Heat Sink Fan for Socket 1366 Core i7 Nahelem CPU upto i7-965 Copper Base/Alu fin OEM

Because my motherboard has an 8 pin 12 v socket instead of the usual 4 near the CPU, I have a 4 pin to 8 pin adaptor attached to 4 pin wire on the PSU.

I'll examine the LGA1366 tomorrow morning and I'll also try using 2 sticks of ram instead of one. Thanks.

 

[dedparrot]

On close inspection of the socket, there was nothing wrong with it nor was there any foreign object in the socket.

The cpu smelt perfectly normal and there was no odd smell coming from it.

I tried with 2 sticks of ram today in the combination recommended by the manual and then tried out all the other possible combination but it made no difference.

My motherboard speaker arrived today and I seem to get no beeps at all from the motherboard. The cpu, gpu and the psu fans turn on, all the led's on the board turn on, but still no POST.

Thanks for all your help so far, and I'm grateful for any more help you give.

 

[Slaymate]

Well your power supply is a super cheap model so that would be my 1st guess.

 

[dedparrot]

But the exact the same thing happens with the other PSU I have. Surely both PSU's can't have the same fault with them, or if they can, the chances of that happening are much lower than a faulty cpu or memory or the motherboard.

What do you think?

 

[Slaymate]

What is the other power supply your using???

Your memory is also pretty cheap. You have a speaker now? Try to start it with no memory installed, the system should beep. The system should also beep with no video card installed.

Have you tried assembling the PC out of the case?

The cpu is the most likely component to be good. It might be bad but it's very unlikely. If the system refuses to Beep with no memory or video it is most likely the power supply or the mobo. The Power Supply is the most likely just because it's a super cheapo and I'm assuming it's better than the other one you have. But I could be wrong.