[Doz]

Hi
Just putting together a new PC (first for a while) and failed.
Anyone care to advise would be so good.
Started by not putting in all componets.
Relevant ones are:
case: Antext P160W
PSU: Hiper Power 580W
MB: Asus AN8 premium SLI (socket 939)
CPU: AMD 64 4000
Memory: Corsair TWINX1024-3200C2PT matched pair - total 1 Gb
GPU: XFX 7800GT Sli (only one for now)

Power comes on fine: PSU fans start up
CPU fan starts up
GPU fan starts up
Monitor says 'no input'
Re-check all the connections - no diff
remove 1 memory stick - no diff
take away 1 memory stick - no diff
disconnect everything and reconnect - no diff

I don't really understand how to tell if the motherboard is POSTing
It has a voice active POST - but I don't know how to use it
I've tried to connect my speakers to the onboard sound but I hear nothing
I can't even get a PC speaker Beep because I don't know what to connect to the MB

I've contacted the supplier (bought online in the UK - Ebuyer) but I thought I would see if anyone could recommend any other tests first. I don't have any other GPU etc. to try (i.e a PCI-E one) to see if it is that etc.

I don't have any USB or firewire connected at this stage. Just the CPU, memory, and graphics and the power connectors (as defined in the manual).
Also, since the above, I have reset the CMOS, and also tried a new CMOS battery and made sure it was connected properly.
I've also taken the motherboard out of the case and tried it again to remove the likelihood of it being a shorting issue. Again, nothing on the screen and no BEEPs.
I guess I am thinking now that it is likely to be the motherboard or the Graphics card, so I think I may need to send those back under RMA.
However, the processor is now connected to the MBd.
So if they want me to remove this again, when I get my new bits, I will have to reconnect it, which would mean cleaning the existing CPU of thermal paste and applying new stuff, which I am not sure what that will do to warranty etc.

I've looked through the motherboard manual in detail and can find no other clues.
Interestingly there seem to be a lot of people who have had the same problem with this board. Some sort it out, and some don't.

Thanks Samm for posting to me...

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Well as you said alot of people hav had bother with this motherboard (im actually thinking of writing to the review sites that reccomend it and ask them to stop or at least put a warning abou it).

Have you tried all of this, you would seem to but check in case you forgot something:
By Doby

BIOS beep codes

1- Make sure you have a case speaker connected, if you are getting 1 long continuous beep this indicates the system can’t find usable ram, reseat the ram, try different ram or try the ram in a different dimm slot

2- 1 long 2 short indicates video error reseat the video card, try another video card


Nothing on the screen with no beeps


1-Make sure the hs (heatsink) is installed properly, tight with thermal paste applied
2-Make sure the cpu fan is connected to the correct header on the motherboard
3-Clear the cmos by unplugging the computer removing the battery then move the clear cmos jumper from pins 1&2 to 2&3 for 10 minutes
4-Replace the battery and move the jumper back to pins 1&2
5-Verify all motherboard jumpers are set correctly
6-Verify all case connections are correct ( case switch ect.)
7-Verify the power supplies 20/24 pin and 4pin 12v are tightly seated to the motherboard

Still won’t go


1-Remove all drives and cards except the video, remove front sound and usb
2-Repeat the above
3-The idea here is to get the computer to post and boot into bios if after doing so you are able to get into bios let the computer idle in bios for a while and watch the temps and voltages.
4-If everything appears normal load the bios defaults and make sure to save and exit
5-Now add the drives and install windows then add the remaining cards


Still won’t go


1-Remove the motherboard from the case and place on a piece of cardboard
2-Install only the cpu with hsf, 1 stick ram in dimm 1, psu, video card, case switch and case speaker
3-Connect ps2 mouse and keyboard along with the monitor
4-Repeat the above and power on
5-If the computer now boots into bios you most likely had a case short so make sure when installing the motherboard in the case that you use standoffs and they line up with the mounting holes in the motherboard and none of the standoffs touch anything else on the underside of the board.

Good luck with Ebuyer they can be bad for taking stuff back, i would say judging by the amount of people we have had in the mobo is the most likely culprit, check over our other threads see if they can help, i think there is one which might help as there was a compaitbility issue with that RAM(no reason why just the fussiness of the board) the guy got it fixed if i remeber correctly by putting in old slower ram then adjusting his Bios to take the corsair stuff.

Removing the cpu and applying new thermal material shouldnt void the warranty as long as its done properly, use arctic silver 5 for that, you can also get the cleaning kit from arcitc, you can clean it yourself with alcohol but its not as good or safe as using the kit.

[warriorscot]

Well as you said alot of people hav had bother with this motherboard (im actually thinking of writing to the review sites that reccomend it and ask them to stop or at least put a warning abou it).

Have you tried all of this, you would seem to but check in case you forgot something:
By Doby

BIOS beep codes

1- Make sure you have a case speaker connected, if you are getting 1 long continuous beep this indicates the system can’t find usable ram, reseat the ram, try different ram or try the ram in a different dimm slot

2- 1 long 2 short indicates video error reseat the video card, try another video card


Nothing on the screen with no beeps


1-Make sure the hs (heatsink) is installed properly, tight with thermal paste applied
2-Make sure the cpu fan is connected to the correct header on the motherboard
3-Clear the cmos by unplugging the computer removing the battery then move the clear cmos jumper from pins 1&2 to 2&3 for 10 minutes
4-Replace the battery and move the jumper back to pins 1&2
5-Verify all motherboard jumpers are set correctly
6-Verify all case connections are correct ( case switch ect.)
7-Verify the power supplies 20/24 pin and 4pin 12v are tightly seated to the motherboard

Still won’t go


1-Remove all drives and cards except the video, remove front sound and usb
2-Repeat the above
3-The idea here is to get the computer to post and boot into bios if after doing so you are able to get into bios let the computer idle in bios for a while and watch the temps and voltages.
4-If everything appears normal load the bios defaults and make sure to save and exit
5-Now add the drives and install windows then add the remaining cards


Still won’t go


1-Remove the motherboard from the case and place on a piece of cardboard
2-Install only the cpu with hsf, 1 stick ram in dimm 1, psu, video card, case switch and case speaker
3-Connect ps2 mouse and keyboard along with the monitor
4-Repeat the above and power on
5-If the computer now boots into bios you most likely had a case short so make sure when installing the motherboard in the case that you use standoffs and they line up with the mounting holes in the motherboard and none of the standoffs touch anything else on the underside of the board.

Good luck with Ebuyer they can be bad for taking stuff back, i would say judging by the amount of people we have had in the mobo is the most likely culprit, check over our other threads see if they can help, i think there is one which might help as there was a compaitbility issue with that RAM(no reason why just the fussiness of the board) the guy got it fixed if i remeber correctly by putting in old slower ram then adjusting his Bios to take the corsair stuff.

Removing the cpu and applying new thermal material shouldnt void the warranty as long as its done properly, use arctic silver 5 for that, you can also get the cleaning kit from arcitc, you can clean it yourself with alcohol but its not as good or safe as using the kit.

[Doz]

Thanks so much for this....

Since the above, the monitor has registerded just once (in at least 20 attempts), it briefly showed the bios details of the graphics card and then went back to standby. Nothing since then, does this suggest a bad connection?
ALso, my motherbaord has a 2 pin connector called speaker that the manual says is for hearing beeps etc. but the case doesn't seem to have anything to connect to it.
Thanks as always.
Steve

[warriorscot]

Not all cases do what you need to do is get hold of a ase speaker(pc shop is best bet should be cheap if they even charge you for it). And then you need to go through everything on the list i posted.

[Doz]

Thanks again. The issue is now solved and the PC is built. I put some old DDR memory in the system which then worked and allowed me to go into the BIOS and change some 'odd' looking default settings. Now very please with it all.

So many thanks for all the advice...

Steve

[warriorscot]

Yeah thats a common fix for these boards.