Athlon doesn't boot unless all cables are disconnected!

[ilyack]

Hello all

The CPU is Athlon 1GHz.
The problem:
Computer doesn't boot, and doesn't even go through POST test if anything is connected to the motherboard. (IDE cables, or even some front panel LEDs)
I turn it ON, and even the monitor doesn't turn ON. (The fans and power supply turn on ok)

It does power up though, when nothing except the Power Switch is connected to the motherboard.

It detects the CPU, the memory and everything, and I can enter BIOS Setup. It stays pretty stable that way.

Same exact configuration runs perfectly well with my other CPU - Duron 700. A local computer technician said the CPU may be dead.

I have tried a bigger power supply (350w), a different RAM module, a different Video Card.

What I don't understand is how come the CPU gets detected when nothing is connected to the motherboard.
Is it drawing too much current from the motherboard because of its internal failure, and as soon as I connect something else it just goes over the limit that M/B can supply ?
Or what can possibly be the cause ?

P.S.
I have just bought this CPU through eBay, and I don't know what to do now.

 

[rogue1979]

Make sure you have the cpu voltage and speed set correctly. The 1GHz Athlon could be a 133MHz cpu, your Duron was 100MHz. Also perhaps a bios update might help. If that fails unplug your computer, clear your cmos and take out the motherboard battery and let your pc set that way for a few hours. Then put your clear cmos jumper back to normal position and put the battery back in. Try and test the cpu in a different computer if possible.

Welcome to Anandtech

 

[chizow]

I would check to ensure all your components are properly connected. Also try a minimal installation with just your HDD, video card and memory installed. If you can boot into Windows or safe mode, you can check for hardware conflicts. The fact that just your CPU is connected tells me the CPU is OK, it might be a BIOS checksum error which is causing no POST when devices are connected. I've seen it before, and it usually turned out to be something silly like an optical or HDD drive connected w/out a power connection or a floppy header that was upside down. It might also be your PSU, as "bigger" doesn't always mean "better". What board are you using and what devices are you connecting? Also, what brand PSUs are you using?

Chiz

 

[mechBgon]

Give us a detailed listing of the parts in your computer (brand/model) and we will have more to go on Welcome to the Forums!

 

[ilyack]

CPUs, like I said, are Duron 700 and Athlon 1000. I don't believe this Athlon is 133FSB, but I don't know how ot check that either.

The motherboard is Elitegroup K7S5A Pro (URL: http://www.ecs.com.tw/products/pd_spec.asp?product_id=269)
The m/b is brand new. I bought it two days ago, since my older one mysteriously died all of a sudden.
It's been working with my Duron 700 for 2.5 years, and all of a sudden it doesn't poewr up anymore. Similar situation - you turn it on, and fans start working, but nothing boots up. Even with just CPU/RAM/Video card minimum config.
The old one was MSI K7T Pro 2-A

Back to the new one.
I of course tried the minimum configuration just with RAM (256 SDR), 2 different AGP Video cards (ASUS GeForce 2 MX-400 and Intel i740)

The motherboard is supposed to support and autodetect all AMD cpu's, including XP.
So I'm assuming it would automatically select the proper bus speed. However, I did try changing it manually to 133, which resulted in no boot again.
I cleared CMOS, and was back to where I was before.

It boots with no IDE cables.

The funny thing is that it doesn't boot even when I connect that little audio cable that goes from CDROM drive to M/B.
The front panel PowerON LED has the same effect.
So I only left the PowerON Switch.

The power supply is also brand new. Not sure what make (I'm not at home right now)
My old one is 250W, and it doesn't change anything.

First I was thinking maybe some of my thermal compound meted and shorted some of the little component pins on top of the CPU. I cleaned it all, and applied a minimum amount of thermal grease, just enough for the CPU core.

Ilya.

 

[ilyack]

 

[mechBgon]

Could you also post the brand/model of ALL the other parts when you're back home, including the new 350W power supply (quality is quite important these days, not just wattage ratings).

 

[Ketchup]

Make sure all the screws and standoffs the hold your motherboard in the case are securely installed. Do you have the PC speaker in the case connected? Does it beep at you when the computer doesn't boot? The beep codes can help you diagnose some problems.

What video card are you using? I was having some compatibility using a PCI video card with this board that went away when I bought an AGP card.

It could be that you have a bad motherboard, as others in this forum have reported problems with their K7S5A. I built a system with this board and a Duron 600 for my mother about a year ago and it has not given her a single problem.

 

[ilyack]

The power supply is L&C LC-350ATX, 350W
The only other devices are ASUS V7100 (GeForce2 MX-400) and a simple D-Link Ethernet card. (538TX)

 

[SinfulWeeper]

On your IDE chain. Do you have any slave devices? If so, disconnect the slave drives leaving all other cables installed.

I seen this problem before and it occurs with mis-manufactured IDE cables. If it boots with the master drives connected, replace your IDE cables.

 

[rkoenn]

The obvious first step is to start connecting devices and wires one at a time. You sound like the system doesn't POST, no video, if you have ANYTHING other than the power switch button connected. If so, start plugging in the front panel wires first, one at a time and trying a power up after each. It sounds like maybe a short but if it were shorting to the case or something, usually the power supply pops an internal breaker that shuts down the entire system until the power supply resets, either thermally or from an internal reset. Next try each of the drive cables one at a time, start with the floppy. One thing I have found on some boards is that if the IDE cables are plugged in reverse that some boards will show no video. That is my first thought actually, but if you have everything but the IDE cables plugged in and it still doesn't start, then it isn't that problem. Finally, if you get no luck doing the above, take the board out of the case and put it on an insulated board, a wood board would be fine, and put the system together on the board. This will isolate shorts in the case as the cause. If all these are unsuccessful, you have a strange problem and may need a new component, motherboard or possibly something else. Good luck and post your results.