Built computer, Can't get to bios, What did I do wrong? HELP!

[Catiaudo]

I built a computer for my parents because they wanted to be able to Email me and go on the internet at home so I told them that I could do it cheap. I bought them:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2077051704

This is a motherboard, processor, and case/powersupply. The power supply that was shipped to me is a 400w, not a 250 like the auction says.
I got it in the mail last night and everything went fine hooking it up. I had 128mb of PC133 SDRam which I installed and a Maxtor 30 gig hard drive that was in my old machine. The hard drive still has Windows 2000 installed on it with a few files, but nothing much. I threw a HP 24x burner in and a 40x CD-Rom, and a 3.5" floppy. Hooked the hard drive up to IDE 1, and the Burner and ROM up to IDE 2. I turn the computer on and it beeps once then goes to the Energy Star screen and says:
Checking NVRAM..... , and stops. Sometimes it will say "Update OK" then stop there. If I turn the computer off and start it up again it won't even give me a beep or any display at all. In order to get it to beep and check the ram again, I have to pull the plug and reset the CMOS clear jumper for a few seconds, then it will do its thing again. I thought it was a dead ram stick so I bought another 128mb stick and it does the same thing. Any ideas? My parents were going to buy an EMachines from one of their friends but I told them not too, they aren't very happy that this computer doesn't work Thanks....

 

[foofoo]

hi,
this sounds like corrupted bios or bad mb to me. i assume that you have tried both of the ram slots with the same results. you can check out the processor in your own machine, but since you dont get the startup beeps indicating processor, it's probably ok.
best to check it anyway to be sure and then rma the mb.
good luck

 

[Catiaudo]

Both ram slots were tested with both of the ram sticks It recognizes the processor just fine on startup but it stalls at the Ram step. The company says the machine tested fine so hopefully I don't have to go through the trouble with an RMA

 

[corkyg]

Try different RAM sticks. Sounds like the RAM you are using does not make the mobo happy.

 

[KF]

Pull off the heatsink and redo it with heat sink compound. Make sure the clip holds it evenly.

Disassemble everything, and start from scatch and treat this as a completely new build. Try it with a different power supply.

At first sight, this is a deal too good to be true. $57 for mobo, Duron and case? But the $46 (yeah, right) S&H puts this in this in the nearly possible catagory. You had guts to go for this one. You may have to make use of the guarantee a couple times around in the hope of getting a good one.

>The company says the machine tested fine...
They always say that. Another thing they always say is "We never had a problem with one before." For this price, I would not expect them to even take it out of the box and plug it in.

> The hard drive still has Windows 2000 installed on it with a few files, but nothing much

How do you know this if it won't go past the NVRAM test?

Oh yeah. You do know that NVRAM is not the memory sticks, right? It is the ROM or CMOS. This is the same as the "checksum error" you get in some BIOS's.

 

[Catiaudo]

Originally posted by: KF

> The hard drive still has Windows 2000 installed on it with a few files, but nothing much

How do you know this if it won't go past the NVRAM test?

It was in my old machine ...

Do you think it could be a problem with the SDRAM? I guess I could try a DDR and see how it likes that

 

[KF]

Sure, its worth a try.

You do know that NVRAM is not the memory sticks, right? It is the ROM or CMOS. This is the same as the "checksum error" you get in some BIOS's. The machine is stopping with that test. It may be getting through with that test, or it may be stopping before.

If it has a socketed BIOS chip, pull it out and put it back in.

Pull the battery out and put it back in. Try a different battery.

Versions of this mobo (PCchips = ECS) are known to have contact problems. Put the memory sticks in and out several times to rub the contacts.

 

[Sid59]

i'd try a clean format. Doesn't hurt.