Built My First Computer - Won't even power up! HELP!

[apemanttt]

It's a 300 W generic brand power supply I think.

Here is the link to the case:
www.newegg.com and then search for EVERCASE E4252WEF5

http://www.newegg.com/app/CustratingReview.asp?item=11-127-002

 

[SteelCityFan]

Originally posted by: apemanttt
What do you mean by extra riser?

Risers are the little metal pieces that the motherboard screws into that lift the board about a half inch off the bottom of the case. They keep the metal conctact on the bottom of the motherboard from touching the metal case.

Example:

Riser 1 (A couple types - referred to as standoffs)


Riser 2 (referred to as a Standoff about 3/4 down the page)

 

[apemanttt]

Yeah my mobo is sitting right on the risers, I also used metal screws to screw the motherboard on.

 

[SteelCityFan]

Seems they use PS's from a company called "Enhance". I have never heard of them.

Is there a local place around where you could buy a Antec or Enermax powersupply to test? Maybe even a used computer parts store with one?

Look in your manual for something referring to the required standby voltage or current. Then, see if you can find matching specs for the power supply. My motherboard which had this problem was an Asus P3V4X.

 

[SteelCityFan]

Originally posted by: apemanttt
Yeah my mobo is sitting right on the risers, I also used metal screws to screw the motherboard on.

You don't have any extra risers do you? Risers where your motherboard does not have holes...

 

[HisDudeness]

Hi. The DC SW and Power Led connectors must be turned the right way. Like a hot wire/neutral wire.. colored is usually hot.. white or black neutral. Its also kinda like how the 1pin must be plugged in the right way on a hard drive. So if you are getting power to the MB and not being able to power on when you press the switch my suggestion would be to reverse the way you have the DC SW plugged in.

Im my abit manual they mark the 1pin for these connectors in the diagram with a "+" below it. It might be the same for yours. If that helps.

 

[apemanttt]

I don't have any extra risers.

I'm looking through the manual and I don't see anything about the power supply but I'll keep looking.

 

[apemanttt]

Yeah I've tried flipping around the power supply connector and getting it to work both ways. Won't work.

I'm going to go mess with the computer for a little while.

 

[HisDudeness]

On picture 15 you posted it shows a black switch with a "-" and an "o" on it on the back of the PSU. Im not sure what that switch is but i would venture that the posistion it is in in that picture, "-" is off and "o" would be on. But you said you were getting power to the MB right? IE the LED light comes on? You have more info on that switch on the back of the PSU?

BTW in my best Bill Clinton voice i say "I feel your pain."

 

[ChefJoe]

didn't realize this went so far down.... old problem

 

[apemanttt]

Yeah I definitely can get the mobo powered.

I just had a new development! I switched the jumper on the CMOS back and now when I push the power button on the front of the computer, I hear the tiniest pop and a very low light flashes in the red dot below the green and orange dots on the motherboard.

Does this mean anything?

 

[HisDudeness]

Just to be on the safe side let me give you some info on the CMOS for safety reasons. It is usually left best alone b/c it stores the basic info for the bios. You should really only discharge it, by moving the jumper over pins 2 and 3, when you flash the bios. IE when you upgrade your BIOS. Plz make sure that right now the jumper for the CMOS is over pins 1 and 2.

A tiny pop doesnt sound good. Im not sure what the light is. I have an Abit SA6R Motherboard and it doesnt have a beep code light monitor. If you can post a pic of the light you are talking about.

 

[HisDudeness]

K, i download the manual for you motherboard from abit. Before you try to turn on your MB i believe the orange light "D14" should be lit up if your MB is getting power b/c this indicates standby mode. If like you said you are trying to turn on your pc and the red light is coming on "D17" then i think you must be hitting the reset button and not the power on button, because the red light should come on when you press the RESET button on your case. Also make sure you do not have the reset connector mistakingly switched with the power connector on your motherboard. THe green light, D16, should come on when you use the "Power on" button on your case.

Gotta run but ill check back later.

 

[apemanttt]

Okay so should the jumper for CMOS be over the pins closest to the PCI slots or closest to the other side? I have trouble telling which pins are 1 and 2.

Also, the orange light is on and the red light never really turns on, just the faintest lightup can be seen for a second when I push the power button.

 

[WarCon]

I don't believe its a good thing to power up a motherboard with the CLR CMOS jumper in position. Matter of fact you shouldn't even be plugged in when you use it. I don't think that little pop sound was good. In electronics, "pop" = dead (usually).

 

[apemanttt]

Well it's hard to explain the noise. It's hard to classify as one sound, it wasn't really a pop. It was such a quiet sound you could barely hear it, and it happened more than once when I tried to power the computer up.

So what position should the jumper be in?

 

[bigboxes]

You really should read your manual. Although I am not familiar with your mb, it should detail what the pin numbers are for the CMOS.

Usually, pins 1 & 2 or for normal operation, while 2 & 3 reset any changes in the bios. Most likely pins 1 & 2 are away from the PCI slots. Again, look at your manual if your mb does not have any numbers on them. ~box

 

[apemanttt]

When I hit the power button the screen flickers a little. That's all that's happening. I've tried so many things. This is so incredibly frustrating.

 

[apemanttt]

Is it time to return my motherboard or what?

How can I test all of my components to see if they are causing the problem?

 

[apemanttt]

I took my motherboard out and am putting it back in, but I noticed this time when I was putting it in that there are some little metal brackets sticking out of the area where all the serial slots and usb slots on the motherboard go out of the back of the chasis. These metal pieces are sorta obstructing the way a little, should I take them off? It's hard to explain what they are, but do you think they are neccesary? Would it be okay if I took them off?

 

[HisDudeness]

The orange light being on is good. That means your motherboard is getting power from the Power Supply Unit. When you press the power button on your case the Green light should come on, not the red one. The red light should be connected to the reset button and should only come on when you press the reset button. If its coming on when you press the power button, then the only reason i can think of that this would happen is that the connections are not correct. Double check your connections especially the Power on switch header. It should be connected to pins 8 and 9 on row Pn1 of your motherboard as described on pg 2-13 and 2-14 of your manual. The colored wire of the connector should go in pin 8 and the white or black wire should go in pin 9. Or in another way of saying it, the colored wire should be on the right, and the white or black on the left. Make sure that is plugged in correctly and firmly seated. Try to power up again. Now, the green light should come on on your motherboard when you press the power on button on your case. If it should not come on go back and try reversing the connection so that the colored wire is on the left or plugged into pin 9 and try to power on again. Again, you will be able to tell if it works by the green light on your motherboard coming on. All of this is on pg 2-13 and 2-14 of your manual, but ive explained it in more detail.

FYI: You count the pins on the row of pins named Pn1 on your motherboard from right to left. You can see that only Pin 1 is labeled in your manual in figure 2-9 on pg 2-13. First pin on right is Pin 1. Count over from there.

If nothing is wrong with your hardware, which i doubt there is, then i am 90% sure your problem lies with this switch or row of connections.

 

[apemanttt]

Hmm would my computer be affected if I had loaded the heatsink with thermal paste when I put it on?

 

[apemanttt]

Originally posted by: HisDudeness
The orange light being on is good. That means your motherboard is getting power from the Power Supply Unit. When you press the power button on your case the Green light should come on, not the red one. The red light should be connected to the reset button and should only come on when you press the reset button. If its coming on when you press the power button, then the only reason i can think of that this would happen is that the connections are not correct. Double check your connections especially the Power on switch header. It should be connected to pins 8 and 9 on row Pn1 of your motherboard as described on pg 2-13 and 2-14 of your manual. The colored wire of the connector should go in pin 8 and the white or black wire should go in pin 9. Or in another way of saying it, the colored wire should be on the right, and the white or black on the left. Make sure that is plugged in correctly and firmly seated. Try to power up again. Now, the green light should come on on your motherboard when you press the power on button on your case. If it should not come on go back and try reversing the connection so that the colored wire is on the left or plugged into pin 9 and try to power on again. Again, you will be able to tell if it works by the green light on your motherboard coming on. All of this is on pg 2-13 and 2-14 of your manual, but ive explained it in more detail.

FYI: You count the pins on the row of pins named Pn1 on your motherboard from right to left. You can see that only Pin 1 is labeled in your manual in figure 2-9 on pg 2-13. First pin on right is Pin 1. Count over from there.

If nothing is wrong with your hardware, which i doubt there is, then i am 90% sure your problem lies with this switch or row of connections.

Okay the connector that says "DC SW" is the power switch right? I've tried connecting it both ways, with the colored wire on the right and black on the left and also colored on the left and black on the right. It is definitely over pins 8 and 9 too. It is actually not only the red light that flickers, it is a flicker that flickers through both the green and red lights, but it's the faintest flicker. I'm starting to doubt my power supply. I have no idea what to do now.

 

[HisDudeness]

Yep, if thats the 5 connectors you got DC SW is definitely it. To answer your other questions about the thermal grease and other issues they really arent a problem and even if they were they dont explain the symptoms you are having. What about that black switch on the back of your Power Supply that seems to be in the off posistion i asked about earlier. You try anything with that?

 

[apemanttt]

Yeah the switch with the "-" and the "o"? That's simply the power switch. I have to flip it to get the motherboard powered on. Yeah just the basic power switch.

Hmm.