Computer not posting.

[arynn]

I am in the process of assembling the following system:

1.2 GHz Duron
MSI K7N420 PRO
350 W RAIDMAX Power Supply
2 x 256 MB Crucial PC 2100 DDR SDRAM
40 GB Maxtor

After installing the processor and RAM, the computer would not post.

I installed the DLED bracket for the motherboard and tried again.

The LEDs indicated that the boot up was hanging on the first step. The manual said that if the LED hangs at this point the CPU is either damaged or not installed properly.

Is there a way to tell if the processor is damaged? I followed the instructions that came with the CPU. I have also installed a Duron in the past with little difficulty and followed the instructions. What are typical mistakes made during the processor installation, and is it possible that the problem lies elsewhere?

Thanks.

 

[VicLavigne]

Typical mistakes that cause failure to boot:
RAM not fully seated
Vid card not fully seated
HSF on backwards or otherwise not correctly
Shorts/grounds from mobo to case.

Try clearing CMOS before your next boot attempt.

I'd pull the cpu and just carefully inspect it. See if you can test it in another system. Double-check all connections. Try assembling system out of the case and seeing if it will post.

 

[arynn]

Vic - thanks for the recommendations. Before removing the CPU, I tried another power supply and it worked fine. Not sure why the power supply didn't work (don't know how to test and see if it is within spec). I thought that the power supply would work fine since it is 350 W.

Got the computer up and running shortly after that.

 

[VicLavigne]

Good for you for figuring it out -- psu problems can sometimes be hard to troubleshoot.
Don't be too surprised about it. Even though you had a 350w psu, it obviously doesn't meet AMD specs. I've known a few folks who had > 500w psu's can had problems with them, because they were cheapie psu's.