Doh! New Computer Problems, Please Help!!

[GHURD]

Ok I've spent about 3 weeks building this computer, err getting the parts for it, they all finnaly get here, and I put everything together, and I turn on the computer to see nothing happens, the screen stays blank. No as far as you have already guessed im no pc genious. Anyways here is the setup


1.1 GHZ with FOP-38
KT7-Raid
2 75GPX Drivers
1 Dvd Drive
SB Live Value
GeForce 2 GTS 64MB
2 Nics
and 1 stick of 256 mb crucial case 2 133 MHZ memory


Now first insticnt was that I had my ide/raid cable's in the wrong way, so I just pulled them all out. I mean the bios should show up on the moniter at least even with no drives actually installed? Well still no go either way.


So next I try moving the memory to different slots, no luck, I still need to try a dif stick.

The only other thing I can think it might be, is that I fried my CPU, EKKK.... please not this. I did everything I was told to do, I took off the thermal tape, added a layer of artic silver(used a bit too much, but still shouldnt be the problem. And then attached the two together. I took the heatsink off, and everything looks alright.


ANy help is much apreciated, thanks a ton


GHURD

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Remove everything but video card, but do reseat the video card.

Do you get any power leds when you press power button?
Make sure all connectors from reset,power,hdd,pc speaker are not reveresed. I've done that before and it pisses me off when I realize that I did something that dumb.

Try reseating Mobo, if you got any anti-static foam with the board put that under the board to make sure there is no grounding going on.

If all else fails jump up and down scream at the top of your lungs, slam sh!t around and act like a big baby, like I do. Sometimes it scares the machine into working.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

take the heatsinc off and look if you crushed the core(can happen sometimes). Also you know if you have fried it if the core has a brownish/burnt color to it.

 

[GHURD]

Well its looking more and more like it's the cpu, DOH!!

I just took out every card other than the video card, and I did reseat the video card aswell, all ide/raid cables are out, ram works in other systems, so its not the ram.

I reset the bios, everything seems grounded alright, only things that I can think it could be, is either power supply or cpu itself.

 

[GHURD]

Well I took the heatsink off, and theres artic silver all over the heatsink and cpu, I did a horrible job of putting it on, but that shouldnt do anything to it should it? crap, this isnt covered under waranty is it?


btw there doesnt appear to be any burn spots, and everything looks in tack, so dont think I broke the chip. just artic silver all over the top of the cpu, and bottom of the heatsink.

 

[odog]

what exactly happens when you "turn on" the computer? nothing at all? if it's nothing at all, ie not even the fans turn on/ hd spins up.. most likely the power switch isn't on correctly.... flip it over and try that.. if "nothing" is, fans turning on but no video... try reseating the video card... but make sure to give it a good push... not like you trying to hurt it.. just a firm push... try again... still nothing... then reseat the cpu and try that... still nothing..


at that point it's sometimes easier to take it all apart and start over then to troubleshoot.... try that, then report back

 

[GHURD]

thanks guys for all the help...

Anyone know what if a fried chip is considered under waranty even if I use artic silver?


the chip itself looks like crap with artic silver all over it, anyways all fans turn on, the mb connected ones, and the direct power supply ones. I've tried 3 dif agp cards with no luck =(.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

If there are no markings on chip RMA the biatch. It's there word against yours. They have no way to prove that anything was done to the chip. And to get one up on them. Clean the thermal crap off the chip and take a picture of the chip showing no burn marks. So if some snot nosed brat wants to deny your claim and add a physical defect to the chip you can have proof.

the reason I say this is because I tried to RMA a mobo once and the sent it back saying that I installed the power plug wrong and that is what caused the problem. The board I gat back had scortch marks by the power connector. It took almost 3months to get the $hitty company to replace my board. Thank god they're out of business now.

 

[GHURD]

SIGH, this is such a disapointment, after weeks of getting all these pieces together this happens. I was more than extremly carefull with that chip, I tried one last time reseating everything, the only two case led plugs that aren in are marked "INTRU" and "O.H. LED" neither witch i've seen before so saw no real reason that they should be installed. other than that, I can't see that its the mb knowing that all the mb fans work fine, meaning its getting power, I reset the bios, I guess it's got to be the chip, shoudl I try to send it back to mwave, or back to amd?


BTW thank you everyone for all the help!

GHURD

 

[GHURD]

I was told that if there are no burn marks, and even with the artic silver all over, that shouldnt have any problems with the computer posting. Anyone else have any last min ideas?

 

[odog]

did the artic silver get on the little capacitors? those little ones on the top of the cpu package?

 

[RossGr]

check the voltage selector switch on the back of the power supply. It needs to be set to 115V, many come from the factory set to 230V, your system will not boot if this is set wrong.

Switch headers are not polarity sensitive. That means you can connect the reset, power switch and even the speaker either way and they will function fine(the speaker will suck instead of blow, but who can tell?). Any headers for LEDs must be connected correctly for the LED to fucntion, but even those reversed will not impair system operation.

Did you attempt to boot with the mobo out of the case, with the bare mimimun installed, CPU,memory,vid card. connect the power supply, case power switch and speaker (so you can hear the beeps). If you set the mobo on a nonconductive surface in front of the case all connectors should reach. If it works this way then your problem is a case ground to the mobo, you need to check how it is mounted in the case.

Good luck

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Dude,
At least you got your proc. I just called buy.com about my duron 700 I ordered Monday morning.
Monday morning they said "Yah, we've got those in stock." Cool I ordered it and I need by Friday so I pay for their fastest shipping. Like $20, Well its now wednesday night. I got the router I ordered but no proc.
The rep I talked to said that the item is on back order and that I should call back tommorow morning to see if their Miami wharehouse has any in stock.

Well, if they don't I will do everything in my power to get a free upgrade to a t-bird out of the hassle, and get my shipping back on the proc. unless the can overnight it.

Sorry just rambling.

 

[Elbryn]

I dont know if this applies but with my duron 600 and kt7 mobo, the agp slot was disabled in the bios so i couldnt get a picture of the post on my monitor. I had to use an old pci video card to get to the bios and turn on the agp before i could use my geforce2 mx card. So if when you power on and your fans all turn on, hard drives and floppy appear to be going through the standard boot up sequence, this might be the problem.

 

[Modeps]

I have had this similar problem. When nothing came on the screen, i was very upset. I thought it was the processor, so I got another one (replacement) and it SEEMED to work fine, however i lost my video after exiting the BIOS, doing anything in general and the video would disappear. Whenever it happens, I left the computer ON and yanked the power cord from the back of the computer... put it back in and turned it on. *poof* i have video again, but I think this motherboard is crape so im gonna try and get a replacement or a different brand alltogether, maybe an ASUS.

we are not the only ones with this type of problem.

I have almost the exact setup you do as well... except a 1ghz and some generic ram.
my specs:

256 pc-133 ram (generic)
kt7-raid
1ghz tbird processor
leadtek winfast geforce2 gts 64
2x30GB IBM Deskstar 7200rpm 75GXP
72x TrueX Kenwood
SBLive Platnium 5.1

 

[Moonbender]

Did you ever try to boot with another CPU, like a friends/colleages Duron or TB? If it works, you know it's related to the CPU, if not it's something else...

 

[PCResources]

<< I was told that if there are no burn marks, and even with the artic silver all over, that shouldnt have any problems with the computer posting. Anyone else have any last min ideas? >>



Isn't that stuff conductive? Then getting it all over the cpu would short out the resistors and the other leads on top of the CPU. Try cleaning it up and see what happens.

Patrick Palm

Am speaking for PC Resources

 

[GHURD]

Regretably no, Everyone I know has something other than a Socket-A CPU.


I swamped all the jumpers
I tried a PCI video card
Memory Works fine
CPU is seated correctly
All IDE/Raid cables are disconnected(bare minimum installed)
Motherboard appears to be working alright, at least fans are running.
Power Supply is at 115
Reset the Bios via Jumpers

 

[okydoky]

I have been to two of AMD's seminars, thermal tape is the only thing recommended by AMD for the installation of a &quot;sink&quot; on Duron and Thunderbird cpu packages. Thermal compounds can short the &quot;package&quot; out. Also check to see if the processor is chipped on one corner, because this seems to be a common issue if the &quot;sink&quot; is not installed flush, ie, at a slight angle when installing the clip. Unfortunately, this is not covered under any warranty. Oh, and running that sucker for even a second without a heatsink will burn it up. Good Luck...

 

[GHURD]

Doh there's a slight chip on the side of the center silver piece that touches the heatsink, not on the actually cpu itself, just the thermal part.

Should most local mom and pop stores have technology to test the mb and chip? If so I should go and do that..

 

[okydoky]

The actual processor is the chip in the center of the package.( Small rectangular thingie.) If that is what you are mentioning, the processor is dead.

 

[Modeps]

Thats interesting, I always thought that was just a heat transferance contact patch... seeing that Ive read reviews about ones that were sleightly chipped and still worked.

 

[okydoky]

There are no more heat transfer plates. You are contacting the chip it self. AMD had also mentioned this in their seminars.

 

[DaddyG]

PC RESOURCES,

Arctic Silver is not conductive, it can conduct slightly under extreme pressure, (much higher than the hsf applies). BUT, its obvious that GHURD applied way too much, a thin film is all that's required. (not enough to squeeze out). In a situation such as this with an ABIT board, chances are 100-1 that the mobo, not the cpu is defective. There is olso a chance that the underside of the mobo is grounding out a trace on a stray stand-off.

Phase Change Thermal Compound is the only compound that AMD approves. After 'cooking' and going thru the change it produces temps within 2c of well applied AS. (please no comments from would be thermodynamics engineers with a chip and hsf). The tests were performed in a very precise thermal chamber. PCTC showed no signs of thermal break-down. ALL other greases with the exception of AS did.

 

[PCResources]

<< Arctic Silver is not conductive, it can conduct slightly under extreme pressure, (much higher than the hsf applies). BUT, its obvious that GHURD applied way too much, a thin film is all that's required. (not enough to squeeze out). In a situation such as this with an ABIT board, chances are 100-1 that the mobo, not the cpu is defective. There is olso a chance that the underside of the mobo is grounding out a trace on a stray stand-off. >>



Well, i wasn't sure if it was conductive or not, thanks for clearing that up.

Patrick palm

Am speaking for PC Resources