• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

ECS K7VTA3 Rev. 6.0 Won't POST

P

Protoss

Member
I bought a K7VTA3 and Athlon 2500+ combo from Fry's about 2 weeks ago, then came home to find out the jerk from eBay screwed with my PSU, so it was dead. Then my dad picked up a RAIDMAX 350 Dual Fan PSU and I of course plugged everything into it, turned it on, and BOOM! no beeps, POST or anything. All fans are running, just nothing is happening, although it does spin up the HD and CD-ROM...Anyone else have this board and having this kind of trouble?


Thnx, Protoss
 
This could be a result of many things. Nice of your dad to pick up a power supply for you but unfortunately a $13 Power Supply isn't always the best choice. Could be that, could be other things. Sounds almost like a video problem. Try pulling and reseating the video card a couple of times to be sure it is good and tight in the slot. If possible you should test the video card in another system. Another method would be to try and boot with just bare minimum hardware. Try booting with no HDD, no CDROM and no extra fans. Keep case open and just boot to the floppy (with boot disk), no fans except the HSF, one stick of RAM, video card, no PCI cards, etc. If it boots in this configuration, you will have narrowed things down a bit. If it won't, it's obvious there are other troubles. You might also want to try to boot the system without any RAM; to see if it will give the proper error beeps.
 
I am using my old Dell right now, it is using all the components, besides the RAM and proco. I have tried w/o any RAM, nothing different, and w/o any other components, like you suggested, with no different effect...

Thnx, Protoss
 
Take the board back to Fry's for exchange. Bring all the packaging, including the backplate, and receipt. If there's no visable signs of damage to the board, they should give you a new one. I had to go through 5 boards to find one that would post consistantly with my duron 1.6. Don't be surprised if you still have problems with a new board. Could be an issue with your power supply or even the video card. The Fry's salesman recommended against buying this particular board. He thought it was a bad idea for them to offer it in the first place. I think the k7s5a was a better board, even though it was slower and doesn't work with bartons.
 
Originally posted by: Protoss
Ok, this PSU is just fine. I'll tell my dad to take the board back.
Click to expand...
Not sure how you know the Power Supply is "just fine". As mentioned earlier, it is pretty, shall we say, "inexpensive". That being said, it is a good idea to take the board back. They (Fry's) will sometimes want to test it before issueing an exchange.
 
Well the PSU was $30, and was suggested from one of the Fry's Reps, so I am thinking its maybe a different model than the one you found. Oh and would Fry's take the mobo back w/o a recipt? Since they do store all your info in the computers there...




Thnx, Protoss
 
Yes. Fry's will have a record of the purchase on file in their computer. As long as you have all the accessories and packaging material, and return it within 30 days, they should exchange it. They won't give you a refund. You have to return both the cpu and motherboard to get a refund, and you can't do that with the cpu after 15 days.
 
Ok, I was just reading a topic with a lot of people complaining that their AGP slot wont accept their card, so I'm going over to a friends house to get one of his PCI vid cards...I am hoping to report back here very happy 😀 CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME!


Thnx, Protoss
 
No offense Protoss, but I sense a case of bugetitus extremus. Can I offer some advice for the future: buy brand-new, good-quality parts, particularly in the area of memory and power supplies. Oh yes, it will cost you more up front... but think how far into UT2004 you could be right now (or whatever game you like best) if you had spent that money towards a brand-new, good-quality PSU.

Separate question: what memory are you using?
 
Well now the only thing I am using that wasn't purchased 'officially' was RAM (Centon 2700 512 DDR), and that was pruchased from someone here. The PSU and everything inside the PC are from Fry's...
 
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I wouldn't use a PowMax PSU in any XP2500+ system, not even if I were given it for free 🙁 Maybe if it were powering a 500MHz Celeron or something, then yeah. 😛 Otherwise I bet I could make a nice wind-chime out of the PowMax...

:evil: ~ where's my tinsnips?!

Anyway, for practical advice, I'd grab me an Antec SL350 PSU, a Shuttle AN35N Ultra, and see if they'll play nice with your Creton RAM and your 2500+. If not, next thing is a stick of Crucial, Mushkin, Corsair or Kingston PC2700 (or PC3200 if you have overclocking in mind), and then a new CPU on the presumption that the CPU is toast. I dunno, this is a case where you can try nibbling on the troubleshooting operation or just bite the bullet and start over with the good stuff.

As an aside, remember that the thermal pad on a retail AMD heatsink is a one-use item. If you fired up the system, it's melted to fit the microgap between the CPU core and the heatsink base, and that's it. So if you remove the heatsink, remove all the used-up thermal pad and substitute a thin layer of high-quality thermal grease (Arctic-family ones are good quality).
 
Originally posted by: Protoss
Well the PSU was $30, and was suggested from one of the Fry's Reps, so I am thinking its maybe a different model than the one you found.
Click to expand...
Sorry, if that was a Raidmax 350 you bought, that is the one I linked to. In fact, you can see it again
here for I think $11. It's not unusual for Fry's to have some things cheap and others overpriced, compared to other retailers. The fact that the Fry's Rep recommended it should have made the red flags and sirens go off all around you. :Q Look, it's not the end of the world; you might be able to exchange it for a different brand. Fry's used to carry Sparkle Power supplies, which mentioned before is a decent quality, usually not overpriced PS. The irony is that I don't think they were much more than the Raidmax units; around $10 more I think. Well worth the difference. Take a look when you and your dad return the MB.
 
Ok, we found out it was both the mobo and proco that were defective...It's good they were too, cause the proco we first got was a 1500+, not a 2500+ 😛 That is a huge speed difference. So I am now in the process of getting past a BSOD that keeps coming up on XP because of the mobo change...So far so good on the hardware though! 😀
And that link to the PSU is not the model I have...that is an OEM and only has one fan, mine has an intake fan on the inside, and an outtake fan.
 
Originally posted by: Protoss
Ok, we found out it was both the mobo and proco that were defective...It's good they were too, cause the proco we first got was a 1500+, not a 2500+ 😛 That is a huge speed difference. So I am now in the process of getting past a BSOD that keeps coming up on XP because of the mobo change...So far so good on the hardware though! 😀
And that link to the PSU is not the model I have...that is an OEM and only has one fan, mine has an intake fan on the inside, and an outtake fan.
Click to expand...

The hits just keep on rolling in....! First off, OEM or not, the PS will still perform the same. Just because it has an extra fan won't make it suddenly have better power ratings or cleaner voltage. If you wish to believe that the one you have is "good enough", in spite of other more knowledgable folks telling you otherwise, that is your choice. No harm, no foul. It's not our money that's risked.
As to your BSOD, are you saying you took the HDD out of a totally different system and are trying to get it to "work" in this new one?? In particular, is the "donor system" the Dell system you mentioned early on?? You're gonna have heaps of problems trying to get that to work and should not have tried it without some careful and thorough preparations. It's not something that you can easily go back and do over either. I think I have a headache.
rolleye.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top