Funkerific Hard Drive Behavior--mobo or cpu maybe dead?

[TheJollyFellow]

So it's just another day, and just another build, except for the hard drive; when the IDE cable is plugged in, the hard drive does NOT spin (but there is power, the LED indicator on the bottom is lit), but when the IDE cable is unplugged from the motherboard, the hard drive DOES spin. On top of all that, I don't get a boot screen or beeps regardless of the configuration, so I'm thinking either the motherboard is gone, or the CPU is--any thoughts?

Note:
-the HD and power supply are confirmed working on another computer
-I'm using an ECS AM2+ mobo and an AMD X3 425 processor

 

[mpilchfamily]

First of all what model of motherboard do you have.

Part of the problem may be that the motherboard isn't configured to look at the IDE connection for the boot drive. Most new motherbaords exspect the IDE connection to be used for optical drives.

Now the beep you get is the motherboard telling you tht everything checks out. So i doubt the motherboard or the CPU have any problems. Its a matter of chaning the right settings in the bios. Worste comes to worste and you'll find that the motehrbaord won't boot from an IDE drive and you'll have to spend $40 on a new SATA drive.

 

[pcgeek11]

when the IDE cable is plugged in, the hard drive does NOT spin (but there is power, the LED indicator on the bottom is lit),

Doesn't spin? or Doesn't read? The IDE cable should have no effect on the drive spinning. It should spin regardless of the IDE Cable with the power from the power connector alone.

On top of all that, I don't get a boot screen or beeps regardless of the configuration, so I'm thinking either the motherboard is gone, or the CPU is--any thoughts?

Does the HD show up in the BIOS?

I agree the BIOS is configured incorrectly.

pcgeek11

 

[TheJollyFellow]

My first message may have been a little confusing: I don't get a boot screen, and I don't get any beeps regardless of what I do.

The hard drive spins when just the power is connected, and does NOT spin when the IDE cable is connected. I know that sounds weird, but that's the situation; I know it's on the motherboard's side of things, because when I plug in the molex and the IDE to the hard drive, but leave the IDE unplugged from the motherboard, the drive still spins (ie--it's not some weird pin or jumper issue on the physical drive itself). I've tried three different IDE hard drives, and they all have this issue (all three have been confirmed working using another computer)--I've tried multiple IDE cables as well with no change.

My gut tells me it's an issue with the motherboard because of the lack of boot screen, beeps and the IDE issue, but I wonder if a faulty CPU could cause all of those issues as well? I know the boot and beep could easily be that, but as far as the IDE goes who knows.

Also, I don't know if the IDE issue is with CDROMS as well, as I have no boot screen and can't tell if the CDROM is being read correctly...

 

[cjbruin09]

How does the system respond when you just have GPU/CPU/RAM/PSU installed?

 

[TheJollyFellow]

How does the system respond when you just have GPU/CPU/RAM/PSU installed?

That's how I've been operating thus far--though minus the GPU, I've been using the onboard graphics to avoid any potential problems there. I did try with the 9600GSO I have in the event the onboard graphics were fried, and the results didn't change, so I removed it from the equation.

It won't boot no matter the RAM configuration, even without the modules installed at all (still no beep..). I have nothing unneeded installed, including any of the case switches--I'm using the power switch the motherboard has built-in.

here's the board on the 'egg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-085-_-Product

 

[cjbruin09]

What about no RAM? Is the PSU definitely good?

 

[TheJollyFellow]

What about no RAM? Is the PSU definitely good?

As I said, it still doesn't boot even without any RAM installed--no beeps, no nothing.

The PSU is definitely good, everything is powered but nothing boots; fans spin, hard drives spin when they aren't connected to the IDE, etc etc.

 

[cjbruin09]

Ah, so you did. Sorry, missed that. I have a brutal time telling if the board/cpu are each dead without being able to test each one individually using a known configuration.

 

[pcgeek11]

As I said, it still doesn't boot even without any RAM installed--no beeps, no nothing.

The PSU is definitely good, everything is powered but nothing boots; fans spin, hard drives spin when they aren't connected to the IDE, etc etc.

All being said and done I would almost bet the motherboard ( CPU's are very hardy as long as they haven't been mishandled ( static, bent pins etc... ) or overheated ).

I take it the board has never booted as it is a new build. I can only think of one other thing to do and that is to check the BIOS version at the Mfg web site and ensure that it supports the CPU you have installed. Some may need a flash to support the newest CPU's. Unfortunately the only way to flash is to have a supported CPU in order to boot the system so that you can flash the BIOS.

I just checked it and they do say it supports the AMD Athlon™ II Triple-Core Processor 435 (C2) (95W)...

BUT there is a BIOS update that states it is to support the CPU that you have:

BIOS File: 78NA715
BIOS Version: 09/07/15
BIOS Date: 2009/07/24
Release Reason:
-support new cpu:AM3 AMD Athlon II 435/425 ,AM3 AMD Sempron 140
-improve ejiffy installation.

If your board has the Original BIOS you will need to update to support the CPU you have. That MAY BE the issue.

Link to new BIOS: http://www.ecsusa.com/ECSWebSite/Pr...CategoryID=1&DetailName=Bios&MenuID=1&LanID=9

There is also an even newer BIOS 78NA827, Dated: 2009/09/02, Version: 09/08/27.

I hope this will help. If nothing else and you need a BIOS Flash call them and maybe they will hit you up with a new BIOS chip already flashed. It's worth a shot.

pcgeek11

 

[RebateMonger]

Any chance the IDE cable was backwards on one of its connectors? It used to be that a backwards connection would destroy the onboard IDE disk controller. I had a Gateway Pentium MB drive controller die when I used an IDE cable that had alignment tabs on both ends, but the cable had been wired backwards. I had to use a separate disk controller card to hook up hard drives after that.