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Help Computer does not start :( Edit - Video Card shorting system out?

G

GoodToGo

Diamond Member
I am building a new pc and managed to put everything together but the comp does not start. Everytime I press the power button, the fans and the heat sink starts up but it then shuts down. My system is

Shuttle ANR50
AMD 64
Zalman 7000
NEC CDRW
Mushkin 3200
WD 60GB
ATI 9800 AIW
350W PSU that came with the case.

Any ideas? Help please 🙁

Edit: The Video card is causing the short. If I leave it slightly unseated, it seems to work but the moment, it is porperly seated, the motherboard shorts out. I am starting to get irritated iwth this thing since I want to get this sytem up and running. Any ideas? 🙁
 
double check all your wiring and mounting. if your case isn't properly grounded as well as all the parts the computer will act similar to what your explaining. check the back of the motherboard and how you mounted it, its common for people to put one to many mounts and have it make contact with your motherboard and "ground it out"
 
I used mettalic "studs" (or at least thats what shuttle documentation called them) to mount the motherboard on the case. But then there was nothing else non-mettalic included tp mount the motherboard on the case.
 
$5 says your motherboard is touching metal and shorting out. make sure no prongs from the IO-plate are sticking out and touching your motherboard. 😉
 
Originally posted by: GoodToGo
I used mettalic "studs" (or at least thats what shuttle documentation called them) to mount the motherboard on the case. But then there was nothing else non-mettalic included tp mount the motherboard on the case.
Click to expand...



Clear your CMOS. Then unhook/disconnect every device but the video card and give it a go. What do you get?
 
Could be a pooey PSU. Do you have a spare you can try it with? I had a PSU go bad and thats what it did...Or possibly just enough juice for that system...does that motherboard have the extra 12 volt connector, and if so, is it getting power?

Confirm you're not grounding out, and then go for bare minimum (MB, CPU, RAM, graphics card), then start piling it on.
 
Originally posted by: Jalapeno
Originally posted by: GoodToGo
I used mettalic "studs" (or at least thats what shuttle documentation called them) to mount the motherboard on the case. But then there was nothing else non-mettalic included tp mount the motherboard on the case.
Click to expand...



Clear your CMOS. Then unhook/disconnect every device but the video card and give it a go. What do you get?
Click to expand...

Same thing, no change. Starts and then abruptly stops. Could it be a faulty PSU as well?
 
Got it, it was grounded. I will try to tighten the motherboard on the case now and see whether it starts or not...it might still not be over yet 😛
 
So, can you get into the BIOS at least?




If not, take all your components out of the case, lay your motherboard on a non-conductive surface (towel on a table will do), and hook your video card, harddrive, cd-rom, and floppy up. Connect the power supply, take a screw driver and shorten the "pwr" pins on your board with its blade.


Now what do you get?

 
Originally posted by: GoodToGo
Got it, it was grounded. I will try to tighten the motherboard on the case now and see whether it starts or not...it might still not be over yet 😛
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like you've got it working out of the case but not within.
Is this correct?
If so, it's possible that you have too many standoffs (studs) in the case. Make sure you only have enough for the holes in the motherboard. A good method is using a piece of paper and marking the holes in the motherboard with a pen. Then match it up with the case.
 
Originally posted by: AIWGuru
Originally posted by: GoodToGo
Got it, it was grounded. I will try to tighten the motherboard on the case now and see whether it starts or not...it might still not be over yet 😛
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like you've got it working out of the case but not within.
Is this correct?
If so, it's possible that you have too many standoffs (studs) in the case. Make sure you only have enough for the holes in the motherboard. A good method is using a piece of paper and marking the holes in the motherboard with a pen. Then match it up with the case.
Click to expand...

Actually, I am using only three studs but I think that might not be enough. Think I might have to run out and get some more studs (one to be exact but I doubt they sell that many 🙁 )
 
Originally posted by: GoodToGo

Actually, I am using only three studs but I think that might not be enough. Think I might have to run out and get some more studs (one to be exact but I doubt they sell that many 🙁 )
Click to expand...


if your short one don't worry about it, just place them with some intuition, put it in the areas of the board that would need the most support, like the back area for the rear plugs, the cpu area, ram, and IDE plug areas,etc. just make sure you don't misplace another one and ground it out again! line them all up!

edit: whoa, wait,you only have three? where did the rest go!?
 
Originally posted by: Jalapeno
Hey, since I am a wino I can offer assistance!

Take a cork from a discarded wine bottle and slice pieces off of it a little bigger than the distance between your board and your case wall. Put it in spaces where strain is most likely to be exerted to your board. Then fasten your board to the case. Voila. Cork is an excellent insulator and dampener!

---> this is the cheapass solution <---
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: AWhackWhiteBoy
Originally posted by: GoodToGo

Actually, I am using only three studs but I think that might not be enough. Think I might have to run out and get some more studs (one to be exact but I doubt they sell that many 🙁 )
Click to expand...


if your short one don't worry about it, just place them with some intuition, put it in the areas of the board that would need the most support, like the back area for the rear plugs, the cpu area, ram, and IDE plug areas,etc. just make sure you don't misplace another one and ground it out again! line them all up!

edit: whoa, wait,you only have three? where did the rest go!?
Click to expand...

I have no idea where the others went, I dont know where to look for more.

Also there are other problems now. I switch on the computer and let or run for a while but it shuts down itself after a while. I dont know whats happening. I cant believe that its a cooling problem since the case is open and its a cool room. In addition, there are 2 more fans in the case running (besides the psu's) When it shuts off, the power led on the motherboard also goes off. I dont know what its outputting since it is not connected to the monitor 😕
 

Hey, since I am a wino I can offer assistance!

Take a cork from a discarded wine bottle and slice pieces off of it a little bigger than the distance between your board and your case wall. Put it in spaces where strain is most likely to be exerted to your board. Then fasten your board to the case. Voila. Cork is an excellent insulator and dampener!

---> this is the cheapass solution <---
 
Check the wires for the power and restart buttons in the case, make sure they're not frayed and causing it to shutdown or restart. Also if it shuts down while booting up, it could be the same grounding problem, or the powersupply.
 
Originally posted by: Jalapeno
I switch on the computer and let or run for a while but it shuts down itself after a while.
Click to expand...

Make SURE your heatsink/fan has good and flat connection to your processor!
Click to expand...

How would I do that? Press down on the Heat sink? Reattach (ugh)?
 
Back when I used to play human assembly line at Altex, we had these little red looking cardboard washers that came with each Abit mobo we used. Most mobo's will ship with these washers and it is a good idea to use them. They get placed between the screw and the mobo before you mount to the brass stud. Additionally, if your pc is crashing on you after a breif time, you may want to check your timings/voltages and run a good memory test like the one that was recommended to me. Try out that Memtest86 for free. I'm never building a new rig again without using it. (back at Altex, we had a memory tester that you could plug a stick into and hit "go" but cost enough to build a PC) Hope that helps you.
 
Originally posted by: Abydos
Back when I used to play human assembly line at Altex, we had these little red looking cardboard washers that came with each Abit mobo we used. Most mobo's will ship with these washers and it is a good idea to use them. They get placed between the screw and the mobo before you mount to the brass stud. Additionally, if your pc is crashing on you after a breif time, you may want to check your timings/voltages and run a good memory test like the one that was recommended to me. Try out that Memtest86 for free. I'm never building a new rig again without using it. (back at Altex, we had a memory tester that you could plug a stick into and hit "go" but cost enough to build a PC) Hope that helps you.
Click to expand...

Good advice.
 
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