I've got power but nothing else...

[Oifish]

I'm helping a friend build a new comp form scratch and we can get power to all the fans and the hd, but the monitor doesn't show anything. We can't even get to the BIOS screen. The mobo is an Abit NF8-V. Thanks for any help.

 

[hootpie]

I had the same problem on my last build. Make sure the extra 4-pin power connector is plugged into your mobo.

 

[Oifish]

Yea it's plugged in, I can get the LED screen in the front to light up and it is telling me the sys temp.

I forgot the CPU is an A64 3000+

 

[Cleaner]

Are you getting any beeps? You should be getting at least one beep. If you are getting some what are they three then two then one or three then nothing or such. If no beeps I would reseat EVERYTHING. A good mobo and a bad cpu would cause this or vice versa, but bad memory would still give you a beep. Just a thought. Take the memory out and then boot it, does it beep at you? Mobo should beep with a memory error if you have only the cpu in and nothing else.

 

[Oifish]

I get one little beep and that is it.

 

[wpshooter]

OIfish:

Maybe I am mis-understanding your problem. But are you sure the problem is not with the monitor ? Is this a brand new monitor or is it one that is coming over from another system. If it is a new monitor, have you tried it on another system ?

 

[Oifish]

Thats what I thought so I tried a couple of monitors and none of them worked. I havn't been able to try another video card though, but I really doubt that is the problem.

 

[wpshooter]

Are you sure the ATI video card is compatiable as far as voltage with that motherboard ?

 

[wpshooter]

Also, that is probably an AGP card isn't it. Have you check the BIOS for video card parameters. Is it possible that the BIOS has to be set to that particular type of card before it will function ? AGP, PCI, etc. as opposed to where most just ask for first to seek.

 

[Coherence]

I hate to say it, but either the CPU came to you bad, or you cracked the core installing the heat sink. That is the only time I've ever seen what you describe (power to fans and drives, but no POST, no video, and no actual drive activity). A couple years back, a friend of mine cracked 3 cores before he finally got his upgrade to work.

Yes, it can also be a shorted mobo, but it's easier to swap CPU's to test a bad chip than it is to gut the case and start over again from scratch.

 

[wpshooter]

If you have not already, the very first thing I would do, would be to test your video card in another system (one that you know for certain that it is compatible with), to make sure your problem is not in the video card itself before you go pulling everything else apart.

 

[Oifish]

Well it came in a combo so I'll just have him take both back and we'll see what happens after that. I got it at Fry's so I hope they don't have a stupid return policy.

 

[Oifish]

I got a hold of his bro's video card and it did not work also so I know that is out of the question.

 

[wpshooter]

Sorry, you can't check the BIOS parameters, because you can't see them !!!!

 

[Oifish]

Yea, that makes it a little tough. :laugh:

 

[wpshooter]

Oifish:

I was wondering if you had resolved your problem. Did you get a chance to verify that the problem was not in the video card itself ?

Beyond that, my guesses would be in this order:

1) Memory not in slot(s) correctly or not compatible with motherboard or possibly defective. If you have more than one module, try them one at a time unless they have to be in pairs.
2) Possible defect in AGP slot on motherboard - might try to called MB manufacturer (good luck) to see if this has been a problem with this particular model board - I have had this happen before.
3) Processor not seated correctly or possibly defective - even though someone else suggested so, this would not be one that I would highly suspect.

Good luck, let us know what you find.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: Oifish
I'm helping a friend build a new comp form scratch and we can get power to all the fans and the hd, but the monitor doesn't show anything. We can't even get to the BIOS screen. The mobo is an Abit NF8-V. Thanks for any help.

Reset CMOS.

Done.

 

[wpshooter]

Ducci:

Good thought. Boy, how we forget the most obvious things.