MSI Km2m Wont run

[pc101]

Helping friend build new pc. PC boots, powers all devices but no video. Basically it just powers the devices and that is it.

MSI KM2M Mobo
Comp USA Power Supply 400 Watt 12volt 16amp.
Amd Athlon XP 2400. Even tried my xp 2700 wich i use so i know it works.
Generic Cd rom
western digital 40 gig, ide
HeatSink and Fan Retail
SdRam PC100 2 128 Mb
Here are the full specs of the power supply
+3.3v 14 amp, +5v 30a, +12v 16a, -5v .03, -12v .05a, +5vsb 2.0a Total 400w

No sound from speaker either.

Any help would be apprecaited.

Thinking its a mobo problem, what cha think?

 

[pc101]

Does anyone have any suggestions about this board.

 

[o1die]

I've never gotten an xp cpu to run at full speed with sdram. At the very minimum, I would use pc133, and if the board has ddram slots, then find one stick and try it.

 

[Peter]

Where's my post? *sigh* One post doubles, the other one disappears ...

Anyhow. I said, you cannot have a 133 MHz bus CPU with 100 MHz SDRAM, at least not on VIA's Athlon chipsets.

 

[pc101]

Even if i changed to mobos fsb to 100(jumper seetings)

 

[Peter]

It'd be OK then, but you'd get only 3/4 of your rated CPU speed.

If it still doesn't work after you did that, then your PC100 SDRAM might not actually live up to its specification. You wouldn't be the first to discover that their SDRAM, when pushed to the limits of its specification by a fast chipset, doesn't quite work right, although it ran fine for years in the previous-generation system it came from.

 

[pc101]

For it not to even post, just the fans spin is what is so confusing. Like i said earlier i have been to msi forums and many users have the same issue, but rarely any body finishes their post telling what they did to fix the problem, wheather it was return the board or something else.

I tried unhooking all hardware, once at a time and even all together, but still same results. Think i am going to tell him to send it back to newegg and get a ecs(only becouse of his price range and the fact that he wants to use his pc100 ram.

 

[Peter]

You'll have the same speed limitation on the ECS K7S5A(pro). However for that board, there are enthusiast made alternate BIOSes that let you do CPU/RAM 133/100. Once you got it running at 100/100, you might be tempted to try that. At your own risk, of course.

 

[pc101]

Peter,
Are saying that using pc 100 ram that he will not get his cpu to run @ 2ghz?

 

[Peter]

Exactly, since most mainboards don't let you run the RAM at a slower bus frequency than the CPU. So with 100 MHz RAM, you are limited to 100 MHz CPU bus. Since the processors have a factory preset multiplier, an Athlon 2400+ (multiplier 15, target bus speed 133 MHz) will come out at 15x100=1500 MHz then.

 

[pc101]

Hmm i understand that. So at 100 fsb i cant put the multiplier on 20. Or would that just be to easy.

 

[Peter]

As I said already, the multiplier in any given CPU nowadays is factory preset and cannot be changed.

 

[pc101]

What I meant is some bios allow you to change that "preset multiplier"

 

[Zepper]

Also make sure the P4 (12V) power connector is plugged in - won't run w/o it. Then clear the CMOS with the PSU switched off on the back or unplugged. Check to be sure the floppy cable is connected correctly, if there is one.
. The KM2M is a very reliable mobo - I haven't heard of many that were DOA, but always a possibility.
.bh.

 

[Peter]

The multiplier cannot be changed. How am I being unclear on this?

 

[pc101]

Thanks zepper, i have tried all that

Pete, easy man, it will be ok, it was just a question. Thanks for the help.

He is sending the mobo back, i have built 6 machines and never had issues like this one, MSI maybe a good board but they wont ever get my bussiness.

thanks again all.

 

[Peter]

pc101, I wasn't being angry, just brief

If you ever want to recycle some PC100 RAM, you need to grab an old Duron for the task (1300 MHz or lower), since these still run at 100 MHz bus. Time's running out for that, though.

 

[DieHardware]

Originally posted by: Peter
pc101, I wasn't being angry, just brief

If you ever want to recycle some PC100 RAM, you need to grab an old Duron for the task (1300 MHz or lower), since these still run at 100 MHz bus. Time's running out for that, though.

Or Athlon B or certain mobile Athlons.

 

[pc101]

Thanks for the info guys very informative.