Need help with a build. Is it the CPU?

[raptureonfire]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping that, with all of your combined wisdom, you might be able to clue me in with some help.

Last night, I sat down and upgraded my mom's desktop. The upgraded build includes:

New Components
Intel Core i3 3220
MSI B75A-G43 motherboard
16GB Kingston DDR3

Existing Components
180GB SSD w/ Windows 7 64bit (purchased within the past three months)
Antec Neo 500W PSU (Probably about 5 years old)

The Problem
I assembled the system in a new case, and started the system up. Case fans start immediately, but the CPU fan sort of stutters for a moment, then runs quite loudly for about 3 seconds before the entire system shuts off and reboots. This cycle continues until you unplug the PSU.

Steps I've taken

• I reseated the CPU
• I reseated the RAM, tried only a single DIMM, tried different slots
• I tried a different PSU, but received the same result *

* This PSU, however, died last night as well, so I'm not too confident in its diagnostic integrity.

Strange ...
I pulled the Antec Neo 500W PSU and installed it in my dad's computer, and it's running fine.

What should I do?

• I'm picking up a new power supply today to see whether this is the problem. I would love such a simple solution, but I'm not confident.

What do you all think?

 

[sangyup81]

What kind of thermal paste are you using? It sounds like your CPU is overheating. This could also be an issue with a RAM slot. Try and see what happens when you use one stick in one slot and then rotate slots to see if anything different happens

 

[Ketchup]

Might want to reset the bios, and make sure all screws on the motherboard are grounding it well. When something like this happens, it is a good idea to disconnect everything not needed for boot (hard drive, cd-rom, monitor, peripherals.)

 

[raptureonfire]

Hi guys - thanks for the advice!

Nothing is connected to the motherboard at the moment. I am using the stock cooler that came with the processor, so I'd be surprised if it's overheating - particularly 1 second into being powered on.

I will recheck all standoffs and see whether it boots out of the case!

Thank you

 

[tweakboy]

We can rule out the PSU if it works for your dad. Try one more time take out the CHIP and clean it, also clean the HSF. Then apply paste and make sure the HSF is installed tight and proper. Let us know.

Might even be your video card or something... gl

 

[sangyup81]

Hi guys - thanks for the advice!

Nothing is connected to the motherboard at the moment. I am using the stock cooler that came with the processor, so I'd be surprised if it's overheating - particularly 1 second into being powered on.

I will recheck all standoffs and see whether it boots out of the case!

Thank you

Virtually no cooler can do its job without thermal paste. Again, what kind of thermal paste are you using?

 

[raptureonfire]

Virtually no cooler can do its job without thermal paste. Again, what kind of thermal paste are you using?

I'm sorry, I should have specified - the stock cooler has paste on it already.

 

[Ketchup]

This doesn't sound video related, but are you using the onboard video?

 

[tweakboy]

Is there any way you can go in BIOS and check your CPU temp ....... Then we will know more... gl

 

[Ketchup]

Is there any way you can go in BIOS and check your CPU temp

I am guessing no.

Case fans start immediately, but the CPU fan sort of stutters for a moment, then runs quite loudly for about 3 seconds before the entire system shuts off and reboots.

 

[raptureonfire]

I am guessing no.

Ketchup is correct. The HSF stutters for perhaps a second or two before running into overdrive (for perhaps another second or two), and then the entire system shuts off and then turns back on again.

I do not get video during this period. I am using onboard, though I have a discrete GPU onhand as well.

Tonight, my diagnostic plan includes:

• Pull the Motherboard/CPU/RAM combination out of the case;
• Test with a brand new PSU;
• Try a new HSF and new thermal paste (Ceramique)
• Scream and cry if it doesn't fix it;

Thank you all for your continued help. Any other ideas or suggestions are, of course, very welcome!!!

 

[Ketchup]

I am using onboard, though I have a discrete GPU onhand as well.

Yeah, I would be interested in how using that CPU words tonight. It is odd that the fans completely stop and a reboot accurrs. Sounds like a short somewhere, or possibly the CPU fan not plugged into the right header.

 

[SpeedTester]

Sounds like a grounding issue with the motherboard or possibly a bad motherboard. I can assure you it has nothing to do with thermal paste as long as your heatsink is making contact with the cpu.

Does the motherboard have an onboard speaker and if not do you have one the them you can attach to the speaker pins on the motherboard to see if you get any post beeps?

Edit: I dont see any onboard speaker on the newegg pic.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130651

 

[Hubb1e]

Geez guys, a computer with no heatsink at all would get farther than that. It's the board or the RAM. The board is unable to boot and that's what's happening. Reset the board by pulling the battery or using the jumper, pull all the ram but one stick (if you have other RAM try that too). Basically pull everything out and then test each component with spares you hopefully have laying around.

Also, check the board manual for any error codes. There my be a series of beeps that you can interpret.

 

[raptureonfire]

Thank you all so much!

It sounds like the first thing I need to do is to ensure that the motherboard isn't grounding out on the case. The standoffs were a pain in the butt to install, but once they were in, I didn't have any problems. I'm going to try pulling this bad boy out of the case and working from there.

I'll have a new PSU tonight, and I can easily test with a new HSF and ceramique if necessary.

The irony of this all is that I purchased these components and initiated this upgrade because I was sick of being constantly called into remotely supporting this darned computer.

Speed, I can install a speaker tonight. I was working late last night, and didn't want to wake the family.

Hubble, thank you much. The motherboard and RAM are new, which is bothersome of course. I'll reset the board and see whether I can finagle some life out of this thing.

You're all awesome - thank you!

 

[sm625]

I cant speak for an i3-3220, but I can say that an AMD sempron 140 will power up and run just fine for at least a good 30 seconds before it gets too hot to touch... with no HSF at all! A sempron 140 uses more power...

 

[SpeedTester]

Rapture, keep us updated after trying the setup out of the case and if there are any beep codes. Don't worry about hooking anything up besides the power supply, CPU, ram, motherboard and speaker. You can jump the 2 pin power pins with a screw driver to fire her up but just touching the two pins quickly

 

[raptureonfire]

Hey all,

Well, firstly I want to thank you all for your suggestions and help.

I pulled the MB/CPU/RAM out and ran them outside the case with a new power supply. No dice. I threw the old MB/CPU/RAM in the case to see whether the case was grounding out, but it all worked fine.

My assumption is that the MB is the culprit, but I wasn't sure (or confident enough) in that assessment, and ended up RMA'ing the entire combination with Newegg. Hopefully when I travel back to my parents next week for the holidays, the new components will work 100% out of the box.

You are all awesome - thank you so much!

 

[dawp]

what is the old motherboard/cpu/ram? is it possible to swap the parts between the new and old to isolate the trouble?

 

[raptureonfire]

what is the old motherboard/cpu/ram? is it possible to swap the parts between the new and old to isolate the trouble?

Hey Dawp,

The old combo was LGA775 Q6600, 8GB DDR2 and an EVGA 680i SLI board. So, basically no interoperability between the old and the new.

It's alright - NewEgg is taking care of everything. They comped the RMA shipping, and offered to comp 2-day shipping of the new order back to me. So I actually ended up paying nothing for replacements.

I went with an Asus board this time (same B75 chipset). It's not that I dont' have confidence with MSI, but I have more confidence in ASUS. I've generally built with Gigabyte over the past ten years, but recently I've shifted to ASUS and been relatively happy.

Here's hoping that this all works perfectly this time.