New build - fans spin up, nothing on the screen

[Kaido]

Update: Bad motherboard, RMAing it. Thanks

I'm putting together a system comprised of the following hardware:

-Intel Bad Axe 2 motherboard
-Intel Q6600 quad-core processor
-8GB DDR2-800 RAM (4x2GB)
-7300GT video card

Got it built, turned it on, got nothing on the screen. The lights turn on, the fans spin, but I don't get any POST on my monitor. I've disconnected the HDD and DVD, removed the RAM, unplugged all but the CPU fan, still nothing. Right now it's just the board, processor, ram, and video card. I think I can rule out the ram since I would get something on the screen, plus I have 4 sticks to cycle around to test. The CPU fan is spinning and the video card fan is spinning. The video card is a PNY 7300GT PCI Express card and does not require additional power input; I've tried it on both DVI and VGA, no dice. So it's either the motherboard, the processor, or the video card.

I can get a different CPU and GPU to test it with on the weekend, but I'd like to try and fix it right now. Any suggestions?

 

[cozumel]

Have you got the internal speaker plugged in to get any mobo beeps? If so, is the mobo beeping?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: cozumel
Have you got the internal speaker plugged in to get any mobo beeps? If so, is the mobo beeping?

There's a speaker on the motherboard, it's not beeping at all. I looked up the beep error codes as well...kinda sounds like the mobo is bad. But the fans and stuff are spinning...

Edit: It should beep if no ram is detected, no beep

 

[Ausm]

Check to make sure your not grounding the mobo to the case with the standoffs. It is easy to do if you don't pay attention to proper alignment.


Ausm

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Ausm
Check to make sure your not grounding the mobo to the case with the standoffs. It is easy to do if you don't pay attention to proper alignment.


Ausm

How do you mean? Like the motherboard touching the case?

I'll have access to a couple other PCI Express cards as well as a C2D chip this weekend, so I can play around with those options then before ruling them out. Ahh I hope it's just a simple issue, I hate waiting through RMAs

 

[Kaido]

http://xkcd.com/349/

 

[cozumel]

Also check to see whther the mobo beeps when you remove CPU. It should do. Then try the same with RAM and the with the GFX.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Ausm
Check to make sure your not grounding the mobo to the case with the standoffs. It is easy to do if you don't pay attention to proper alignment.


Ausm

How do you mean? Like the motherboard touching the case?

I'll have access to a couple other PCI Express cards as well as a C2D chip this weekend, so I can play around with those options then before ruling them out. Ahh I hope it's just a simple issue, I hate waiting through RMAs

Take the motherboard out.

Count how many standoffs you have in place.

Count the holes on the motherboard.

They should match, and line up.

So if you have 10 standoffs in the case, and 9 holes on the motherboard - there's your problem. Also if you have say 9 standoffs in the case, and 9 holes on the motherboard, but when you put it in, only 8 screws go in - there's your problem.

Also make sure you're plugging the CPU power cable into the board.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: cozumel
Also check to see whther the mobo beeps when you remove CPU. It should do. Then try the same with RAM and the with the GFX.

Wouldn't boot without CPU, no beep without RAM or GFX.

Taking the motherboard out now

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Ausm
Check to make sure your not grounding the mobo to the case with the standoffs. It is easy to do if you don't pay attention to proper alignment.


Ausm

How do you mean? Like the motherboard touching the case?

I'll have access to a couple other PCI Express cards as well as a C2D chip this weekend, so I can play around with those options then before ruling them out. Ahh I hope it's just a simple issue, I hate waiting through RMAs

Take the motherboard out.

Count how many standoffs you have in place.

Count the holes on the motherboard.

They should match, and line up.

So if you have 10 standoffs in the case, and 9 holes on the motherboard - there's your problem. Also if you have say 9 standoffs in the case, and 9 holes on the motherboard, but when you put it in, only 8 screws go in - there's your problem.

Also make sure you're plugging the CPU power cable into the board.

All are intact and accounted for!

 

[cozumel]

Sorry, but it looks like DOA and an RMA.

Just a long shot, shouldn't make any difference, but try shorting CMOS jumper and see if that makes any difference.

Other than that I think it is dead.

Edit: does that make it a bad, bad, badaxe lol?

 

[betasub]

Motherboard is the most likely culprit (so many things to go wrong), but you haven't mentioned your PSU: a good mobo won't boot or give error beeps if it's not getting the right power.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: betasub
Motherboard is the most likely culprit (so many things to go wrong), but you haven't mentioned your PSU: a good mobo won't boot or give error beeps if it's not getting the right power.

520w Corsair.

 

[Kaido]

Reset everything
Tested each piece individually
Played around with different configurations

...pretty sure the Motherboard is dead. I should be getting error codes for the GFX & RAM (beeps) but I'm not getting anything. Do dead Motherboards normally power the fans?

 

[Kaido]

Okay got a C2D chip to test it out with, still no dice. It's definitely the motherboard

Thanks everyone!