New build not starting

[River Side]

I'm frustrated with my new build and maybe a little ticked off by this build-it-myself thingy by now.. wastes so much time that i'm contemplating decent pre-builts Core2 configs by HP and Dell that sell for under $300 these days..

Please help a fewllow builder out.. dont' let me fall prey to the dark side..

I have a new build with an mATX board Gigabyte EG31xxxxx. I have a E6300 with intel heatsink and 2GB of DDR667 Patriot RAM. One IDE drive and one IDE DVD-ROM.

Powersupply is OCZ500W.

Now the problem is that when I fit the mobo, make connections and power up, the CPU fan just flickers for a very brief moment and then nothing.. I can't make the computer do anything pressing the power switch again and again. Till I turn the Power supply off.. then turn it back on.. (blue light on switch indicates it's getting power) and then press the power switch.. again.. a twitch in the CPU fan and then nothing.

What I want to know is.. that is a CPU heatsink fan necessary for bootup? Can't I just plug the CPU in, disconnect everything including case fans etc except the memory monitor and the ATX12V and 24pin cables and then try it? would that work in theory?

I thought there were grounding issues so I even held the mobo in my hands suspended in mid air but still nothing...

Really frustrated.. and need suggestions..

all help is appreciated as

 

[TheKub]

Unplug all of the connections for the front panel (IDE lights\power switch\reset button\etc) then with a screw driver touch both pins for the power switch and see if you get any different behavior.

Are you sure you plugged in the 4 pin power plug near the CPU?

 

[River Side]

Thanks for the response..

yes the 4pin power plug near the CPU is connected. I didn't know about that power switch trick.. I'll try it.. hope it doesn't short anything on the mobo!!!

So it's ok to start the system without a CPU fan right?

 

[TheKub]

Well.. It will technically short out the mobo... but thats exactly what the switch does. Shorting it out on the mobo rules out that you missed the pins when connecting them or that the switch may be bad.

In most cases no you cannot (should not) boot a PC without a heat sink on the CPU. Why would you want to, I assure you the problem is NOT the sink\fan. Back in the athlon days I fired up a chip without a HSF and before the POST beep there was smoke\fumes coming off the CPU.

Well, let me restate that, there is a chance that its the fan. Are you sure the fan is plugged into the CPU fan header and not some other fan power connection (the pic on newegg isn't very clear). There may not be multiple connections on mATX mobo. Back in the day some mobos would issue an alarm or not post if it didn't detect the CPU fan spinning, Im assuming that feature has continued to boards nowadays.

*EDIT*

I just found out that you can zoom in damn close on neweggs site. Im looking at the GA-EG31M-S2 and there are 2 fan headers. If this is the board you have make sure the CPU fan is plugged into the header between the top edge (top as in if its installed in a standard tower case)of the board and the mem slots.