New build - System won't post - Please help!

[PreachTru]

CPU - AMD A8-5600K
Mobo: MSI A78M-E45
RAM: 1 stick of 4gb Crucial DDR3 1600
HD: 1tb WD
PSU: Corsair 430w CX430

I have a monitor hooked up via DVI to the motherboard. Usb keyboard/mouse hooked up as well.

When I power on the system I hear the HD spin up, cd-rom powers on, all case fans and CPU fan turns on. But nothing will appear on the screen. I can't get the system to POST. The USB keyboard/mouse don't get any power either.

I thought it was the first motherboard so I exchanged the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H for the MSI I have now. But it has the exact same problem as before. I have also tried a different power supply, Seasonic 850w, but it has the same problem.

I am at a complete loss for what the problem could be. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[boomerang]

So it's in the case? If so, remove the motherboard and connect the minimum. CPU, RAM and PSU with all connectors needed in place as well as the monitor. Start system by shorting momentarily across the pins the power button lead would occupy. Place the motherboard on the cardboard box it came in when doing this so as not to create another situation where there could be a short.

Sounds like a classic shorted motherboard problem. You have a standoff where it shouldn't be or you have a mashed a part of the IO shield into a port. I'm not going to research it for you but are you certain your processor is supported with the BIOS version your motherboard is on?

 

[PreachTru]

I put the previous motherboard on a cardboard box outside of the case and it still wouldn't post. Just tried it with the new MSI motherboard and it still won't post. No beeps from the speaker I have hooked up to the mobo speaker header as well.

The CPU and RAM are supported by the MSI motherboard.

Could it be a bad CPU?

I've been building personal computers for 20+ years and I've never ran across a problem like this before.

 

[boomerang]

Well, you've got the experience so I guess I don't need to ask if you have the 4 pin connector for the CPU plugged in. And that the CPU cooler fan is plugged in...

So, some thoughts. I have resurrected dead boards by resetting the CMOS. But you have this problem across two boards, so that seems unlikely.

Same memory in both? Any beeps if you try and start it without the memory in? How about going to the Crucial site and making sure that stick is truly compatible with the boards you've tried it with? Two boards though, seems unlikely. I have had to call Crucial, might have been Kingston about memory before. Come to find out the stick I had showed up on their compatibility charts but the stick I had, the chips on it were not compatible. Kinda weird but they exchanged with me no charge.

Other than that, yes, you are down to the CPU. Never experienced a bad one out of the box myself and I'm not sure if I've ever heard of one. I guess first I'd remove it and give it a really, really careful looking over.

All I've got for now.

 

[Ketchup]

So we are sure that the screen and the video cable are in good working order? Is the cpu fan plugged into the cpu fan header? Other than that, yes, it sounds like the CPU itself could be the next possible culprit.

 

[VirtualLarry]

You said the monitor was plugged into the DVI? Does the board also have HDMI? You might need to use VGA out, configure the BIOS as to whether to use DVI or HDMI first, and then try the digital output.

I even remember one MSI AM3 (+?) board I build a rig with, it actually had hardware jumpers to select between DVI and HDMI. It was a cheap board.

 

[turtile]

Do you have a speaker to get a beep code from the motherboard?

 

[meeshu]

PSU's and motherboards swapped, but still having start up issues.

It may be that the present Crucial memory is faulty? Try another DIMM and make sure it is seated firmly. Try different memory slots as well, if necessary.

Maybe the CPU has failed or is failing. It is rare for CPU's to fail but it does happen. This would mean having to get another CPU (for testing).