Newly Built PC won't boot

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
Hi all,

Just finished putting together a new build (my second ever so I'm pretty inexperienced, made my first pc after fantastic help from some people on here).

Specs are as follows:

Power Supply Corsair Builder Series CX 500 Watt ATX/EPS 80 PLUS Bronze

Case BitFenix BFC-CLI-300-KKLS1-RP - Colossus M Mini ITX

Motherboard MSI H81I LGA1150 Mini-ITX

Storage SanDisk Z400s 256 GB

CPU Intel i5 4690 Quad Core

GPU Gigabyte NVIDIA GTX 970 OC ITX

Memory Exceleram 2x4GB (from old system)

I set up the whole system and it didn't boot so I've gradually been taking things off and seeing if that had any effect (I'm aware that I should have done it the other way around and breadboarded etc but too late now :p)

I assembled the PSU, CPU with fan and motherboard only - outside of the case and tried to get it to boot by putting a screw driver on the power switch pins. Still nothing at all, no beeps, no fans spinning at all.

I assumed that a DOA power supply was the most likely (as this happened the first time I build a pc), but the paperclip test does get the fan to spin, so it isn't completely dead at least.

The CPU socket does seem to possibly have a couple of slightly bent pins, but that is my looking for literally any reason as to why it might not be working, and from what I understand that wouldn't prevent a system from booting at all, if that were the case.

I don't have any other PC parts with me, but I do have a power supply at home that I could plug in to test components (but won't have access to that for a week or so).

Are there any other possibly problems I can test for?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,339
10,044
126
I assumed that a DOA power supply was the most likely (as this happened the first time I build a pc), but the paperclip test does get the fan to spin, so it isn't completely dead at least.

The CPU socket does seem to possibly have a couple of slightly bent pins, but that is my looking for literally any reason as to why it might not be working, and from what I understand that wouldn't prevent a system from booting at all, if that were the case.
It could be bad PSU, but those bent socket pins are potentially an issue too. It depends entirely on which pins are bent. Some are redundant, some are essential.
 

Dijeangenie

Senior member
Sep 11, 2012
269
0
71
It could be bad PSU, but those bent socket pins are potentially an issue too. It depends entirely on which pins are bent. Some are redundant, some are essential.

If the CPU pins are bent and that is the issue can i return the motherboard, or will they simply say that I have damaged it when putting the cpu in? It's impossible to prove either way I guess.
 

Burpo

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2013
4,223
473
126
Those are pretty easy to straighten, if you have a magnifying glass and sewing needle.. (I use a hypodermic needle).