Your thoughts on non POSTing cpu

[Moses Baxter]

I got a used cpu from ebay and it won't post. I think I've tried everything but please give your input.

new cpu is a socket 939 Athlon 64 x2 3800+ 2ghz Manchester RevE

old cpu is A64 3700+ 2.2ghz single core

MB is ASRock 939Dual-SATA2

My MB manual doesn't say anything about changing bios settings when going from single to dual core. Even if it did, can't even post. The cpu compatibility chart says it should work.


http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.a...el=939Dual-SATA2&s=939

Bios rev is 1.7 but AsRock says all bios should work with this cpu.


I installed and removed the cpu twice to be sure. I was grounded when installing. There are no bent pins and you can't put a 939 in wrong as you probably know.

I never see any readout on the POST. Old cpu works fine in same board. This is my first dual core so wanted to be sure before I return it. Thanks.

 

[Porter21]

if the CPU fails to post at all, yet the old one is fine, it looks as if it was DOA. I would return it. I did have the same MB a while back and had issues with it's stability, but never this exact issue.

 

[Moses Baxter]

Ok thanks for the input.

If anyone else sees any possibility that I missed then please post. It's just weird because the seller has a good rating, he says he tested it before shipping. It was packed fairly well, sandwiched between two foam blocks and padded envelope. Just don't know what could happen to a cpu considering all of that plus I was grounded when installing it.

 

[starfireone]

Did you double check the CPU pins to make sure none got bent or broken? And I assume your CPU fan does spin right?

 

[Moses Baxter]

Yep cpu has no bent pins and the fan is spinning. Also verified that the base of the heatsink is not sitting on the edge of a capacitor or something.

 

[superunknown98]

Did you set the bios back to defaults? Unplug the computer from the wall and jumper the "reset/clear cmos" pins on the motherboard for a few minutes. I have had a few computers refuse to post when upgrading processors without resetting the bios first.

 

[Moses Baxter]

Well I tried clearing CMOS but same result. Found the problem though, it was my RAM.

I originally just took old cpu out an put in new one and then when it didn't post I naturally assumed the new cpu was DOA because the ram was working fine with my X1 3700+ (all four DDR2 slots populated and working with the X1 proc)

Then I took all but one 1GB stick of ram out and it posted perfectly with the X2. These are generic BGA sticks not Corsair by any means but still they work with a x1 processor but not x2? I guess I learned something new about computers.


note to self, buy quality ram from now on