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Solve : First time builder with several obstacles?

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Ok, I'll try to make this quick. I built my own computer this week that contains:

-Asus Striker Extreme 680i sli ATX Mobo
-BFG NVIDIA Geforce 8800 GTS OC 512MB video card
-4x1G Corsair DDR2 DOMINATOR RAM
-Intel C2Q Quad Q6600 Processor
-BFG 800w ATX 12v 2.2/EPS 12V 2.91 SLI PS
-Kandalf ATX liquid cooling case(water block cools CPU)
-Hitachi 1Tb Sata hard drive 7200rpm
-OS is Windows XP w/sp2
-20" HP widescreen lcd DVI monitor

After hours of double-checking connections and assembly, I plugged it in to the wall on the counter I was working on. All fans were running and liquid was flowing. I'm feeling *censored* proud of myself, so I hook it to my desktop, only to have my monitor read "no signal". I shut it down, checked the video card connection, plugged the monitor in to a different port. When I tried to power back on, NOTHING! The only thing on were the little lights around the perimeter of the Mobo.

Please help! I don't want to take it anywhere but I do have a lot of money wrapped up in it. I'm almost too afraid to do anything else to it but I have a feeling I may need to do an RMA or two. Thanks!!!! firstly, nice specs. it sucks when you put nice components together and go to turn it on for the first time and......nothing.

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After hours of double-checking connections and assembly

check again. the most common cause of newly built comps not working is incorrect/loose connections.

-is the CPU power plugged in?
-are all 8 CPU power pins plugged in?
-your power supply has a 20+4 pin main motherboard power connector, is the seperate 4 pin plugged in?
-is your front panel I/O header hooked up correctly?
The 8 CPU power pins ... are you referring to the 12V 8 pin connector from the power supply? If so, that is connected, as is the 20+4 main connector. I also have the I/O header hooked up correctly.

Are there other CPU connectors that I don't know about? The instructions for the MB were somewhat vague for someone as inexperienced as me. I unhooked and reconnected everything with the same result.

If you have any other ideas, Homer, I'm all ears!!have you tried using a monitor that is known to be good? it could be a bad cable, your monitor, or possibly your video card. i would try changing the signal cable first, if nothing then swap the monitor for a known good. I know that sick feeling when you press the switch and nothing happens! If it any consolation, I have built 5 PCs and 3 of them didn't start first time.

I think the key is to not panic and start WILDLY trying this thing and that thing in a haphazard way, you only GET in a frazzle, and there is the danger of making an expensive mistake like taking out or inserting a display card or RAM stick with the power on.

Proceed calmly and logically. I am presuming that you have checked and preferably double checked that the RAM and CPU are definitely compatible with the motherboard, that all jumpers and so on are set right, that the CMOS has been discharged (see motherboard manual). You do not say if you are hearing any disk sounds, such as HDD and CD/DVD drive spinning up (if there is a disk in it.) Can you get the tray to eject?

Do you definitely know that the monitor works?

In my opinion, for a new build, it is a mistake to hook absolutely everything up, all the disk drives, all the RAM sticks, the whole setup, for a first trial boot. I suggest you carefully make a MINIMAL setup: 1 RAM stick, the CPU, display card, nothing else, and see if it POSTS. If the motherboard has a speaker on it, you should hear a beep, or possibly a number of BEEPS. If it POSTS, (ie you hear a single beep) and you see stuff on the screen, that's a start. If you don't it's a clue. If it hasn't started, powering down first each time, try each of the RAM sticks in turn.

This way you will check the RAM sticks one by one. If they all pass, power down & install the lot and move on to the next stage.

Next hook up the hard drive correctly, checking any jumper settings. Power up and see if you can enter the BIOS and get it recognised. If so, power down & add the CD/DVD drive and once again power up & see what happens.

What you are doing is adding a piece of hardware each time and seeing if the rig still boots up.

Just a thought... some BIOSes have stopped-fan protection set by default, that is, they won't power up the CPU if they don't detect a rotating CPU fan connected to the appropriate header on the motherboard. If you are using a water cooling system it may be necessary to plug a CPU fan into the header just so you can go in the BIOS and disable the fan monitor protection.

i believe the 8800 has the power cable from the ps to the gpu.
(dont quote me)be sure it is plugged in.Try to unplug remove the Video card from the PCI-e slot and insert it again.
also try the video card on a diff. PC to test if its a video card problem or the PCI-e of the mobo. Quote from: fpsmitch on March 09, 2008, 09:16:26 AM
i believe the 8800 has the power cable from the ps to the gpu.
(dont quote me)be sure it is plugged in.

you are correct, it does. but if its anything like a 8800 ultra, when its not plugged in it will be screetching like a banshee.i seeThermal compound used ? ?
All MBoard standoffs in place ? ?


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