Build Advice New build, won't boot, fans spin slightly

I've tried the different RAM configurations.
I don't have another graphics card to try, but I really don't think that is the problem, because no matter what I have plugged in, the same thing happens. Even if I take the CPU out and try it, I get the same error.

When the motherboard starts up, from my understanding, it checks the CPU, then the RAM, then the video card? This leads me to think that the CPU is the problem.
I'll take a picture for you guys.

 

Image: You can see that this is with very little plugged in. CPU, fan, and RAM.

 

is that motherboard on the carpet???

 

I moved it for picture purposes, I've been using it on the cardboard box that it came in, but the picture didn't turn out correctly whilst on the cardboard.

 

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this, maybe I'm off base here, but are you sure you didn't damage the cpu in some way???

 

I've considered this greatly. It seems to me that this is probably the problem (because nothing else seems to be!). It's strange, no matter how many times I reseat it or such, it always clamps down with a very faint crunching feeling, which is definitely not good. It's scraped a good part of the top of it too. It really shouldn't do this, however I have no idea what I could possibly be doing wrong.

 

Funnily enough I have a pc right next to me with the same issue and it's a cpu issue. Is it visibly damaged? I hope you can still send it back is all...

 

Hmm Intel CPUs do have a feel as if the pins are being pushed into some sort of styrofoam. Or at least that's how I felt it. As long as you don't feel like you're damaging anything when you pull the cpu lever down, then I can't see why it should have issues. You do say you have reseated the cpu many times, again I'm not sure how good a thing to do that is, but maybe I'm just not as experienced as some of the other guys here.

That's the good thing about buying your parts from one vendor. You can take them all back to them if something starts to fail. I got a new graphics card a few weeks ago (rma from evga that), that turned out to be a dud. I took my whole system to the store (they work both on line and brick and mortar) and they told me it would be 45 euros to test the system and find the faulty part. Just as well I figured it out myself and got the gpu swapped by evga.

 

Thanks for the help, I am going to try RMA'ing the CPU.

 

I had this problem a long time ago and it turned out that the clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard was in the 'clear' position meaning every time I tried to turn it on it just cleared the CMOS.

Worth a look before you RMA it.

EDIT - Sorry, just read the OP. Didn't notice this was 3 pages long!

 

Before I ship the thing back, how often are CPUs actually dead on arrival? I've never heard of that before. Is there anything else that I could possibly be doing incorrectly? I am so frustrated with this entire process.

 

Sorry being a bit lazy... well it is the holidays... and I haven't read the whole thread... has it definitely been ruled out that it's not the motherboard shorting out? Or subsequent damage caused by repeated shorting out?

The CMOS jumper is also a good shout... worth checking this and doing a CMOS reset either using the jumper or removing the battery.

 

For any Googlers out there stumbling upon this thread...

It turns out, the CPU was bad. I'm not certain if it was an error on my fault, or if it was dead on arrival. I ended up being able to get it replaced. I'm posting from said machine now.

Thanks to anyone who helped.