Hi, I've recently finished building my first PC. Initially there were some problems when first turning it on, as it kept rebooting a few times before finally loading up Windows. However it has since been working fine for about a week. Then on Saturday evening I went to turn it on, but it will only turn on for literally 1 second, then turn off for about 5 seconds before repeating itself again. The LED's come on and the fans turn, but nothing appears on the monitor. On Friday I installed Windows 7 64 bit instead of Windows Vista 32 bit, but this had been working fine all of Friday night, and then Saturday morning. I've tried upgrading the PSU from a 500w to a 700w unit but the problem is still there. Does anyone know what could be causing this? Really hoping its not something serious Build Specs: Intel Core i5 2500k Sandybridge @ 3.30ghz Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P-B3 GeForce GTX460 8GB RAM Corsair GS700 Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB Thanks
I'm not an expert but I'd imagine thats PSU or motherboard related. As you've swapped PSU then I'd guess motherboard. Do you have access to another one to swap it out?
have you tried taking a stick of ram out, and swapping them round - also trying different slots. I would also try a different GPU, if you have one. if none of that works I would thinks its probably motherboard or CPU, but I wouldn't suspect the CPU as much as the motherboard.
OK thanks. I'll try taking the RAM out and swapping it round. If it does turn out to be the motherboard, do you know what might have caused it? Guess what I'm trying to say is......can I return it to Scan for an exchange/refund?
OK thanks. I've tried removing RAM, re-positioning it, and also tried taking the GPU out. None of this has worked, so I'm guessing that just leaves the motherboard??? I haven't got another motherboard to test it unfortunately.
Hi, I returned the mobo to Scan, and they said the CPU socket pins were bent and it was caused by me, so they sent me a replacement under Scansure. I received the new mobo, set it up and still had the same problem. I informed Scan and they asked me to send the new mobo back aswell as the CPU. They have now said that the new mobo has bent pins but the CPU is fine. They said that I am installing it incorrectly but all im doing is putting it in the socket (the correct way) and putting the bracket on it, then putting the pully arm down and into its position. Surely this minimises the risk of me bending the pins? They've sent me some photos of the pins that were bent, although you can't really tell if it's my mobo or not. They've now said that they can't do anything else for me so are sending me the CPU back aswell as the mobo. They did say that they could send the mobo off to Gigabyte and ask them to repair it for £25. Would this be the best/easiest thing to do? Also, am I doing anything wrong when installing the cpu? I mean the arm is very resistant when trying to put it down and lock it into position, but on both occasions I did it as gently as I could! Thanks
If you paid by credit card and individual items cost £100 or over then you can claim Section 75 through your credit card company for a full refund because the item(s) are faulty. It's why I always recommend using a credit card for expensive PC components! Also why 'Scansure' is a waste of time in most cases bless their cotton socks.
well, i've never heard of mobo's bending their own pins, especially 2 boards in a row. i've built approximately 200 rigs in my lifetime, and never come across a mobo with bent pins. i have serviced pc's with bent pins, and the ones i couldn't fix it was basically too bad and they had to buy a new mobo. i'd be curious to see how you would be able to prove the item is faulty. but hey, who knows what all you can do to get out of it. overall it just sounds like you need someone to show you how to install a cpu. maybe go by a local pc shop and have them do it with the next mobo...
scansure is an insurance policy. just read the terms and they do only cover you for one replacement item only. the best way to deal with this is to write to scan giving them an offical compliant stating your not happy with the excuse you have been given. you think the components were damaged before being shipped out. (did you note down the 1st and 2nd mobo serial number? might have mistakenly sent you the same mobo back) I say this as i dont believe anyone who pays a large sum of money for a computer then be told they broke it and get it replaced. and then break it again in the same fashion. surely the OP would google how to install sandybridge cpu and watch a video on youtube or read the mobo manual if not on the first attempt atleast the 2nd then after that contact the FSO stating you are unhappy with your insurance and give them afew details. they will contact the under-writers of the policy. lloyds i think who will be forced to either settle the complaint with you (relatively cheap- new mobo) or address the case with the FSO (relatively expensive) saying that it is upto scan to replace the board as the insurance was according to them used. after a week or two the insurance will give you a ring and pay you off with a new mobo. OR claim the money back off a credit card or if you have a rewards bank account some do offer the same service.
I love what SCAN sell, the prices the service but I do have to say they can be really pig headed at times. Once they take a position on an issue they tend to dig in be it right or wrong. I once had a bad experience when following through on an RMA for a graphics card. It got to the stage where I felt compelled to write an extensive letter detailing the problem I had with the SCAN service only to get a short e-mail in response from the same guy at SCAN I had previously discussed the issue with! I had hoped for a new set of eyes on my predicament but SCAN didn't pay me the courtesy on that occasion. My advice, save the trouble and go via your credit card company with a Section 75 assuming you used one!
dont worry mate. i live in birmingham too. i'll come over and help you out. (lol yeah right i'll stand and dribble) im sure its an isolated incident
scan didn't bend his pins. not saying they didn't send him the same mobo lol...but they didn't bend his pins.
LOL and this sounds odd, would bending the pins really cause said problem? Did you take a look at the board yourself mate before you sent it back to scan either time? and how are you putting the cpu in, making sure everything is lined up I take it?
yeah...i've seen 3 similar pc problem's. couldn't pin the problem down, and so inconsistent. i swapped out everything, then finally the mobo. sent the mobo for rma, and msi sent it back pointing out the bent pins. smoothed them out with a credit card, and he hasn't called with a complaint since...next one i got like that i pulled the cpu and sure enough, the pins were jacked bad...couldn't fix...his issues were more consistent.
When i get a new intel socket motherboard the first thing i do before install is check the socket for bent pins. If i rma a board I always inspect the socket pins before shipping and take a picture.
Btw - could it be his cpu cooler that casing the bent pins ? maybe putting to much pressure on the cpu / socket ?
unlikely...the socket is pretty sturdy...and putting additional down-force pressure wouldn't do it. the pins are designed to be pushed down, hence the lever.
I've just had the board returned to me after Scan sent it to Gigabyte for it to be repaired. So I've set it all up again but it still wont stay turned on for more than a second or two. Scan said they tested the MoBo and CPU and both were working. I've already tried alternative RAM and PSU and I've tried booting it without a graphics card plugged in. None of the above have worked so I'm completely out of ideas as to what the problem is. Anyone else got any other suggestions before I give up completely? BTW - I didn't check the pins before I sent it back, but I've checked it since trying to boot it again and there are no bent pins now. Thanks
