Hi Folks I posted in the Hardware section a week ago about a new build http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=183174 Since then my parts have came in, and have been assembled with the help of a friend. At the same time he bought the exact same set up minus the case and psu as he had some kicking about. My set up is as follows: Black/Silver Mid Tower Case Antec Truepower 650 GA-P55M-UD2 i5 750 Sapphire HD 5770 Arctic cooling freezer 7 pro 500gb Caviar Blue Corsair 4gb XMS3 Samsung DVD rom Windows 7 premium 64 bit When the build was finished we powered up but the problems then started, the machine started to power up for approx 3 seconds then stopped for approx 5 seconds, then this cycle just looped over and over until we pulled the power. My friends build worked so we thought it should be easy enough to work out the problem, how wrong. We tried switching memoy in case I got dodgy stuff, still the same, we reseated the cpu, no change, we tried his psu as it had a 4 pin 12v connector where as mine was an 8 pin, we have tried it without memory, without gpu, still no change, we then switched the power up to the reset button but it made no difference. Making me think it is the mobo, do any of you have any ideas, as I have read a load on this, without one significant answer, some folk have had incompatible memory, whereas mine is used by loads of folk without a problem, checked the pins and none bent, reseated cpu etc.. Help please..............
Hi, this sounds like similar problem to mine, see http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=183520 - and mine's a not-so-new-build. Had something similar a while ago where it turned out a spare power plug was shorting against the case somewhere, according to the bloke in the PC shop. Maybe worth a visual check just in case ? I'll let you know if I come up with anything else. Thanks
sounds like a dead mobo to me, you pretty much tried everything. What you could do is test the other way around: validating each of your components in your friend's (working) build, instead of trying to get your build to work with his validated components. That will allow you to isolate the motherboard as the only non-working part of your PC pretty easily, albeit a bit time-consuming. Good luck!
Yep, I presumed the Hardware section was morew about what parts etc.. to buy and compatability and that the Tech Support is for any problems such as this. Apologies if I got it wrong.
So, had another bash the night, got it working fine out the case. So we have narrowed it down to a short of the case somewhere. If we wire it all up it works fine. As soon as we screw the mobo onto the legs for the case it does the whole reboot, take out the screws and give it a wiggle its fine again. So any ideas? Can you get plastic legs to put the mobo on, plastic screws? help please
I take it the case has the brass/copper stand off's already installed (not mounting the mobo directly onto the case). If not there should be some that come with the case, install them and them screw the motherboard into the stand off's. If you still have no luck then the mobo must be shorting on another area, make sure the I/O plate is installed properly, the little metal tabs act as earths for each of the connections, if one of these is slightly off it could cause a problem.
Yeah the standoffs come already on the case, I have looked for other areas for the short and the only thing that stops it booting up is when the mobo is screwed onto the standoffs. The metal tabs are all on the the connections. I am going to buy plastic standoffs that I have just found and try these as this is the only thing I could see it being. fingers crossed
Ok, thats sounds a little weird that it wont work when screwed onto the stand off's. Generally I would advise not to use plastic stand off's opposed to brass/copper ones (mainly due to all the warnings components come with these days to do with static build up). Suppose if it won't work as it is then its worth a go, if it doesn't work then maybe think about returning the case and mobo, just to be sure and put your mind at rest, and keep your money in your wallet lol. Let us know how you get one
Are you sure there isn't an additional standoff shorting the underside of the case, if they're pre-installed ones? Sorry if I misread something, I've been doing mock Physics A-levels all day, and I'm tired
So the only stand offs that can be there are ones that you put the screws in? So if any preinstalle dones are not screwed to the mobo they may short it? Have I got that right? Will check tomorrow, I presume every whole in the mobo does not need a screw through, as there is more wholes in the mobo than the case. If it comes to it I will try the plastics, couldnt see any problems as the mobo will still be earthed by the GPU and the I/O slots surely?
That is coorect, most cases come pre-installed with enough stand offs for m-ATX motherboards, and have the seperate stand offs in a seperate bag (some you have to buy separetly). Unscrew any stand offs that arn't going to be going into the motherboard, this could be your problem but I dout it, worth a try though.
All working, after all the great advice on here. Turns out it was a couple of stray standoffs shorting the mobo, removed them leaving only the ones for securing the mobo and working fine. Cheers for all the help folks
