DOA - ASRock A55M-HVS?

[AbandonedTrolley]

Having an issue with this mobo and wondering if it is faulty solders. All wired up to a new 250w psu but there is no power getting to it it seems, no fans spinning etc. However if I push down at the power end of the mobo so that the solders under the board hit the metal case it then it sparks in to life, the fan on the CPU and PSU fire up, as soon as I stop pushing and the solders lose connection to the case all power dies again?

Am I missing something simple here? :/

[Twiddle]

You don't want it contacting the metal on the case. Try taking it out and putting it down on cardboard, and then turning it on.

If it fires up, then the metal on the case was shorting it. You'll need to put some risers in to lift it off the metal on the case.

[AbandonedTrolley]

You don't want it contacting the metal on the case. Try taking it out and putting it down on cardboard, and then turning it on.

If it fires up, then the metal on the case was shorting it. You'll need to put some risers in to lift it off the metal on the case.

It's only firing in to life when it's touching the case, not when it isn't. That's what's strange making me think it's faulty soldering.

[Twiddle]

It's only firing in to life when it's touching the case, not when it isn't. That's what's strange making me think it's faulty soldering.

Hmm. Could be, but have you also checked the PSU? I would switch it out and try another unit. If it works on the PSU side you push down, it could be a short circuit in the PSU. It seems farfetched but worth a shot. Otherwise, unless we had some pictures to work with.

EDIT: Also, have you tried removing RAM?

[AbandonedTrolley]

Hmm. Could be, but have you also checked the PSU? I would switch it out and try another unit. If it works on the PSU side you push down, it could be a short circuit in the PSU. It seems farfetched but worth a shot. Otherwise, unless we had some pictures to work with.

EDIT: Also, have you tried removing RAM?

Just checked with an 850w PSU and also have tried 3 different sticks of RAM. Same situation, no sign of life until the underside solders are hitting the case, at which points fans and HDD spark in to life.

Will go take a quick video with the phone to show what I mean and hopefully show that there is no life till the connection.

[Twiddle]

Just checked with an 850w PSU and also have tried 3 different sticks of RAM. Same situation, no sign of life until the underside solders are hitting the case, at which points fans and HDD spark in to life.

Will go take a quick video with the phone to show what I mean and hopefully show that there is no life till the connection.

Cool, that should help. When you do push it down, does the computer post?

I've got a couple more ideas floating around in my head, but I'll wait until I see the video.

[AbandonedTrolley]

Cool, that should help. When you do push it down, does the computer post?

No posting when there seems to be power, not a peep from the board, have put a small speaker on to the board. It's hard to make out the sound of the fans but it's basically when it gets tilted, stopping when letting go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN_tBCRFRJs

[Another Canuck]

How much pressure are you putting on the board to make it touch the case? Or do you not have the stand-offs properly installed? Jeebus, if it wasn't dead before, I'd imagine it is now.

As Zappa suggested, take it out of the case. And stop trying to short it or bend it,.

[AbandonedTrolley]

How much pressure are you putting on the board to make it touch the case? Or do you not have the stand-offs properly installed? Jeebus, if it wasn't dead before, I'd imagine it is now.

As Zappa suggested, take it out of the case. And stop trying to short it or bend it,.

It doesn't matter how much pressure I applied as soon as it touched the casing it fired up. I have it unscrewed from the mountings at the moment, so not actually bending the board.

[Twiddle]

Strange. It shouldn't be coming on at all.

Try this.

Take everything out of that case. Remove everything unneeded (Video card, hard drive, RAM.)

Set the PSU and motherboard on cardboard. Take the case completely out of the equation, and any other peripherals.

Then take a screwdriver or something metal, and short the power-on "button" (metal prongs: There should be two, so make sure the screwdriver touches both of them at the same time,) on the motherboard. (Essentially the same thing as hitting the front power button on a case.)

Let me know if it turns on or not when you do this. If it does, start adding peripherals while keeping it out of the case. Also for good measure, reset the CMOS.

[YouWhat]

looking at that vid, I would guess (as the mobo doesnt seem to be screwed down in vid) that 1 the risers for the mobo is shorting it out, when you pushed it down, the short is being broken, either that or the cables that you are pushing down on, there is a loose /dodgy connection there

[AbandonedTrolley]

Strange. It shouldn't be coming on at all.

Try this.

Take everything out of that case. Remove everything unneeded (Video card, hard drive, RAM.)

Set the PSU and motherboard on cardboard. Take the case completely out of the equation, and any other peripherals.

Then take a screwdriver or something metal, and short the power-on "button" (metal prongs: There should be two, so make sure the screwdriver touches both of them at the same time,) on the motherboard. (Essentially the same thing as hitting the front power button on a case.)

Let me know if it turns on or not when you do this. If it does, start adding peripherals while keeping it out of the case. Also for good measure, reset the CMOS.

On cardboard, no RAM, no cards, no HDD, just the CPU and PSU. Nothing happens when shorting the power header. Assuming that's what you meant.

looking at that vid, I would guess (as the mobo doesnt seem to be screwed down in vid) that 1 the risers for the mobo is shorting it out, when you pushed it down, the short is being broken, either that or the cables that you are pushing down on, there is a loose /dodgy connection there

But there is no power getting through when it's outside of the case with no chance of shorting either.

[Twiddle]

Damn. The only conclusion I can draw from this, would be your first assumption, of a bad/faulty electrical job on the motherboard. I'm still thinking and looking into other possibilities though. If I come up with anything or find anything, I will let you know. Otherwise it might just be DOA.

I would also try posting this, and everything we have done (possibly linking to this thread) over at http://www.tomshardware.com/

That is also worth a shot.

EDIT: Also, if you feel frisky enough, and have a soldering iron... Well, you can try and look under the board and slowly press it down and see where it is contacting to force it to turn on, then solder it yourself. It is risky, and unless you know what you are doing, I wouldn't fully recommend it. Considering we haven't established fully that, that is in fact the problem, I probably wouldn't take this route. But if it is just in that corner, then something strange is going on with the electrical job there.

[AbandonedTrolley]

Damn. The only conclusion I can draw from this, would be your first assumption, of a bad/faulty electrical job on the motherboard. I'm still thinking and looking into other possibilities though. If I come up with anything or find anything, I will let you know. Otherwise it might just be DOA.

I would also try posting this, and everything we have done (possibly linking to this thread) over at http://www.tomshardware.com/

That is also worth a shot.

Thanks, yeah I'm guessing it will be getting sent back tomorrow, hopefully they can get a new one out quickly.

[Twiddle]

Thanks, yeah I'm guessing it will be getting sent back tomorrow, hopefully they can get a new one out quickly.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. If/when you do get the new one, post here if it worked or not. Just curious on it.

[AbandonedTrolley]

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. If/when you do get the new one, post here if it worked or not. Just curious on it.

Will do and thank you for taking the time to suggest checks. Have gotten an RMA number so will get it packaged back up and sent back. Looks like I won't be getting it built for the weekend.

[AbandonedTrolley]

Getting a little strange now, thought I would fire it up again tonight and it now has power. PSU fan and CPU fan spinning fine. But no beeps and no signal coming out from it though.

Noticed on this thread here http://www.tomshardw...ng-power-switch that someone else seemed to have issues around the 24 pin power connector too.

It's a high pitched tone, but I only started getting it when I decided to make sure the 24pin atx connector was in tight, and pushed down on it a little. If I don't press on it, I don't get anything.

[Twiddle]

Well, that's somewhat good news.

Check out this thread: http://www.tomshardw...eeps-doesn-boot

A lot of people tried taking the battery out, flushing power, and things like that. Worth a shot!

I would be weary of it by this point though.

[AbandonedTrolley]

New board arrived today, slotted it in and everything is working fine. Taken a week but finally got there in the end. Now to get it all set up! Still waiting on my Dual Tuner Satellite card though.