Computer will not boot!

[nyrol]

Okay. So I put together a new computer consisting of an ASRock H55M-LE motherboard, an intel core i5 660, a 500W power supply, and 4GB of corsair 1333 DDR3 memory. I put it together, and it doesn't work. Nothing happens other than the fans spinning and the hard drive. I have reseated the RAM in every possible combination (6 of them) and even tried reseating the CPU. The motherboard uses the GPU that is in the core i5, but I get nothing displayed through the VGA or DVI ports. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

[Shock Doc]

Did you plug in the 4-pin connector close to the CPU? I've had similar problems when I forgot to plug it in...

Greetz,

B

[the big dill]

Okay. So I put together a new computer consisting of an ASRock H55M-LE motherboard, an intel core i5 660, a 500W power supply, and 4GB of corsair 1333 DDR3 memory. I put it together, and it doesn't work. Nothing happens other than the fans spinning and the hard drive. I have reseated the RAM in every possible combination (6 of them) and even tried reseating the CPU. The motherboard uses the GPU that is in the core i5, but I get nothing displayed through the VGA or DVI ports. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

First of all... 6 ram chips on an H55?

Are you getting a post beep (if you have a speaker on your motherboard), if not i dont think you seated the ram correctly. Try only using 1 module in the computer and make sure clips on both ends are inside the groove on each side of the module.

[treemonster]

try the next ram slot over if that makes any sense, as in , 2,1,4,3

[Tekkerson]

Just use one stick of RAM to test to get rid of any other possibilities with the RAM sticks.

Other than that, do you have a power supply tester?

[TEX4S]

Just use one stick of RAM to test to get rid of any other possibilities with the RAM sticks.

Other than that, do you have a power supply tester?

+1

You need to simplify things to begin the process of elimination.

Right now it could be 1 of about 5 things.

Oh yeah.... RTFM !

[nyrol]

I have 2 ram slots meaning that there are 6 different combinations I could have with RAM in the motherboard. I plugged a chassis speaker into the speaker pins on the motherboard but have not gotten a beep even with no RAM in the motherboard. The CPU I bought was open box, so hopefully that was not the problem (it was their last one). All power connections are in the motherboard correctly, and hopefully the chassis speaker is as well (although I have tried it in both orientations). Would it be the motherboard or the CPU that would be the problem here?

Thanks.

[Phenom II]

Ok so you have disconnected everything unnecessary for a POST? Leaving only the mainboard connected with 1 stick of RAM left in, moving that stick around slots each power cycle ?

No HDD, DVD, FANS, PCI, PCI-e Cards or any other device should be connected while troubleshooting the board, and connected to the PSU should only be the board

Disconnect SATA / IDE / USB / Front Panel (Except power switch)

Remove CMOS battery and try a boot without that in

Some boards require 2 x 4Pin CPU power leads (Mine spins fans but wont POST with only 1 x 4PIN)

Ensure you are not shorting the back of the board onto the chassis

[eder00]

try this:

check if the motherboard speaker is connected

1: remove all ram. this should make a beep telling you that there is no RAM

2: remove CPU. this should make a beep.

if none of the above make a beep code then is you motherboard or power supply.

[Phenom II]

try this:

check if the motherboard speaker is connected

1: remove all ram. this should make a beep telling you that there is no RAM

2: remove CPU. this should make a beep.

if none of the above make a beep code then is you motherboard or power supply.

Removing the CPU would make a beep ?

Dont know about that, maybe if you removed it while it was powered on it might lool

[nyrol]

Sadly, none of these things worked. No beep from the speaker, and no output to the screen once I eventually started trying that.

[SubZenit]

Removing the CPU would make a beep ?

Dont know about that, maybe if you removed it while it was powered on it might lool

+1,

Yea - if you will remove the CPU while the cmputer is powered on you might see a big BEEEP in your head from the power that will drive in you like a car on a highway.

[Phenom II]

Sadly, none of these things worked. No beep from the speaker, and no output to the screen once I eventually started trying that.

Well if you have troubleshooted it with a barebone system, you can put it down to the mainboard or the CPU, and in my experience, it is 99% always the mainboard

Do you have another PSU to test ?

[nyrol]

Well I just looked at the ASRock website, and it says that it has support for the C2 version of my cpu, and with a BIOS upgrade, the K0 version. The problem is, I don't know which version I have, or even how to upgrade the BIOS when it won't POST. I Also do not have another PSU.

[presence06]

Well I just looked at the ASRock website, and it says that it has support for the C2 version of my cpu, and with a BIOS upgrade, the K0 version. The problem is, I don't know which version I have, or even how to upgrade the BIOS when it won't POST. I Also do not have another PSU.

Read the instructions on ASrocks site. Some have Floppy options, if you have that.

My experience with computers that won't boot, but power on. It's usually a motherboard issue. If you don't get a post with one or no sticks of RAM in, that's not good. It should at least beep multiples times.

[Phenom II]

Well I just looked at the ASRock website, and it says that it has support for the C2 version of my cpu, and with a BIOS upgrade, the K0 version. The problem is, I don't know which version I have, or even how to upgrade the BIOS when it won't POST. I Also do not have another PSU.

Ah if it is infact that your BIOS does not support that CPU yet, then you have no option other than to put in a CPU that it does support, Update the BIOS, and then replace your CPU

[Vice]

I reckon your Motherboard is shorting against the case. Try removing the motherboard from the case and turning it on laying on your desk. I know it sounds unusual and maybe even implausible but I've had this happen before. I'd hit the power button and the system would turn on but nothing on video out, no beeps, no real life in the system just the fans spinning. I took it outside of the case, worked perfect. Put it back, died again. Eventually after looking at the case I realized that the 'risers' (which was just pressed metal and not real screw-in risers) were shorting the board from the back.

I think the CPU not being supported is also a likely cause but I'd expect you to receive at-least a beep of some kind in that event. Just like if there was an issue with the memory or the graphics.

[Phenom II]

I reckon your Motherboard is shorting against the case. Try removing the motherboard from the case and turning it on laying on your desk. I know it sounds unusual and maybe even implausible but I've had this happen before. I'd hit the power button and the system would turn on but nothing on video out, no beeps, no real life in the system just the fans spinning. I took it outside of the case, worked perfect. Put it back, died again. Eventually after looking at the case I realized that the 'risers' (which was just pressed metal and not real screw-in risers) were shorting the board from the back.

I think the CPU not being supported is also a likely cause but I'd expect you to receive at-least a beep of some kind in that event. Just like if there was an issue with the memory or the graphics.

Yea or at least run at the wrong speeds

[nyrol]

Problem resolved. I originally bought a case for $35, and it came with a 500 W PSU. I got a new one, and problem solved. Thanks for the help though.

[presence06]

Problem resolved. I originally bought a case for $35, and it came with a 500 W PSU. I got a new one, and problem solved. Thanks for the help though.

What size did you end up getting? a 500W wasn't enough, wow.

[Nagisan]

What size did you end up getting? a 500W wasn't enough, wow.

Based on his system, I think the 500w included PSU was faulty. Theres no reason a 500w PSU wouldn't be sufficient for an i5 with some ram and no discrete GPU.