A960M-M3 No Boot. No Post. No beeps but fans run

annexphear

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Sep 14, 2013
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Hey Community!
I am having trouble with a custom built A960M-M3 and AMD FX-4130. I can not get any display or diagnostic beeps. I have tried 3 different PSU's 2 are known to work and the 3rd was a brand new 430w Corsair. I have read the thread on this site about troubleshooting this problem with no avail. I have tested the motherboard with the basic components.. Fan.. Ram..onboard gpu and case speaker.. On all PSU's I tried all the fans spin and the LED's work but no boot or beep. I have also "breadboxed" the motherboard to make sure it is not ground on my case. I have cleared the CMOS jumper and uninstalled the battery and still the same problem.. Following the manufactures flowchart it says that the board is defective and contact RMA. I put in a ticket and im waiting for a response... but since many of you are Reps for motherboard companies maybe you can give me some more insight to my problem.. Was I being presumptuous that this motherboard would not need a bios update to run the FX-4130? Is it more likely that the motherboard came DOA instead of the CPU? I have triple checked if the CPU is inserted correctly and if the thermal paste is making contact.. When I tested this, the CPU came out of the socket without releasing the arm. I cant think of anything else to check since I don't have another processor to check the mobo or another mobo to check the cpu/ Thanks for reading and any replies any of you might make.
 
Solution
Yes you should get beeps without RAM - but ANY beeps would be reassuring that the board is active. I gather the board uses a standard AMI BIOS : http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/amibeep.htm#

No beeps at all suggest a faulty board or CPU.
Unfortunately your back to square one - you're right, no way to be sure. I think an RMA with Amazon would be quicker (?) and you would have to be very, very unlucky to get two faulty boards! But if it still doesn't boot, then suspect the CPU.
The only other way is to take it to a repair shop where they can swap out components until they know which is faulty - that will cost you but you will quickly find out which bit needs replacing.

Barhumbug

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Jul 26, 2013
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You've done everything correctly. I take it you can't even get into the BIOS?
The ECS website states that BIOS from 11/13/12 (which looks like the original release) supports the 4130, so that should be okay. A bios update wouldn't hurt, but won't be possible until you get a working CPU into the board (catch22)!
My next suspect would be faulty memory. You don't say how many modules you're running, but try a single module only until you at least get some beeps.
Finally I'd suspect the CPU. This is very unlikely however, but the only way to test is to try another CPU in your board or your CPU in another board - neither are easily achieved.
At least RMA'ing the boar will rule it out of the possible problems.
 

annexphear

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Sep 14, 2013
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okay thats reassuring that im going about this logically. Will you not get beeps without RAM? for my last round of test I left the RAM out just hoping to get the faulty RAM beep code. I want to think its a mobo issue but theres no way for me to be sure. If I sent it to ECS they will flash the bios but if I RMA it with Amazon they will just send me out a replacement.. So im not sure wich route to go.. Thanks for your help
 

Barhumbug

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Jul 26, 2013
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Yes you should get beeps without RAM - but ANY beeps would be reassuring that the board is active. I gather the board uses a standard AMI BIOS : http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/amibeep.htm#

No beeps at all suggest a faulty board or CPU.
Unfortunately your back to square one - you're right, no way to be sure. I think an RMA with Amazon would be quicker (?) and you would have to be very, very unlucky to get two faulty boards! But if it still doesn't boot, then suspect the CPU.
The only other way is to take it to a repair shop where they can swap out components until they know which is faulty - that will cost you but you will quickly find out which bit needs replacing.
 
Solution

annexphear

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Sep 14, 2013
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That's what I was thinking but since ive spent all my free time this week getting frustrated at my new build I thought so I would ask for a 2nd opinion.. Amazon is pretty quick.. Ill call some of the shops around my area to get prices on a diagnostics to make sure.. This was cheap motherboard so spending 50 bucks to get it tested is pretty impractical. Since the motherboard box wasn't sealed in plastic wrap and the AMD cpu was like Fort Knox to get into, Ill go with faulty mobo.
 

annexphear

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Sep 14, 2013
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Will do, Called a computer repair place to get a price on testing and they just suggested RMA of the motherboard.. It should be here today so lets keep those fingers crossed for me!
 

annexphear

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Sep 14, 2013
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Got new motherboard in.. got post beeps. got bios screen! did a celebration dance! thanks for helping me weigh my options!!! Tom's Hardware is the best community forum I have ever seen!
 

annexphear

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Sep 14, 2013
19
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10,520
Got new motherboard in.. got post beeps. got bios screen! did a celebration dance! thanks for helping me weigh my options!!! Tom's Hardware is the best community forum I have ever seen!