After clearing the CMOS, my PC won't turn on anymore

ReefGoudswaard

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
10
0
1,510
So basically in short, my dad and I were upgrading/renovating an old server of his. It is a dual CPU motherboard and we had bought 2 Xeon E5640's for it on ebay. When I installed everything, turned it on and plugged in the VGA cable from the pc into my monitor there was no signal, but the fans started spinning (Turns out these CPUs don't have built-in graphics, which was very stupid of me to not know, so I have to put in an external GPU). However I did not know that and came across someone who said you had to clear the CMOS by pulling out the silver coin-like battery on the motherboard and reinstalling it 10 minutes later. I unplugged the PSU and then pulled out the battery and reinstalled it 10 min later. However when i reinstalled it and turned on the pc, the fans didn't spin at all (one green light on the motherboard did light up though). I still can't get it to work. Does someone know what is wrong?? I am scared I may have fried something :(
 
CPU: Xeon E5640 (x2)
MOBO: Asus Z8NA-D6C
RAM :6x 4gb sticks
 
If someone needs some additional information, just ask.
 
Solution
Maybe you need to update the bios to get it working with these cpu's.The cpu it worked with can run on an older bios.
If looking for newer biosses at the site look under DOS ,the newer OS's don't show these.
https://www.asus.com/Commercial-Servers-Workstations/Z8NAD6C/HelpDesk_Download/

ReefGoudswaard

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
10
0
1,510


Well I never actually put in a GPU. I just heard that that was the problem.
 
Did it work before you reset the CMOS? Based on "(Turns out these CPUs don't have built-in graphics, which was very stupid of me to not know, so I have to put in an external GPU)" I presume not; otherwise you would have known a discrete GPU isn't required with a server motherboard.

If you only removed the battery, then that can't cause such an issue. Does it power up without the battery?
 

ReefGoudswaard

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
10
0
1,510


Before I removed the battery the fans started spinning and it looked like it was turning on, however I didn't get an image on my monitor when I plugged it in. After removing the battery and putting it back in 10 minutes later no fans would start spinning at all. One light on the motherboard does light up when i turn it on. Then I posted it on another forum who said that my CPUs don't have intergrated graphics and that I needed to put in a GPU. I haven't tried powering it up without the battery, so I will try that.
 

ReefGoudswaard

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
10
0
1,510


Yes, it used to work. It was an old server of my dad and when we picked it up from a data center, I turned it on to check if it worked, and it did. I also installed windows 10 on it. ( I also didn't have a GPU in it then, but it did show an image on the monitor. ) I do have to mention that there was a different CPU in it back then: Xeon E5504. I have completely dissasembled the PC now and I will change around the CPUs in the sockets and will try booting it with only 1 stick of ram.

Also I have a question about built-in graphics: I thought that the CPU needed to have intergrated graphics, not the motherboard right? If you have a CPU without intergrated graphics then it shouldn't be able to show an image on screen?
 
That motherboard has an Aspeed AST2050 graphics controller; therefore you don't need a discrete GPU unless you use it as a workstation (a server runs fine with the on-board GPU). Whoever said that you need a GPU obviously isn't familiar with server motherboards and that person didn't bother to read the specs. I've never seen a dual processor server motherboard that doesn't include a graphics controller since it allows dedicating all expansion slots to controllers.
 

ReefGoudswaard

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
10
0
1,510


Do you then think the motherboard is maybe dead?
 

Vic 40

Titan
Ambassador
Maybe you need to update the bios to get it working with these cpu's.The cpu it worked with can run on an older bios.
If looking for newer biosses at the site look under DOS ,the newer OS's don't show these.
https://www.asus.com/Commercial-Servers-Workstations/Z8NAD6C/HelpDesk_Download/
 
Solution

ReefGoudswaard

Commendable
Aug 28, 2016
10
0
1,510


Ok thanks, will try that once I get the PC to boot up.
 
Feb 24, 2019
1
0
10
So basically in short, my dad and I were upgrading/renovating an old server of his. It is a dual CPU motherboard and we had bought 2 Xeon E5640's for it on ebay. When I installed everything, turned it on and plugged in the VGA cable from the pc into my monitor there was no signal, but the fans started spinning (Turns out these CPUs don't have built-in graphics, which was very stupid of me to not know, so I have to put in an external GPU). However I did not know that and came across someone who said you had to clear the CMOS by pulling out the silver coin-like battery on the motherboard and reinstalling it 10 minutes later. I unplugged the PSU and then pulled out the battery and reinstalled it 10 min later. However when i reinstalled it and turned on the pc, the fans didn't spin at all (one green light on the motherboard did light up though). I still can't get it to work. Does someone know what is wrong?? I am scared I may have fried something :(

CPU: Xeon E5640 (x2)
MOBO: Asus Z8NA-D6C
RAM :6x 4gb sticks

If someone needs some additional information, just ask.
Hi!
I have exactly the same issue here and I am wondering if you found a way to make the motherboard working again.
Thanks!