Can't get it working so...should I just trade it for a different one?

[DawgPoundDude]

I've been at this for four days now, and can't seem to get this silly thing up and running. I'm going to bed at night dreaming about it. Waking up ready to try new ideas. And every day I've been completely shut down. I've fine-tooth combed every troubleshooting guide I could find, read the manual enough to know that I've done EVERYTHING properly, and I've been warned by my wife that I'm on a one-way street to the looney bin if I keep bugging her with this.

Enough is enough. If I can't get this thing working today, I'm getting a whole different one tomorrow. A different brand. The question is, which one? What would you recommend? I'd like to keep it in the same general price range, and intend to stick with the AMD FX 8350 so...consider that in any reply.

So, what would YOU do?

 

[AmusingUserID]

You cant get your motherboard working?

does it support FX 8-series, does it need bios update to take that chip.....

 

[DawgPoundDude]

You cant get your motherboard working?

does it support FX 8-series, does it need bios update to take that chip.....

Yes, it supports it. It shouldn't need the BIOS update. This thread here is a pretty good documentation of my struggle up to this point. One way or another, I intend to get my PC up and running by tomorrow. Or my wife checks me in to the psych ward.

 

[Calvin7]

XION 700w PSU should be Retired.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=109

 

[Eximo]

Quite the detailed history.

You've tried breadboarding, different memory, different CPU, different motherboard, and now a power supply. Not much left to troubleshoot.

Unless there is something fundamentally wrong with either the CPU or motherboard it should fire up.

I don't give this advice often because it is disastrously stupid. Undo the CPU cooler, leave it contact with the CPU and see if it will start. Turn it off immediately. Occasionally, too much clamping force will put stress on the board and dislodge pins, memory slots, and all kinds of things.

It is one of the things breadboarding can help solve, people improperly align motherboards, GPUs, or use standoffs in incorrect places and bend the board.

After that, I think you need to look at returning everything and starting from scratch.

 

[DawgPoundDude]

XION 700w PSU should be Retired.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=109

Done and done. Got me a new Corsair RM650 now. Just in the looks department, it was worth it. I was quite shocked at the difference myself.

EDIT: Great review though. I chuckled.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Have you tried holdingthe MEM OK button down while booting?
My board the original M5A97 has problems with certain memory modules. holding the meme ok button during boot downclocks the memory to a stable rate to allow you to get into the bios.
Once into the bios set memory manually, Timings,Voltages and Command rate.

 

[Eximo]

Your other idea to flash the BIOS via USB is a good idea since the motherboard supports it. Might just happen to have a revision of the CPU the board's existing BIOS doesn't like. Kind of a stretch though.

To make you feel better:

1Ghz Athlon Thunderbird + Abit Motherboard + Micron memory + Geforce MX 4200 = completely non-functional
Same CPU in another system - working
Memory in another system - working
I kept the GPU for my new build, worked fine (Same chassis and power supply and hard drives)
Motherboard was sold to a friend to build a cheap Duron system, worked fine.

I literally picked all the components in person and found the one combination of supposedly compatible parts that just plain didn't work. That system would boot, and could hold onto an OS without corrupting it for maybe 2 days.

 

[DawgPoundDude]

Have you tried holdingthe MEM OK button down while booting?
My board the original M5A97 has problems with certain memory modules. holding the meme ok button during boot downclocks the memory to a stable rate to allow you to get into the bios.
Once into the bios set memory manually, Timings,Voltages and Command rate.

Many, many times. One of my most recent attempts to get it on screen also was to move where I was plugging the CPU fan. There's 4 different spots on this board, yet in the user guide it shows a different place to plug it into than my old, similar board (Asus M4A77TD). Alas, that trick didn't work either.

EDIT: I apologize, I just reread that...you're saying to do it WHILE booting? That, sir, is something I haven't tried...

ANOTHER EDIT: Tried it again (didn't realize that it acts as a case power switch!) and still nothing. Light blinks for a few then back to solid.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Couple things I noticed in you pics.
The memory is not fully seated in the slot. The locking tabs will fully close when fully inserted. It taks quite a bit of force to fully install memory. Almost to the point that you think you are going to break something.
Second is the ATX 12v connector by the cpu.
If using a 4pin connector you need to install it in the first 4 pins, your pic has it in the second 4 pins.

Hard to tell but it looks like the 4pin part of the 20/24 pin power connector is not completely installed. Could just be the pic, but it does not look like it it in all of the way.

 

[DawgPoundDude]

Couple things I noticed in you pics.
The memory is not fully seated in the slot. The locking tabs will fully close when fully inserted. It taks quite a bit of force to fully install memory. Almost to the point that you think you are going to break something.
Second is the ATX 12v connector by the cpu.
If using a 4pin connector you need to install it in the first 4 pins, your pic has it in the second 4 pins.

Hard to tell but it looks like the 4pin part of the 20/24 pin power connector is not completely installed. Could just be the pic, but it does not look like it it in all of the way.

In that pic, you'd be right...that was when I had the XION PSU still installed. I noticed it was loose afterwards and had secured it properly. The ATX...all 8 pins are currently in use (that was a new one to me, my old board only had 4), especially with this new PSU. Maybe I have them in backwards? I'll post a pic once I cover this part...

The RAM. So you're saying that those tabs are supposed to lock into the grooves on the RAM stick? Wow, you're right, that's gonna take some force! But hey, I'm up for it, and if it breaks it's under a nice service protection plan so...here we go.

Pic to follow shortly.

 

[DawgPoundDude]

DUDE IF YOU EVER MAKE IT OUT TOWARDS KANSAS CITY, I OWE YOU A STEAK DINNER!!!

That worked like a charm! Thank you for all your help, and thanks for noticing the RAM sticks! Pushed it in, snapped in place, and we are good to go!

 

[Unolocogringo]

DUDE IF YOU EVER MAKE IT OUT TOWARDS KANSAS CITY, I OWE YOU A STEAK DINNER!!!

That worked like a charm! Thank you for all your help, and thanks for noticing the RAM sticks! Pushed it in, snapped in place, and we are good to go!

Glad you got it working.
Appreciate the dinner offer, but you happiness is all that is necessary. I was once a noob builder and found this site. Back in 96 and have been here ever since.
So now I try to pay it forward ,if you will.