Question Maximum Potato build!

[Redmage]

So My friend recently started buying me parts to put together a build for him on the cheap using a few used parts and a few old spares that I had sitting around. For reference I will list the parts:

Cpu-I7 2600

Mobo- Optiplex 7010 MT

Cooler:Stock OEM(the power cable converter still hasn't arrived for the 212 evo)

DVD drive: Some old Asus dvd rw drive I had collecting dust

HD: 1tb WD

GPU:GTX 550ti (was a gtx 760 until I realized the sata ports on the mobo would be blocked)

Case-Some Antec Behemoth with 6 front fans and a massive near box sized fan at the top.

Power Supply:Thermaltake TR2 600w

Ram:G series 1600mhz ram (12gb)

So as per usual I made sure I was static discharged before I started working on her on my workbench and after a hour or so was ready to fire her up. However as soon as I plugged her in she powered on hard, made 2 short boops then shut down. I press the button and she powers on, 2 boops and no signal on the DVI-D at all.

I remembered some Dell boards being temperamental with video cards on the first boot, So I removed it and tried again: Same exact cycle as above and no post/signal to the VGA.

I checked Dells community site and the only thing I found was it could be possible dead ram/ram slots. So I spent the next hour swapping out different ram configurations and testing one at a time using g series, some sameung 1333 ram and a 4gb 1600mhz hynix ram I got from an old FX machine.

In all cases the cycle continued; power , but no signal to speak of. I even swapped out the monitor twice to rule out that as a possibility(an hp monitor and a old tube vga ev500 monitor I keep for testing).

I rechekced every connection and standoff and found nothing, tried disconnecting the HD and DVDR drive and same thing.

My last thing I thought of is thus: I was told that the standard power button will just complain in the post since Dells use custom made power switches. However I have a conflicted response that without OEM power switch it will not work at all.

Does anyone know what I could be missing?

 

[Obakasama]

I'd throw another possibility in: CPU compatibility. In trying to find info on the motherboard I came across this: https://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/optiplex_7010_technical_guidebook.pdf

With it being a motherboard from a prebuilt PC there's the possible risk of a locked BIOS. And the info from the link suggests the i7-2600 wasn't one of the original configurations for the original prebuilts, which to me would raise the probability of it not working.

 

[Redmage]

I'd throw another possibility in: CPU compatibility. In trying to find info on the motherboard I came across this: https://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/optiplex_7010_technical_guidebook.pdf

With it being a motherboard from a prebuilt PC there's the possible risk of a locked BIOS. And the info from the link suggests the i7-2600 wasn't one of the original configurations for the original prebuilts, which to me would raise the probability of it not working.

Huh, that can be a possibility. I do know there are 7010 systems that do run i7 series processors, but that might be a fluke and the compatibility can be all over the place. Thx for the help, i'll see is I still have my I5 2500S to test it with since that was one of the possibly base processors it could use. It does run the Q77 chipset, but knowing dell that could do what they always do; be terrible.

 

[Redmage]

Hmm nope, processor doesn't seem to effect it at all, just continues to power cycle with no output, Tested it with a few processors that would have shipped with the original models such as an I3 and i5.

Im leaning towards a borked board right now unless others have suggestions.

 

[Obakasama]

So it power cycles with any CPU?

Not much else I suggest except clearing CMOS (though I'd anticipate you'd have tried that already).

 

[Redmage]

Yeah, clearing cmos was one of the first things I did. I did however get a hold of dells less than spectacular tech support and got 2 conflicting answers.

1. The board should have no problem with the processors I have on hand and
2. There is a possibility I got a enterprise based board which is locked down to only use the gen of processors above what I'm using right now. The guy can't tell me which one it is since the registration sticker has been long removed.

I guess my only option remaining is buy a cheap 3$ testing cpu that it supports and go from there. I may or may not be able to get a custom Bios on it (depending how badly it's locked down) and run those older q77 cpus. Worst case I'm out 20$ for an i5 3470.

You would think they would make this easier on themselves to make repair and diagnostics faster, but you know, dell, they do nothing efficiently.

 

[Obakasama]

The business model of companies like Dell is to sell you a complete new system rather than repair and upgrade. Am a bit surprised they'd have different BIOSes for the same board. I assume they'd use the same for a motherboard model.

 

[Redmage]

The business model of companies like Dell is to sell you a complete new system rather than repair and upgrade. Am a bit surprised they'd have different BIOSes for the same board. I assume they'd use the same for a motherboard model.

That seems to be the case, I went over to older dell support posts and got multiple conflicting yes/no answers. Either is poor documentation, operator headspace on supports side, different bios setups or they never supported the 2000 series i5/i7s to begin with.

To be fair, at least they don't pull the bullshit HP does with thier older boards and have 12 pin PSU connectors and the like. In other news USPS has downs and is trying to deliver my power connector to the wrong address. "Can't access address"...it's an open porch in the burbs with no fence. I'm already dealing with Dells incompetence, I don't need yours also.

Sorry, venting there, but it's getting annoying.

 

[tennis2]

Just an FYI. They sell SATA cables with a right-angle connector on one end for about $0.50 EA. A GPU will go over top of one of those.

Have you looked up the beep (post) codes for the machine? The beeps are telling you what's wrong.

 

[Redmage]

Just an FYI. They sell SATA cables with a right-angle connector on one end for about $0.50 EA. A GPU will go over top of one of those.

Have you looked up the beep (post) codes for the machine? The beeps are telling you what's wrong.

I did, there wasnt and entry for double beep then nothing on that board. As for the gpu, I can take a file to the plastic and give it the .1 mm clearence it needs if I must, but that idea is also good.

 

[Redmage]

Update: Got a potato g630 processor for testing and it turns out the board is enterprise variant which uses a very narrow set of processors. Not sure if there is a modded bios out there to get it to run the i7 2600 or not, but searching yielded no results so far.

I would also like to call for a moment of silence; the gtx 760 popped once installed. Poor girl couldnt be bothered with being in a potato. She will be missed.

 

[Obakasama]

I was afraid it might be one of those cases where BIOS locks out certain changes. And hopefully that pop didn't damage anything else during the process.

 

[King_V]

Huh, that can be a possibility. I do know there are 7010 systems that do run i7 series processors, but that might be a fluke and the compatibility can be all over the place. Thx for the help, i'll see is I still have my I5 2500S to test it with since that was one of the possibly base processors it could use. It does run the Q77 chipset, but knowing dell that could do what they always do; be terrible.

Yeah, looking at the documentation @Obakasama linked to, I'm wondering if the BIOS is so weirdly set up that it will only support Ivy Brigde with 2 or 4 cores, and Sandy Bridge only if it has 2 cores, but reject any 4-core Sandy Bridge CPUs?

Strange, but the chart on p12 of that PDF makes me wonder if that's why your i5 2500S didn't work in it, either.

 

[Redmage]

Yeah, looking at the documentation @Obakasama linked to, I'm wondering if the BIOS is so weirdly set up that it will only support Ivy Brigde with 2 or 4 cores, and Sandy Bridge only if it has 2 cores, but reject any 4-core Sandy Bridge CPUs?

Strange, but the chart on p12 of that PDF makes me wonder if that's why your i5 2500S didn't work in it, either.

The entire thing is a mess. Its running a16 bios but checking newer versions show that no newer versions add in any kind of cpu compatibility. It's current;y running on a g630 until I can get a cpu from that pdf. There might be a chance there is a custom bios out there to set it up to use older CPUS of the same socket, but so far I have no found anything.

 

[King_V]

Ugh, yeah, that's really screwy. You might be limited for that MB to only what CPUs are listed, and nothing more.

 

[Redmage]

Ugh, yeah, that's really screwy. You might be limited for that MB to only what CPUs are listed, and nothing more.

Pretty much. Funny thing is I seen builds on youtube using the USFF variant of the MT board and it run the i7 2600 just fine. Both hilarious and sad that the board (USFF) can use the more budget processor, but is capped at 50 watts for the pcie rail, capping it with a 1050ti tops.