Motherboard shorting out in case

[Knarmahfox]

Hello

I have a P5N-T Deluxe Motherboard. I have a Intel Quadcore, and 6GB of ram using a NVIDA graphics card.

Ever since I bought this Motherboard and built it it always! AWLAYS spontaneously froze up. At first i thought it was bad memory so started removing RAM and it still did it. After 3 years of dealing with this PC it finally shorted out and fried the board after my friend plugged in his ipod Via USB. I returned it RMA to ASUS and received another board same make and model.

After I received my new board i put it in my case connected all the components and BIOS wasn't posting( I called ASUS and the tech said it was a bad BIOS. I am not the stupid to take tech supports word for it so I spent hours trying to figure it out to come to a conclusion that its a short in the boear or with the scerws in the case).

I bench tested it and it worked fine COMPLETELY! I thought it was the case so i tried a different case. I got it to boot up and load windows but soon after it froze again, and then i was unable to get to load windows due to it freezing up. I took it all out again and as i type this i am using the board on my desk and it work FINE! Not a issue at all! What the heck?!

To try to pinpoint the short I left some of the gold foot holders in and started touching them with my screw driver to see if i was able to make it freeze up. No luck. no freeze. I even shook the board a bit to see if it would short out. NOTHING.

I recieved this new board just to have the same problems agian?! How can i solve this, its clearly a short because outside the case it runs perfect.

I was thinking of buying a new case but i didnt want to blow 40$ when I know i might run into the same problem.

What can I do to stop this from happening?

 

[o1die]

I would check the backplate again for unwanted contact; you may also try some different case standoffs; they're generally available in two sizes.

 

[jitpublisher]

Boards shorting out to the case means only 1 thing, you have the board mounted incorrectly. Are you using the correct number of standoffs, and do you have them in the right places?

 

[treefrog07]

Did you install the backplate for the rear panel connectors? Are the little fins touching the board's ports? If not, make it so because those fins help ground the board to the case to prevent static and potential power surge that can cause a BSOD or harm your components.

 

[Knarmahfox]

I just did an Electrical tape test I stuck my board in a case with electric tape on each stand off. It seems to be working ok. I am letting it run for a bit before asumming its ok.

I used stand offs for each corner. here is how i set it up:


Best i can do with a diagram

Looking into the top of the board
[cpp]
. = Screw
_________________________________

PWR SPLY CD
DVD

. . .
PS2-
USB-
CAT5-
SOUND- CPU


. . .
VGA-
VGA-
PCI-
. .
__________________________________[/cpp]

NOTE: I been leaving a few screws out because the board has some difficulty lining up and i dont want to force a screw in a crooked line-up so i left them blank but still covered them with E-Tape
If I may add, i was using screws that were a bit larger than I seen but not to big.

It seems to run fine with the tape on the Stand offs as of now.

 

[rogbur22]

I had/have an AMD board that did the same type thing. It was an Asus board and it was always shorting out and I used it in 2 different cases. Ended up getting it to run just like you did wrapping the stand offs in electrical tape. I also did one more thing. I had a large anti static bag and I cut a big piece the same size as the motherboard. I layed that on the back plate of the case and then put my stand off's in and just poked a hole for the standoff's to screw in. LOL it ran ok after all that. Never shorted out again. I think sometimes certain boards are prone to that.

 

[Knarmahfox]

I had/have an AMD board that did the same type thing. It was an Asus board and it was always shorting out and I used it in 2 different cases. Ended up getting it to run just like you did wrapping the stand offs in electrical tape. I also did one more thing. I had a large anti static bag and I cut a big piece the same size as the motherboard. I layed that on the back plate of the case and then put my stand off's in and just poked a hole for the standoff's to screw in. LOL it ran ok after all that. Never shorted out again. I think sometimes certain boards are prone to that.

Thanks for the advice.

I been using my new case for about 3 days now. And I am still having the same PROBLEM EVEN after i electric taped the standoffs and made sure the board is set in well! My computer just locks spontaneously. Unpredictable. It seems when I use FL Studio it does it, cause i been watching movies and TV shows on it non stop to give it a chance. It never locks up when im watching videos for a good 2 hours. I also tested the board one last time in my old Ultra Case. And I took both panels off and booted it up. I started tapping firmly on the backside of the case (The panel side that the mother board faces away from. The other useless side no one opens.) Anyway I pulled it of assuming it was touching the panel mabing shorting out from that. I even electric taped some of the parts that would touch the panel so on. I tapped it while it was running and I hit a certian spot and It instantly freezes up.

So I stuck it in my newer case im using now. And I tested the same thing. I shook the case while it was running, tapped the sides ect. Nothing. But this stupid thing still freezes up! UNPREDICTABLE!

What am i doing wrong? I been building computers for some time. I know if my cables would have a short or bare wire is exposed. I make sure I use the correct cables and I even have the X3 ULTRA power supply that has the removable plugs to eliminate extra wires hanging in the chassis!

I have the back I/O Panel installed correctly and its even an insulated ASUS NO fins sticking out or anything.
I have 2 hard drives one runing on sata and the other IDE
2 DVD drives one IDE and other SATA.
Have a 1394 Fire wire and 2 usb no PCI slot only using the USB on it
A GT94000 Nvidia card and basic I/O HID's
4 Sticks of RAM 2 2GB and 2 1 GB corsair ultra


Help please? Anymore tips?!

This has been redicoulus! been dealing with the same crap for 3 years!