New build does not power up, tried checklist, no dice

[qzcxeajb]

Hello there, I am looking for some help if possible.

I recently tried building my first computer. When I tried to turn it on for the first time, there was nothing. The power supply fan did not start, the case fans did not start; nothing happened at all. When I first connected the power supply to the outlet and flipped the switch, I did notice that the LED on the motherboard came on.

I disconnected everything from the motherboard and removed it from the case. Right now, I have a power supply, the mother board, the processor with fan/heat sink, and a stick of RAM inserted into the mother board. I am getting the same results as described above.

On reading the "PERFORM THESE STEPS..." checklist, I did 1-3, skipped 4 and 5 since I have no video card, and did 6-11.

Regarding 12, I did spill some thermal paste when I was connecting the CPU fan. It is entirely possible that all of my problems are due to this disaster, although I cannot tell. Some went on the motherboard, and some went in the general area where the processor sits. I tried very hard to clean all of it off using rubbing alcohol, cotton swaps, and toothpicks. I do not see anymore on there right now.

I did 13-16, skipped 17 (I do not think I have a system speaker, although I may be wrong), did 18-21, skipped 22 (again, does not apply), and did 23.

Since nothing at all happens when I apply power (excepting the illuminating of the LED on the mother board), I also tried the "paper clip test" on the power supply. I hooked it up to a case fan and the paper clip and turned it on. The case fan and the power supply fan started right up. I also had two sticks of RAM and tried each of them as the only one with no success. So right now I guess I am most suspicious of the motherboard and the processor. I do not know how to continue from here. I also am having a difficult time imagining how I can determine if, supposing one of those two parts is not working, it is due to my thermal paste spill or not.

Here are the parts:

Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 FD-CA-ARC-R2-BL-W Black
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-A
Processor: Intel Core i5-4590
Power supply: ANTEC Gold Standard Power Supply ATX 650 Power Supply TP-650C
Memory: Kingston Value RAM 4GB 1600MHz PC3-12800 DDR3 Non-ECC CL11 DIMM SR x8 Desktop Memory (KVR16N11S8/4)

When I try to power the system up in its current configuration, I do so by manually pressing the PWR_SW button at the bottom of the motherboard. Doing so makes me extremely nervous -- is this the right way to test? Does anyone else have any ideas? Thank you in advance!

 

[Darkbreeze]

Did you even connect the power leads coming from the front panel to the motherboard? If you haven't I would try that and then try powering up from the ACTUAL on button, with the motherboard "on". I'd also make a valiant effort to remove all the thermal paste using a lint free cloth or coffee filters and rubbing alcohol. I can't even imagine how you would get it all over since you should only be using a rice sized dab in the center of the cpu, but what's done is done. Try that and see if it powers up. If it does, get to cleaning.

 

[qzcxeajb]

Did you even connect the power leads coming from the front panel to the motherboard? If you haven't I would try that and then try powering up from the ACTUAL on button, with the motherboard "on".

Hi, thank you for the response. I did try this originally and only began exclusively using the PWR_SW button on the motherboard after I removed it from the case. Before it was removed from the case, each time I made a change I tried first the power button on the case, and then when that failed I tried the one on the motherboard (because I was paranoid that I had not connected the button from the case correctly).

I'd also make a valiant effort to remove all the thermal paste using a lint free cloth or coffee filters and rubbing alcohol. I can't even imagine how you would get it all over since you should only be using a rice sized dab in the center of the cpu, but what's done is done. Try that and see if it powers up. If it does, get to cleaning.

This task is really already done. I used way too much thermal paste, as the directions that I read did not give enough guidance. What happened was that I added the paste and then mounted the CPU fan and was concerned that it was not mounted correctly. So I removed the fan, and when I removed it, some excess dripped off onto the motherboard. I have stared at the motherboard and processor areas for quite a while looking for more paste and do not see anymore.

Here is another question. I have stated already that it seems to me that either the motherboard, or the processor, or both are not working currently. The more likely scenario seems to me to be the motherboard. The two main possibilities with regard to the motherboard are:

1) it is compromised due to the thermal paste mishap, or
2) it was defective when it arrived at my house.

If 1) is the case and the motherboard has never actually powered up, is there still hope? I guess what I mean is, if the motherboard were to be damaged by the paste, I would expect that to happen while it was being powered up. Perhaps there would then be a short circuit and I might see things turn on for a second or a fraction of a second before turning off. But this has not happened at all. It is pushing me toward believing that possibility 2) is more likely than I originally thought.