Computer Specs
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
CPU: AMD FX-8350
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M [Water Cooler]
Video card: Radeon R9 270X [2GB]
HDD: 2x BIWIN C6308 256gb SSD [running in RAID 0, ~506.4gb available in RAID]
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866
PSU: Antec EA-750 PLATINUM 750W
Case: Rosewill Challenger
Overclocked CPU from 4ghz to 4.5ghz according to this guide: Overclocking Guide
Internet: TWC Ultimate (100Mb/s thru SB6141 Modem & R8000 Router, 112mb/s on speedtest.net)
No POST Troubleshot according to This Guide
This is the 2nd computer that I've built and the first that I've built without help from anybody else. First, I built the computer with the stock FX-8350 CPU cooler and everything booted up fineSince I play WoW, a pretty CPU intensive game that tends to prefer intel CPUs, and as a result I was sadly seeing much lower frame rates than expected. I planned on overclocking, and did so minorly with the stock CPU, but obviously needed an upgraded cooler for that. So I purchased the CM Seidon 120M water cooler.
After installing the CPU cooler and reconnecting everything, my system is not getting through POST. The CPU LED is the only lit LED on the motherboard (besides standby power) is lit up and fans are running, but there is no video, so I can't get it working again. It's also worth mentioning that my CPU cooler has a blue LED that is on, but I think that's just to indicate that it's getting power.
The Seidon 120M water cooler BARELY fits onto the back plate, so I have to shove the cooler down pretty far to even reach the screw holes on the back plate (I need my girlfriend to hold either the cooler or the backplate while I screw the bracket screws into the back plate. On my first installation, I tightened all of the screws as tightly as I could without using excessive force, so once it required significant force on the plate/mobo, I stopped screwing. After the first failure, I removed the cooler and saw that I had some bent pins. I carefully straightened those out, and tried again, this time only tightening the bracket/back plate screws just enough to hold the cpu cooler in place.
Unfortunately, while I was replacing the thermal paste, I was careless and dropped the CPU on the carpet. I never heard any noises or saw/felt anything, so I'm hopeful that it hasn't been damaged by static electricity, but there is a worry there (I'm wearing rubber cable ties around my wrists now). I had the same issue after re-installing the cooler., but I did notice that my 8-pin 12v ATX power was disconnected. It's loose and difficult to get to due to fan placement, but I did re-connect them. In trying to make sure I pushed extra hard with my hand on the opposite side of the mobo to ensure that I didn't break it, and the 8 pins actually snapped into place much further than I thought possible, making all sides flush. I thought I broke something at first, but it seems fine.
I can't put my finger on the exact issue, but something with my AM3+ socket just seems off, like the bar doesn't move the socket as much as it should. I did put the CPU in and lock it in with the bar, and it did seem like it was in properly, but when I got the same issue again, I pulled the CPU cooler off and the CPU came with it, so it seems it wasn't secured properly, yet the bar was pulled properly. The actual socket's pins being bent is a check other people have recommended, but it's difficult to see (and probably bend) my socket's pins. Pic:
After pulling the CPU off for the second time, the pins appeared to be straighter than when I bent them back, so I don't think thats the issue anymore. One pin seemed to be barely bent, but I used a lead pencil to precisely bend it back, and looked at every pin carefully and couldn't find any other bent pins. I think the tightness of the cooler is the culprit
Now I'm sort of at a loss for things to try. The only two things I can think of trying are
1. Investigating possibility of a broken socket
2. Loosening the screws that attach the bracket to the cooler (in addition to loosening the screws attaching the brackets to the back plate)
3. Resetting CMOS. This doesn't seem necessary because it was working with all of these components yesterday, only changed the CPU cooler. Also I want to avoid this because I'm running with Raid 0. Only reason this might be the problem is overclocking settings, but I doubt it.
I've tried all the basic stuff I've found online, and since I want to save resetting CMOS for absolutely last only if people recommend it to me directly and all I can think of besides that is loosening screws, I don't see any real reason to waste more thermal paste trying it again.
Other Questions:
OQ1) can I try and POST without a CPU cooler without risking heat damage? I'd only have the system on for like 10 seconds max before hitting the PSU power switch.
OQ2) thru FRAPS I see in WoW that I'm only getting ~30FPS in a minorly populated city and ~45FPS in open areas with sound disabled, all video settings set to low besides "good" view distance (below high & ultra) at the lowest 16:9 resolution. Any ideas why that might be? I figured with specs, I'd be able to run Ultra relatively well since my computer gets rated 7.8 out of 7.9 by Windows 7.
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
CPU: AMD FX-8350
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M [Water Cooler]
Video card: Radeon R9 270X [2GB]
HDD: 2x BIWIN C6308 256gb SSD [running in RAID 0, ~506.4gb available in RAID]
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866
PSU: Antec EA-750 PLATINUM 750W
Case: Rosewill Challenger
Overclocked CPU from 4ghz to 4.5ghz according to this guide: Overclocking Guide
Internet: TWC Ultimate (100Mb/s thru SB6141 Modem & R8000 Router, 112mb/s on speedtest.net)
No POST Troubleshot according to This Guide
This is the 2nd computer that I've built and the first that I've built without help from anybody else. First, I built the computer with the stock FX-8350 CPU cooler and everything booted up fineSince I play WoW, a pretty CPU intensive game that tends to prefer intel CPUs, and as a result I was sadly seeing much lower frame rates than expected. I planned on overclocking, and did so minorly with the stock CPU, but obviously needed an upgraded cooler for that. So I purchased the CM Seidon 120M water cooler.
After installing the CPU cooler and reconnecting everything, my system is not getting through POST. The CPU LED is the only lit LED on the motherboard (besides standby power) is lit up and fans are running, but there is no video, so I can't get it working again. It's also worth mentioning that my CPU cooler has a blue LED that is on, but I think that's just to indicate that it's getting power.
The Seidon 120M water cooler BARELY fits onto the back plate, so I have to shove the cooler down pretty far to even reach the screw holes on the back plate (I need my girlfriend to hold either the cooler or the backplate while I screw the bracket screws into the back plate. On my first installation, I tightened all of the screws as tightly as I could without using excessive force, so once it required significant force on the plate/mobo, I stopped screwing. After the first failure, I removed the cooler and saw that I had some bent pins. I carefully straightened those out, and tried again, this time only tightening the bracket/back plate screws just enough to hold the cpu cooler in place.
Unfortunately, while I was replacing the thermal paste, I was careless and dropped the CPU on the carpet. I never heard any noises or saw/felt anything, so I'm hopeful that it hasn't been damaged by static electricity, but there is a worry there (I'm wearing rubber cable ties around my wrists now). I had the same issue after re-installing the cooler., but I did notice that my 8-pin 12v ATX power was disconnected. It's loose and difficult to get to due to fan placement, but I did re-connect them. In trying to make sure I pushed extra hard with my hand on the opposite side of the mobo to ensure that I didn't break it, and the 8 pins actually snapped into place much further than I thought possible, making all sides flush. I thought I broke something at first, but it seems fine.
I can't put my finger on the exact issue, but something with my AM3+ socket just seems off, like the bar doesn't move the socket as much as it should. I did put the CPU in and lock it in with the bar, and it did seem like it was in properly, but when I got the same issue again, I pulled the CPU cooler off and the CPU came with it, so it seems it wasn't secured properly, yet the bar was pulled properly. The actual socket's pins being bent is a check other people have recommended, but it's difficult to see (and probably bend) my socket's pins. Pic:

After pulling the CPU off for the second time, the pins appeared to be straighter than when I bent them back, so I don't think thats the issue anymore. One pin seemed to be barely bent, but I used a lead pencil to precisely bend it back, and looked at every pin carefully and couldn't find any other bent pins. I think the tightness of the cooler is the culprit
Now I'm sort of at a loss for things to try. The only two things I can think of trying are
1. Investigating possibility of a broken socket
2. Loosening the screws that attach the bracket to the cooler (in addition to loosening the screws attaching the brackets to the back plate)
3. Resetting CMOS. This doesn't seem necessary because it was working with all of these components yesterday, only changed the CPU cooler. Also I want to avoid this because I'm running with Raid 0. Only reason this might be the problem is overclocking settings, but I doubt it.
I've tried all the basic stuff I've found online, and since I want to save resetting CMOS for absolutely last only if people recommend it to me directly and all I can think of besides that is loosening screws, I don't see any real reason to waste more thermal paste trying it again.
Other Questions:
OQ1) can I try and POST without a CPU cooler without risking heat damage? I'd only have the system on for like 10 seconds max before hitting the PSU power switch.
OQ2) thru FRAPS I see in WoW that I'm only getting ~30FPS in a minorly populated city and ~45FPS in open areas with sound disabled, all video settings set to low besides "good" view distance (below high & ultra) at the lowest 16:9 resolution. Any ideas why that might be? I figured with specs, I'd be able to run Ultra relatively well since my computer gets rated 7.8 out of 7.9 by Windows 7.