Sabertooth X79 install, no graphics

[mizhop]

I have temporarily replaced an ASUS P9X79 mobo while it goes in for warranty work, with a used (taken from a working machine) Sabertooth X79. I wrote in previously asking about swapping, and preserving the OS with sysprep here, so I decided to forgo the sysprep for this first round and tried to do a simple swap, figuring that if there was any issue bringing up the OS, I would tackle it if it came up. However, I'm not even getting any display of any sort. No Signal.

The boards plugs/headers are in nearly the exact spots, and nothing has been left unplugged. It powers up with no beeps or other issues, I hear the hard drive kick on and run, and so does the Sapphire 7970 that's in the 1st PCI slot. It's using the same 32GB RAM in the same slots as the P9. I've tried two different working graphics cards in the first two PCI slots. I've tried both a VGA (with DVI adapter) and an HDMI cable. Nothing. I've pulled the CMOS battery and worked the reset jumpers. Still nothing. I had a mouse and keyboard in USB slots in the back, pulled them out and tried again, and that didn't work either.

I haven't loaded any Sabertooth drivers, and don't know how I could load those without any monitor display. Can that be done? I've got them on a thumb drive ready to go, anyway.

Surely it can't have anything to do with using the same hard drive when I had the P9 board in there. There would still be some display... I can't figure this out.

I'm at a loss. Am I missing something? Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

 

[Tom Tancredi]

I think the problem is you jumped to the middle of the process then starting at the 'basics' called breadboard steps.
Take everything apart completely, place Mobo on cardboard box or piece of wood, reseat the CPU back in (gives you a chance to check the pins which can cause this problem as well). Mount the CPU Cooler. Place ONLY 1 STICK of RAM that is from the manual's approved list http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA2011/SABERTOOTH-X79/E8040_SABERTOOTH_X79_V3_WEB.pdf also note, the instructions say for one stick is in D1, not the normal A or B1 slots.
Plug video card in then monitor, then keyboard ONLY
Now wire FROM CASE the Power Switch, Speaker, and POWER only to the Mobo.

Power up - Do you Get POST now (don't worry about Windows / Drivers / etc. that is LAST!)?? Do you get any beeps?
If no POST on the screen, then you have identified the potential culprits; RAM, GPU, CPU or Mobo, now you need to narrow it down, lets cause a error now.
Remove the RAM, do you get the error code for missing RAM? yes / no? Then if yes, then try different RAM, again repeat to POST. Check each slot. If you keep NOT getting POST, but you are properly getting beep codes next item.
Replace video card, again try to boot to POST.
Then with the CPU, and then lastly same process for Mobo.

This is how you determine the HARDWARE issue (nothing to do with Drivers, Windows, booting HDD, etc.). At a BARE MINIMUM, also see if you can get the BIOS / UEFI (aka POST) screen, then ADD the next hardware, test again, ADD next hardware, test again REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT till all components are installed and you now know precisely EVERY piece works, rather then (as you are doing now) WHAT piece isn't working and which one is it?

 

[mizhop]

Thanks so much for your response, Tom - you're right, it's been quite a number of years since I did a board swap, and have forgotten a number of things, apparently. It seemed so straightforward.

I noticed when I was taking the P9 out, there was no 2-pin connector for the board speaker on the system panel. There's connectors for the ATX power button and the Reset just below that, though. Could I use the Reset connectors on the speaker pins?

Going to take it apart again and see how it goes. Hopefully I have enough Arctic Silver to last me.

Thanks again

 

[mizhop]

Well, I've been working on this since my last post, and found out that apparently the Sabertooth does not have any onboard audio (at least it wasn't working during my testing), though there are pins for one with the lower right front panel hookups. I disassembled everything again, removed the CPU and cooler, checked the pins as thoroughly as I could and could find nothing wrong with them. I put in the one stick of RAM, put in the video card, keyboard, plugged in the power switch and power to the board.

Nothing has changed. No POST screen. And since I cannot figure out how to get any motherboard sound lacking the proper connectors, I'm still where I was earlier. It's depressing to admit that this may be above my pay grade, so to speak, and I don't know what else could be suggested that I haven't run across already... but you guys are the experts!

Thanks in advance for your help and time.

EDIT: I think I might have found a connector to make work for the 4 pin speaker, but I'm going to have to grind some edges down to make it fit...

 

[mizhop]

Got the speaker connector figured out, hooked it all up again and...No beeps... no POST, no display.

I've been working on this all day and now I have a headache. I think this is going to the experts, as I can't pin this one down.

Thanks anyway folks.