[Solved]New build won't turn on.. newbie builder. (ASUS M4A88TD-V)

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
N

nerd-doc

Distinguished
Nov 24, 2010
15
0
18,510
Hi guys...

I just finished a new build..! or thought I did...!


COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

1 OCZ StealthXstream II OCZ600SXS2 600W ATX12V v2.2/ EPS12V PLUS Certified Power Supply

1 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact"

1 x Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)

AMD Phenom II X3 740 BE CPU (OEM)


My problem is.. When I power on the build, the MoBo LED turns green, Nothing else happens. There are two other LEDS that light up - the CPU unlocker LED and the Turbomode LED. If I flick these switches off, nothing else comes on. the HDD doesn't whir, the fans don't turn on. Totally dead except for the power button turning a tinge of red.

What I tried...

1. Removed one RAM module and then another, reinserted both RAMS in black instead of blue slots.
2. Tried resetting the CMOS jumper, I can't even tell if I was successful or not. Anyone that has this board, can you please tell what the default jumper position is on a new board..?

What I did wrong(and feel like kicking myself for.. 20/20 hindsight..!)

1. Did the installation without a wrist strap, but was touching the chassis most of the time.
2. I think I messed up with both installing the Hyper212 cooler - I had to apply lot of pressure to the retaining screws...and also applied a little too much thermal paste.
3. On one of the standoffs on the MoBo, I inserted a wrong sized screw, and then I could not take it off. So the standoff is now connected to the screw and I can't take it off.
4. My MoBo doesn't come with a speaker... and so I am unable to listen to any reassuring beeps.

What should I do..? I think I will start with breadboarding. But any other ideas are more than welcome. Are these parts compatible with each other..? Please let me know. Thanks.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
1 last effort before I go off to bed,

I tried the paperclip method for the PSU. It does not turn the fan on. Does that mean the PSU is dead..? Even if the MoBo LED did power on..?

Thanks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Before anything else, thanks for all the tech support I have received so far. Much appreciated.

OK.. My PSU seems to be working. There is a DVD drive plugged in which opens and closes corrctly. Also the PSU fan is working too. I connected a case fan to it using a molex connector, but that is not turning on.

does this refine the problem to some specific defect..? Does the optical drive working correctly imply that the PSU is working as it should be..? And does the case fan not turning on imply something is wrong with my case or motherboard or CPU..?

Thanks.

Update: If I connect the 24-pin to the motherboard then the same problems happen as initially. If I remove the 24-pin and short it using the paperclip technique then the optical drive comes to life, HDD whirs and stops, the PSU fan and front case fan/LED also come to life. The rear fan which also gets connected to the MoBo does not turn on however.

I am not sure what exactly is going on here. Any suggestions..? Does it mean that my motherboard is dead..?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think(and am not sure) that I found the cause of the problem.

On one of the standoffs on the MoBo, I inserted a wrong sized screw, and then I could not take it off. So the standoff is now connected to the screw and I can't take it off. When I inspected the rear of the motherboard I can now only see 8 standoffs coming out, whereas the 9th does not come out.

1. Is that the issue.

2. How can I take the screw out of the standoff..? Or Can I..?

Thanks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm not clear on a couple of things.
1. Is the screw in the standoff still threaded through the MB? is the MB resting on the screw head?
2. Did you fix the install issue with the CPU cooler? Is the CPU cooler installed correctly now?
3. Did the thermal paste seep out beyond and over the edge of the chip? Could any of it worked down into the CPU socket?
I think I know how you installed the cooler wrong. There is a pin on that cooler and if you set the brackets wrong the pin interferes with the bracket arm and causes it to be slightly raised. You would need to removed the cooler and change the arms on the bracket so the pin isnt in the way.
The screw, if resting on the underside of the MB it could cause a short and the thermal paste...If it came in contact with the CPU socket could cause a short as well.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote















I hope that helps you guys get a better idea of my problems. I hope the cooler is correctly installed. The screw is tightly wedged into the top of the standoff and won't come off unscrewed. And the standoff will not come through the other side of the motherboard tray when installed in the case. The other 8 stand-offs all are visible. I hope I am making some sense here..!

Edit: I was so wrong..! Even when I position the standoffs correctly so they all come through the other side, I still cannot get anything except the MoBo LED to come on.

What is going on..?]
1. I think my PSU is working right.If I short the 24-pin with the paperclip the front fan and the optical drives still turn on.
2. If I put the 24-pin back into the MoBo only the LED gets lit. Even the PSU fan won't turn on.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Other things I tried.

Reinstalled the cooler. The CPU had the thermal paste spread very unevenly. But no thermal paste got into the MoBo or around the edges of the CPU. I removed all the thermal paste from the CPU, and then put just a small amount in the center and then reinstalled the cooler. This time I did meet with some resistance, but nowhere compared to what I experienced the first time around.

But it changed NOTHING.... 🙁 .

I have ordered for a system speaker from Ebay. In the meantime, should I just RMA the MoBo or wait to get the speaker..? Is that the cause of the problem...?

And in my motherboard manual, Mushkin 1333 Hz is not mentioned in the compatible RAM list. I don't think that should be an issue..? Or am I wrong..?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
OK. I am stumped. I tried everything that the stickied thread about trouble shooting suggested to check and try and correct. Still no go.

Some questions...

1. Will adding a system speaker to the MoBo help me figure out what is wrong..? If so how..? There seem to be no references about beep codes for my MoBo.

2. Are beep codes "universal"..? If so can someone explain what code signifies what..?

3. How do I test a PSU. Based on my troubleshooting so far, with the paper clip, the PSU is not dead - it can and does supply power to the PSU fan, Front fan, MoBo and front case LED, and the DVD drive/HDD. So it does work.

However when I plug the 24 pin into the motherboard, except the MoBo LED all else stops working. I have read that a single rail could go wrong, like the 4-pin to the MoBo. Could that be the case here too..? if So how can I test each rail..?

4. Is there any step-by-step guide to isolating the root of the issue..?

Thanks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I get it with the standoffs. I don't think that is the issue, or the CPU cooler either, although you may have bent an arm on the initial install. It looks a bit bent in one pic but could just be me. Did the checklist and breadboard thing net you nothing?
When you look at the MB capacitors, (they are the round black or silver little cylinders) that are all over the place, are they all flat on top?? Do you see any that are dome shaped on top?? In the last pic there is one visible right next the the screw. That would mean a popped capacitor and tell you the MB did get shorted or otherwise failed.
I mean, you're getting some power, and that changes when you plug in the 24 pin, which I always thought powered the MB. The 4/8 pin powers the CPU. What happens if you unplug the CPU power but leave the 24 pin in and try to start. Do the fans turn? the CPU fan should be run off the MB, Case fan off of molex. Disk drive HDD off of Sata power. Is the CPU power seated firmly into the MB socket?
It could be the MB I think. Maybe someone with more experience has a better idea, but I think I would try Asus tech support and see if they can help or issue an RMA if they can't


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi, thanks for staying onboard and trying to help out.

With the MB on a cardboard box, with the 24-pin connector and the 12-V CPU plugged in, and RAM installed, when I plug the power cord in, only the MB LED is lit. The CPU fan will not turn on.

What happens if you unplug the CPU power but leave the 24 pin in and try to start. Do the fans turn? the CPU fan should be run off the MB
Click to expand...

All the capacitors look flat on top. No dome shaped ones, no burst capacitors or leaking.

When you look at the MB capacitors, (they are the round black or silver little cylinders) that are all over the place, are they all flat on top?? Do you see any that are dome shaped on top??
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My "duH"/"eureka" moment..!!

Failed to read the motherboard manual (i know, i know, RTFM..!!) and so failed to connect the front panel power supply button correctly..! After reading through so many of this forum's posts, finally it struck me that the one thing I had assumed as given was failing to either connect the two power supply pins or connect them wrongly...

My system booted to perfection after I came home from a hard night's work and changed the power panel connections.

no need for RMAs/worries/delays in booting my new PC into a Windows/Arch Linux dual boot..!

Thanks so much all.. esp g048989h, for sticking with me and trying to help..!
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
WOW!!! lesson for me too. Hadn't even considered that. great job. I feel foolish not having thought of it. I guess it always pays to slow down and go to the beginning and work from there.
Cheers,
 
Upvote 0 Downvote



My teacher @ University of Michigan, fixes servers by day and teaches by night, he got paid like 3000 dollars to fix a server, after the company invested about 8 hours into fixing it(which is a huge loss)and it turned out to be a loose fan connector that had to have connection for startup.

He said,
"some things you just can't teach, because assumptions always are in our way'
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
havng the same problems, although my PSU seems to be fine. the mobo lights up, the fans all work, the disc drives open. however i get nothing on screen nor do i get any error beeps. I have no idea what the problem could be. same mobo as TC.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I enjoyed this thread and could feel your frustration as you began the troubleshooting process. But I also felt that sensation of why we are all here when you solved the problem and the unit powered up! Nothing like the feeling of building your own! We have all been where you were at some point in our history. Glad you stuck with it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
lol, I solved my issue...funny how that only happens AFTER you post for help :)
anyway it seemed I had the chassis usb connection plugged into the wrong port preventing a POST. I have it sorted now and am installing my OS. Thanks anyway, this thread did help me learn a few things about my MOBO...like "why am I not getting any error beeps?"....because I have no speaker! LOL. Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Created an account just to thank you. I was having the same problem 15 minutes ago and getting very depressed about having to rebuild this machine. simple google search saved my day!



 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom