System won't turn on if not switching place with power/reset

[XistenZ]

Sorry about the weird subject, hard to explain the problem with as few words as possible...

My desktop won't turn on unless I use the cable for the RESET button. If I wire it correctly, it simply won't turn on I started the computer using a jumper instead of the cable, and I then tried the resetbutton (which was still wired to reset, as it should) and the computer restarted.
So, from that I know that the motherboard is OK, and the resetcable is OK, so I switched places with the power and reset cable and voila! The reset button now starts the computer, and the power button now restarts it xD so the power cable IS working, it just only works when wired to reset...

I also tried flipping the cable so + and - (or whatever it is...) switched place, but nope, that's not it.

 

[thejackal85]

It sounds like the cables may have not been installed correctly. I would say its the pins not working, but if the restart one works, then the pins obviously work. You're sure they were plugged in correctly?

If so, might want to think about an RMA on the board.

 

[XistenZ]

Yeah they were installed correctly, multiple times
If anything I'd say the fault is with the cable and not the board, but since both are working... yeah, this is a headscratcher

 

[thejackal85]

Well, if they appear to be working (but in the wrong order), I suppose there's no apparent harm in leaving them that way.

 

[XistenZ]

I know, I'm just trying to figure out how this can be possible? What exactly happens when you push the power and reset buttons? What signal goes through the cables to activate the power and reset pins? Only using a jumper to connect the pins allows the computer to instantly power on, without sending a signal.

Science is cool

 

[thejackal85]

The reset/power pins are very similar, the difference is the amount of current that is set in each one and how it controls the system. For example, the shutdown pins require more power to shut the system down, so it requires more a signal. Restarting just requires the power be cut and turned back on, which doesn't need that much of a signal.

I'm not sure on how these got crossed, but it's neat that they're both working.