What can cause a motherboard to short?

[Tigerbite]

I've been working on a new build and I can't get it to boot (no power, no fans, nothing). I can't even get the LEDs on the motherboard to light up.

My first power supply I received was DOA. The second one is tested and working fine. The motherboard still didn't boot. So I replaced the motherboard (thinking maybe it was DOA as well.) The second motherboard still did nothing.

I know, it's possible it could be another DOA (but having 2 in a row seems unlikely, especially since I've never received a single DOA ever!)

So now my question is, maybe there's something that's causing the motherboard to short at my first attempt to power on the machine.


I have brass standoffs.

 

[nikorr]

U need to have installed the RAM too.

 

[bucknutty]

with no ram i would expect it to beep like crazy, as most boards do when there is a ram issue.

 

[nikorr]

Does he have a case speaker?

 

[Tigerbite]

There's no power getting to it for it to beep. And with the link provided above by yourself, Nikorr, the guy starts off with just the psu, cpu, and heatsink.